While the probe of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is still ongoing, the call to hold corrupt officials and contractors accountable emerges as the dominant national sentiment with a clear majority of Filipinos expresses outrage and frustration over corruption in government infrastructure
projects, particularly those involving flood control, based on the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) Survey of OCTA Research focused on Probe on Corruption in Government Infrastructure Projects.
The survey conducted from September 25 to 30, 2025, using face-to-face interviews, also showed that 8 in 10 Filipinos support President Ferdinand Marcos decision to expose corruption, viewing it as a necessary step toward restoring public trust.
The top five outcomes that adult Filipinos hope to achieve from the investigation of ICI, tasked to investigate flood control corruption within the last 10 years are:
Holding corrupt officials and contractors accountable (68 percent)
Recovery of lost or misused public funds (58 percent)
Imprisonment of those proven guilty (58 percent)
Ensuring efficient implementation of quality flood control projects (41 percent)
Strengthening transparency and monitoring of government infrastructure projects (34 percent)
Support is strongest in the National Capital Region with 85 percent and among Class ABC (82 percent), underscoring a broad and urgent public demand for justice and institutional accountability.
The recovery of lost or misused public funds ranks second, alongside the imprisonment of those proven guilty-both viewed as critical steps to restore public trust in government, according to the survey with 1,200 male and female probability respondents aged 18 and above. This survey has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level.
Support for fund recovery is a majority sentiment across most groups, except in Mindanao (49 percent) and Class E (43 percent), where it is slightly lower.
Meanwhile, imprisonment for offenders garners consistent majority backing across demographics, indicating the public’s strong desire for punitive consequences against corruption.
Likewise, Filipinos expect concrete reforms, including the efficient implementation of quality flood control projects and enhanced transparency and monitoring systems to prevent future misuse of funds.
‘Taken together, these findings reveal a clear and uncompromising public mandate: Filipinos demand not only the exposure of wrongdoing but also decisive action, justice, and longterm reform to safeguard the integrity of public institutions and infrastructure programs,’ the survey said.
Strong national support for greater transparency and accountability
An overwhelming 83 percent of adult Filipinos expressed agreement with Marcos’ decision to publicly expose corruption in government flood control projects, even if it may have political consequences for him. This reflects strong national support for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of public funds.
Only 3 percent disagreed, while 13 percent remained ambivalent on the issue.
Across major geographical areas, support for the President’s stance is highest in the National Capital Region (91 percent), followed closely by Balance Luzon (90 percent). Agreement is somewhat lower in the Visayas (64 percent) and Mindanao (78 percent), where ambivalence is more pronounced, reaching 24 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
Taken together, these results, according to the survey, indicates a strong reservoir of public goodwill and trust for the President’s decision to confront corruption head-on. ‘The findings suggest that sustained transparency and follow-through on reforms could further strengthen public confidence in government integrity and leadership.’
Outrage towards corruption
Most adult Filipinos or 60 percent reported feeling anger or outrage when they think about corruption in government, particularly in projects such as flood control initiatives.
This strong emotional response highlights the public’s continued frustration over the misuse of public funds in infrastructure programs and may suggest declining confidence in the integrity of public institutions.
Meanwhile, 30 percent expressed fear or anxiety, reflecting concern about the impact of corruption on government performance and service delivery. Another 9 percent reported feelings of sadness or disappointment.
Across major geographical areas, anger or outrage remains the dominant emotion, though it
is somewhat lower in Mindanao (46 percent) compared to the Visayas (63 percent), Balance Luzon (64 percent), and NCR (59 percent).
Across age groups, the majority of adult Filipinos expressed anger or outrage over corruption in government projects-an emotion especially pronounced among younger Filipinos, particularly Gen Z and millennials.
In contrast, this sentiment is slightly lower at 44 percent among those aged 65 to 74.
Feelings of fear or anxiety range from 18 percent among those aged 55-64 to 45 percent among those aged 65-74.
Meanwhile, sadness or sorrow varies between 2 percent and 14 percent, lowest among the youngest group (18-24) and peaking among respondents aged 55-64 and 75 and above.
‘Overall, the findings highlight a strong emotional mandate for reform, with the public expressing both moral outrage and deep apprehension toward corruption in government projects-signaling a growing demand for accountability, transparency, and decisive government action.’