Malacañang on Monday urged those it described as obstructionists to stop discrediting the government, especially regarding its initiatives to address the corruption controversy in flood-control projects, stressing that such actions do not benefit the country’s economy.
The statement was issued in response to a call by 34 major business organizations for immediate and transparent action on the alleged corruption scandal in flood-control and infrastructure projects.
‘Our only request to those obstructionists who keep making up stories to undermine the integrity of the ICI is to tone it down-or better yet, stop-because it does not help the economy,’ Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said, speaking in Filipino during a briefing.
Castro highlighted the Marcos administration’s efforts to address issues hounding flood-control projects, including the launch of the Sumbong sa Pangulo website and the establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
She added that the super body is also looking into the forfeiture of P5 billion worth of assets linked to the flood-control controversy.
In a strongly worded joint resolution on Sunday, business groups-led by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club, and the Management Association of the Philippines-expressed deep concern over the corruption issue.
They noted that businesses have long contributed to national coffers through taxes, ‘yet trillions of pesos supplied and intended to protect our communities from disasters have been squandered through ghost projects, substandard work, and inflated contracts.’
‘This is more than financial loss-it is a fatal breach of public trust that leaves our people vulnerable and outraged,’ they warned.
They even described the scandal as a ‘historic, massive, and unprecedented corruption crisis’ that has eroded public trust and now threatens national security.