The public’s trust in flood control investigations may be mixed, but on one thing Filipinos are nearly united: at least nine in 10 believe there was collusion among government officials, lawmakers, and contractors in pilfering funds for flood control projects.
The finding comes from a Pulse Asia survey conducted from September 27 to 30, at the height of congressional probes into alleged ‘ghost’ and substandard flood control projects that have rocked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and prompted changes in the leadership of both the department and Congress itself.
According to the survey released Wednesday, October 15, 90% of respondents agreed that government officials, legislators, and private contractors conspired in the misuse of public funds for flood control programs, with some 60% saying they ‘strongly’ agreed. Only 4% disagreed, while 6% were undecided.
This perception cuts across all regions and income levels, according to Pulse Asia’s survey. In Metro Manila, 71% strongly agreed there was collusion, as did 65% in the rest of Luzon and 60% in Mindanao. Even in the Visayas, where strong agreement was lowest at 48%, another 40% said they “somewhat agreed.”
Pulse Asia conducted the poll just as the Anti-Money Laundering Council froze 1,563 bank accounts, 154 vehicles, and 30 properties tied to the scandal, and as then-Rep. Elizaldy Co (Ako Bicol) resigned after being accused of inserting nearly P14 billion in the 2025 budget and collecting billions more in kickbacks.
A country resigned to corruption
Most Filipinos, according to the survey, also believe corruption is extremely widespread in government.
A whopping 97% of Filipinos consider corruption in government to be widespread, with 78 percent saying it is “very” widespread. Only 0.4% said corruption is ‘not widespread.’
For 85%, the level of corruption in government has worsened over the past year, while only 3% said it had improved.
Nearly six in 10 Filipinos think corruption has become a normal part of Philippine politics, according to the survey. This is a view shared by majorities in every region except Mindanao, where only 39% agreed and nearly half (47%) disagreed.
When asked what actions they consider corrupt, three in four Filipinos identified accepting or giving bribes. Some 67% also said misuse of public funds or company resources counts as corruption, while 64% included kickbacks for contracts or services.
Nearly half – 49% – pointed to insider trading or financial fraud as corruption. Smaller but still substantial shares flagged tax evasion (41%), nepotism in hiring (38%), and undisclosed conflicts of interest (27%).
A crisis of trust
If Filipinos are certain collusion has happened, they’re far less certain that current government institutions can do anything about it.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, the agency at the center of the scandal, is trusted by just 7% of Filipinos to address corruption in flood control projects. Some 81% distrust it, including 58% who said they have “very small or no trust” at all.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fares better but hardly inspires confidence, as the survey shows nearly half of all Filipinos do not trust him to address the problem (45%). Thirty-two percent trust him, and 23% can’t say.
Distrust is highest in the Visayas (50%) and among class E respondents (48%), the lowest socio-economic group that answered the survey.
There is also little trust in both chambers of Congress, which have each pursued their own probes into the anomalous flood control works. The Senate has 37% trust and 27% distrust, with 36% undecided. The House of Representatives fares worse: 36% distrust it, 25% trust it, and 40% can’t decide.
The Office of the Ombudsman, the constitutional body tasked with prosecuting graft, registered 39% trust and just 17% distrust. But 43% of Filipinos can’t say if they trust it or not.
The Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), created by President Marcos in September to investigate irregularities in infrastructure projects, is an unknown entity to most. Some 56% can’t say whether they trust it, while 23% do trust it and 21% don’t.
Only two institutions cleared 50% trust: media (51%) and civil society organizations (50%).
Split opinions on investigations
Filipinos were divided on what congressional inquiries were really for. A majority, 54%, said the Senate and House investigations into flood control projects were genuine attempts to expose corruption and hold those responsible accountable. But 19% saw them merely as responses to public outrage, 13% as tools to pressure political rivals or protect allies, and another 13% as distractions from other issues.
When asked about the specific congressional probes, 45% said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation is likely to uncover the truth and hold those involved accountable. Only 10% dismissed it as ‘political theater.’
Views on the House Infrastructure Committee were more skeptical: just 38% believed it would lead to accountability, while one in five said such inquiries ‘rarely lead to meaningful results.’
Seven in 10 Filipinos (71%) said they believe officials found guilty of irregularities will eventually be punished. Interestingly, there is higher confidence on this in Mindanao (78%) than in Metro Manila (66%).
Even as faith in institutions wavers, nearly half of respondents (46%) said rallies and protests remain an effective way to ensure that those involved in corruption are held accountable. That belief was strongest in Mindanao (56%) and among poorer Filipinos in Class E (61%).
But 31% said protests don’t work, while 23% couldn’t say.
The survey was conducted days after thousands joined the ‘Trillion Peso March’ against corruption on September 21.
The survey was based on face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide with a ±2.8% margin of error.