Philippine V-P Duterte slams Marcos as thousands of anti-graft protesters gather for a second day
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Members of the religious group Iglesia ni Cristo attending the first of a three-day anti-corruption protest in Manila on Nov 16.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA – Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte said on Nov 17 that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is facing a “crisis of confidence” amid a deepening corruption scandal as day two of an anti-graft rally drew hundreds of thousands of protesters.
Ms Duterte, whose ties with Mr Marcos collapsed
“The President now faces a profound crisis of confidence, especially in the way these corruption investigations are being handled, which appear to lack both direction and resolve,” she said in a video posted on her Facebook account.
“We also seek clear answers on how a budget that deprived Filipinos of billions and billions of pesos was approved under his watch,” she added.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Mr Marcos himself led the investigation into the corruption scandal, something that was not done during the administration of Ms Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said in a statement that the nation is not “blind to the challenges, nor are we shaken by them”.
“What you see today is not a leadership crisis, but a government reforming itself from within, led by a president who chose to be the whistleblower, not the apologist, of corruption,” he said.
The unfolding graft scandal has gutted investor confidence in the Philippines, causing economic growth to slump in the third quarter, weakening the peso and decimating the stock market.
Ms Duterte’s comments come after a former lawmaker at the centre of some of the allegations earlier in the weekend accused Mr Marcos of receiving 25 billion pesos (S$552 million) in kickbacks from spending on projects that the President allegedly ordered to be included in the 2025 budget.
Mr Zaldy Co, who previously headed the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee, is implicated in the scheme to pocket funds for flood infrastructure but has said he did not benefit from it.
Mr Marcos’ office called the accusation “propaganda”.
Vice-President Sara Duterte says President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s anti-corruption drive lacks “both direction and resolve”.
PHOTO: EPA
Frustration boiling over
Ms Duterte criticised Mr Marcos as hundreds of thousands of protesters in the Philippines returned to the streets of Manila for a second straight day on Nov 17, pressing their demands for accountability.
The protest, which started on Nov 16 and drew more than 600,000 people
Many in the Nov 16 crowd expressed frustration at what they described as ineffective inquiries into irregularities in major infrastructure projects.
“We are calling for the government to carry out a real, sincere investigation and not cover up for anyone involved in this anomaly,” said Mr Freddie Beley, 60.
The scandal has widened since Mr Marcos in August disclosed the results of an internal audit into flood-control projects, revealing troubling irregularities
It has implicated public works officials, executives of major construction firms and lawmakers who allegedly enriched themselves through substandard or, in some cases, non-existent flood-control projects.
Mr Marcos has created a commission
The President, son of a former leader accused of widespread corruption during his rule, has framed his crackdown as part of a broader push for accountability and transparency.
Protester Armelyn Bandril, 35, said there is a lack of accountability. “Almost a hundred days have passed since the process began, yet no one has been jailed. There’s plenty of proof,” she said.
Mr Marcos on Nov 13 vowed that those responsible for the flawed projects would be jailed before Christmas. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
