Lawmakers accuse Marcos of empty promises after no major arrests

National

SANTA came and went, but the promise of putting the “big fish” in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal behind bars did not.

Critics say President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s anticorruption pledge fizzled before the holidays, leaving lawmakers and the public questioning whether accountability is being taken seriously.

In a Christmas Day statement quoted by the Inquirer, the Makabayan bloc, composed of ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co, said that months of investigations and hearings had produced no major arrests.

“The deadline has passed, yet not a single ‘big fish’ has been apprehended,” they said, describing Marcos’ promise that “some people will spend Christmas in jail” as empty rhetoric meant to pacify public outrage.

The term “big fish” was first used by Marcos in a September podcast to describe those orchestrating corruption in flood control projects. He emphasized that strong evidence would be required before taking action against top offenders.

In November, he assured the public that many implicated individuals would have their cases concluded before Christmas and that they would face detention.

Despite months of Senate and House hearings, public briefings, and investigations by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, no high-ranking officials have been jailed.

Makabayan said the administration appeared to protect powerful and well-connected figures while only giving the appearance of fighting corruption.

Kamanggagawa Rep. Eli San Fernando said the public has mostly seen press releases rather than results. He added that while lower-level officials and contractors face accountability, those behind the scheme remain untouched, leaving Filipinos suffering floods and other hardships while being promised action.

Palace press officer Claire Castro called for patience, saying the government had taken steps such as freezing assets, recovering millions in kickbacks, and issuing arrest warrants. She noted that some suspects had gone into hiding and others had been arrested, contrasting this with the previous administration, under which no recovered funds or accountability measures were seen.

The first batch of case referrals from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to the Office of the Ombudsman implicated 37 individuals, including Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, former Caloocan Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy, and Commission on Audit chief Mario Lipana.

As of December 25, only 23 individuals were detained pending trial or held in Senate custody.

San Fernando said holding only lower-level officials is insufficient. He argued that congressmen and senators involved should also face arrest, warning that pursuing only minor participants leaves the architects of the scandal untouched.(MyTVCebu)