Marcos Jr. Cracks Down on Flood Control Corruption Scandal: 7 Suspects Detained, Others Sought
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken a firm stance against corruption in the country's flood control projects, announcing that seven suspects have been detained and several others are being sought. The crackdown comes in response to public outrage over brazen anomalies that have implicated powerful members of Congress. Massive corruption has been blamed for substandard or non-existent flood control projects in the Philippines, a country prone to deadly floods and extreme weather. The scandal has sparked outrage and protests, with demonstrators set to take to the streets on November 30. The initial batch of suspects, including former House of Representatives member Zaldy Co and government public works engineers, were indicted by the Sandiganbayan court in the first of what is expected to be dozens of criminal graft and corruption lawsuits. Marcos has vowed to bring implicated senators, House members, and wealthy construction company owners to justice by Christmas. The first corruption case involved irregularities in flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro province, including a river dike worth 289 million pesos ($4.8 million). Marcos warned remaining suspects to surrender, saying, "This will continue, we will not stop.
