A corruption scandal is engulfing the Philippines

THE PHILIPPINES is one of the most graft-riddled countries in the world, routinely scoring toward the bottom of global corruption indices, alongside the likes of Sierra Leone and Angola.

- Karishma Vaswani

But even by its own troubled standards, the past few months have exposed how deep the rot goes.

The archipelago is in the grip of a scandal involving government ministers, senators, members of Congress and wealthy businesspeople. Two presidents, including the current leader’s father, were toppled by public uprisings over misrule. Will Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. be next?

Earlier this month, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos packed Manila’s Rizal Park, demanding accountability for billions in missing flood-control funds. The movement is gaining strength: there were similar protests in September and more are planned including Sunday’s rally. Marcos was elected in 2022 on the back of high public expectations. But that goodwill is swiftly fading as Filipinos learn that many projects touted during his administration were defective, or worse never built.

For a country battered by flooding and about 20 typhoons a year, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Now that voters know the extent of the government's failure to properly manage disaster mitigation efforts, the question is: Can Marcos turn this around?