Marcos wants airtight cases vs corrupt officials

President Marcos said the government must ensure airtight cases against corrupt officials, warning that rushing weak evidence to court could do more harm than good.

- ARGYLL CYRUS GEDUCOS and MARTIN SADONGDONG

Marcos said this amid public clamor to hold accountable the officials involved in systemic corruption in infrastructure projects, particularly flood control.

In an interview with the Manila Bulletin's "The Sit Down," the President said it is not enough to simply accuse public officials of wrongdoing without building solid legal foundations to prove guilt.

"We know many of these people are not innocent. But if you're going to bring them to court, you must have a strong case," he said." Marcos cautioned against filing cases prematurely, saying that losing in court because of weak or incomplete evidence could backfire.

"Look, ano'ng mangyayari minadali natin, hindi kumpleto ang ebidensiya natin, malabo ang ebidensiya natin, pero pinilit natin, natalo ang kaso (Look, what happens - we rush things, our evidence is incomplete, our evidence is weak, but we insist, and then we lose the case). Can you imagine?" he said.

"I think that will be much, much, much worse," he added.

The President stressed that every action of the government must remain grounded in due process.

"We have to follow the law. Otherwise, whatever we do is not legitimate," he said.

"And we have to be very, very clear that we go after the guilty ones," he added.

The President's remarks came amid intensified efforts by the administration to investigate irregularities in public infrastructure projects and government spending, as well as his earlier call for stronger legal coordination among anti-corruption agencies.

Flood control corruption

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. has warned that corruption in public infrastructure projects, including flood control programs, could further strain government resources and impact the military's ongoing modernization efforts.