Will Marcos' War on Corruption End 'Pork Barrel' Scandals or Be His Undoing?

His bid to project strength, reassert control could backfire if more allies are implicated

- Mara Cepeda

MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s crackdown on dodgy infrastructure projects has unleashed an explosive corruption scandal - one that now threatens the political coalition he is trying to hold together.

A Senate investigation into the anomalies on Sept 8 uncovered an alleged corruption scheme in the province of Bulacan, north of the capital Manila, which senators believe is being replicated across the country.

Public funds meant for flood control projects have allegedly been fuelling a well-oiled cartel involving lawmakers, construction companies and government engineers, who allegedly earned kickbacks from 9.8 billion pesos (S$220 million) worth of deals from 2022 to 2025.

"Pork barrel" corruption, involving the misuse of government funds meant for local projects for personal or political gain, has long festered in the Philippines.

All eyes are on whether Mr Marcos will allow the investigations to run their course, even if his inner circle is implicated.

His anti-corruption drive is widely seen as an attempt to project strength and reassert control, but his influence in Congress could be weakened if more of his allies are implicated and charged.

The timing is also sensitive, as the scandal risks denting the Philippines' credibility just as it courts stronger international partnerships in the face of China's maritime aggression and growing uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's protectionist policies.

"We're now seeing an implosion in his coalition," Dr Aries Arugay, visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, told The Straits Times.