Marcos at his weakest as rivals fan flames of political fires amid scandal

When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr vowed on Nov 13 that those involved in the Philippines' massive flood-control corruption scandal would spend their Christmas in jail, the message was meant to project control.

- Mara Cepeda

Protesters calling for the resignation of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Vice-President Sara Duterte at an anti-corruption rally in Manila on Nov 21. Mr Marcos is racing against time, rushing to arrest "big fish" in the flood-control graft scandal after he promised they would spend Christmas behind bars. PHOTO: EPA

(EPA)

But the promise landed at a moment when forces aligned with his ally-turned-foe, Vice-President Sara Duterte — including the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) religious group — were already sharpening their criticism of the administration.

Just three days after Mr Marcos' declaration, 650,000 INC members gathered in Manila in one of the largest shows of discontent since he took office.

Then, fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co, who chaired the House appropriations committee and oversaw the budget hearings now under scrutiny, resurfaced from hiding.

In videos he released on Facebook, he echoed longstanding Duterte-camp accusations, alleging that Mr Marcos and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, orchestrated billions of pesos in flood-control kickbacks in the 2025 budget.

Although several lawmakers have been implicated in the widening scandal, Mr Co has emerged as its public face.

The scandal Mr Marcos, 68, had hoped would demonstrate resolve amid crisis has instead blown up in his face. Instead of tightening his grip over a sprawling bureaucracy, he has found himself at the centre of a political wildfire, one that his rivals, angry protesters and even his own sister, Senator Imee Marcos, 70, have been all too willing to fan.

Mr Marcos is fighting fires on all fronts, and the flames are now licking at the foundations of his presidency.