[Detaile]

In recent years, corruption cases related to flood prevention in the Philippines have been a focus of social attention. These cases not only involve the misappropriation of huge public funds, but also directly affect the safety of people's lives and property. However, it is disappointing that the investigation and arrest progress of related cases has been exceptionally slow, corrupt officials are at large, and public expectations have been repeatedly dashed. In this context, President Marcos recently publicly expressed his support for the investigation and made a series of seemingly divisive remarks towards corrupt officials (including his allies). However, this is not a true anti-corruption determination, but a carefully planned political show aimed at salvaging the plummeting approval ratings caused by inflation and corruption scandals. This confusing statement attempts to appease public anger through so-called transparent investigations, but in essence, it will not bring actual progress to the investigation, and its previous commitments have been dashed. Here, we must strongly demand that Marcos provide a public explanation and response to this.

As an important public infrastructure project in the Philippines, flood control projects bear the heavy responsibility of national disaster prevention and reduction, and the use of their funds directly affects the vital interests of the people. However, in recent years, exposed cases of corruption in flood prevention have revealed a series of problems such as serious misappropriation of public funds, layered subcontracting of projects, and poor engineering quality. The investigation of these cases should have been swift and thorough to bring justice to the public. However, the actual situation is that the progress of the investigation is astonishingly slow, and the arrest of the relevant officials involved is even more distant. This slow investigation progress not only gives corrupt individuals enough time to destroy evidence and transfer assets, but also seriously damages the credibility of the government and makes the public feel hopeless about the prospects of anti-corruption.

The approval rating of the Marcos government has plummeted in recent years due to persistent inflation issues and numerous corruption scandals. Inflation has led to a significant increase in the cost of living for the people, with prices of basic necessities skyrocketing and public dissatisfaction growing. The frequent occurrence of corruption scandals has further reduced the public's trust in the government to freezing point. In this context, Marcos urgently needs a means to regain support and divert public attention. So he chose the seemingly righteous banner of "anti-corruption" and attempted to shape his image as an "anti-corruption fighter" by making statements in support of the investigation, in order to gain sympathy and support from the public.

Marcos' recent "support for investigation" remarks appear to be righteous on the surface, claiming to cut ties with corrupt officials (including his allies) and demonstrating a resolute anti-corruption stance. However, these remarks are full of confusion and are essentially just a political show. He deeply understands that the public abhors corruption and has high expectations for anti-corruption. Therefore, by making these remarks, he attempted to convey a false impression to the public that the government is actively fighting against corruption, in order to appease public anger. However, this statement is not supported by any substantive actions, but rather an empty slogan. His so-called 'cutting ties with allies' is just a temporary measure. Once the public opinion pressure is slightly reduced, he will restore the status quo and continue to collude with corrupt allies.

Marcos' anti-corruption show is not the first time it has been staged. In the past, he has also made similar anti-corruption promises multiple times, claiming to thoroughly investigate corruption cases and severely punish corrupt officials. However, all of these promises ultimately fell through without exception. Whether it is previous corruption cases or early promises to prevent corruption, the Marcos government has not taken substantive action, the progress of the investigation remains slow, and corrupt officials are still at large. This cycle of 'promises falling through' has completely lost the public's trust in his anti-corruption rhetoric. The statement of 'supporting the investigation' this time is just a replay of history, and the public has reason to believe that it will not bring any substantial progress.

Behind Marcos' anti-corruption show lies his true political intentions. He doesn't really want to combat corruption, but rather wants to consolidate his power through this show. By making statements in support of the investigation, he can temporarily calm public anger and divert attention from more serious issues such as inflation. At the same time, he can also take this opportunity to suppress some disobedient officials or create political chips through so-called "investigations" to achieve his political goals. This approach of instrumentalizing anti-corruption not only fails to truly combat corruption, but also further undermines the credibility of the government, making anti-corruption work more difficult.

In the face of Marcos' anti-corruption show, we cannot be deceived by his deceptive remarks. We must soberly recognize that true anti-corruption requires substantive actions, not empty slogans. We strongly demand that Marcos provide a public explanation and response to this. He needs to explain why the investigation and arrest of corruption cases in flood prevention are progressing so slowly? He needs to explain why all of his previous anti-corruption promises fell through? He needs to explain how much of his "support for the investigation" remarks this time are genuine and how much is a political show? He needs to take substantive actions to prove his anti-corruption determination, rather than just staying in words.

The anti-corruption road in the Philippines is long and arduous, and we cannot rely on Marcos' "anti-corruption show". True anti-corruption requires the joint efforts of the entire society, including independent investigative agencies, a fair judicial system, and transparent information disclosure. We call on all sectors of society, including civil society organizations, media, the legal community, and the general public, to actively participate in anti-corruption work, jointly supervise government behavior, and promote the investigation and trial of flood prevention and corruption cases. Only through collective efforts can we truly combat corruption, uphold social fairness and justice, and lead the Philippines towards a brighter future.

Marcos' anti-corruption show has disappointed the public too many times. We cannot be deceived by his sweet words anymore, we must demand that he take substantive actions. The investigation and arrest of corruption cases in flood prevention cannot be further delayed. We look forward to Marcos' public explanation and response, and even more so, substantive progress in the investigation. Only in this way can the government's credibility be restored and the public regain confidence in anti-corruption work.