Malacañang on Tuesday assured the public that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. respects the people’s frustrations over corruption in government infrastructure projects and fully acknowledges their right to voice concerns through peaceful protest.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer, Atty. Claire Castro said the President listens to the public’s grievances, particularly regarding anomalies in flood control and other infrastructure projects, issues that the President himself brought to light.

“Ang Pangulo ay nirerespeto ang mga tinig ng taong-bayan. Kung anong hinaing, ‘yan po ay nadidinig at nararamdaman ng Pangulo (The President respects the voice of the people. Whatever concerns they raise, he hears and feels them),” Castro said.

Protest actions against corruption are expected to take place on Sunday. While the Palace expressed openness to public demonstrations, Castro cautioned against attempts to politicize or weaponize them.

“Ang ayaw lang po ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon mismo…gamitin itong damdamin ng tao, sentimyento ng tao ng mga elemento na maaaring magpagiba sa gobyerno (What the President and the administration… do not want is for certain elements to use public sentiment to try to bring down the government),” she emphasized.

Castro also urged protest organizers and participants not to involve the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), or other uniformed personnel in political agendas.

“Ito pagpo-protesta na ‘to ay huwag natin ihalo ‘yung mga militar, uniformed personnel dahil ang protestang ito ay manggagaling talaga sa taong-bayan. At hindi sila dapat gamitin para magkaroon ng destabilization (This protest should not involve the military or police because must come from the people themselves and should not be used to push for destabilization),” she added.

The Department of National Defense (DND) and AFP recently denounced calls urging the military to withdraw support from the administration, calling such efforts politically motivated and destabilizing. 

Both institutions reaffirmed their loyalty to the Constitution and democratic institutions and expressed full support for President Marcos’ anti-corruption drive.

The administration’s crackdown on corruption gained momentum after President Marcos established the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) through Executive Order No. 94. The ICI is tasked with investigating and recommending charges related to anomalies in public infrastructure projects over the past decade.

The Palace maintains that the President’s commitment to transparency and accountability remains firm and that genuine public calls for good governance are both heard and valued.