President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is directly culpable for the insertions in the 2025 national budget, which are mostly comprised of spurious flood control projects, since he had the opportunity to slash these but he only vetoed P29 billion, former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said.

In other words, he said, President Marcos Jr. approved the insertion of about P421 billion in the Department of Public Works and Highways budget.

The fact that it was the President who blew the lid off the cornering of flood control deals by 15 contractors does not absolve him from culpability, Carpio stressed in a radio interview.

“Remember, former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the House and the Senate inserted P450 billion worth of public works funds into his department, but President Marcos vetoed only P29 billion. So that veto was just window dressing,” Carpio said.

“So he cannot escape liability since he could have vetoed it, as those items were not in his National Expenditure Program. Congress inserted them. We don’t know who did it, but he should have vetoed it. And then after vetoing it, he will now submit a supplemental budget,” the former magistrate indicated.

When President Marcos gave his approval by signing the budget bill, “he owned it already. He owned this insertion of P421 billion,” Carpio pointed out.

The political situation in the country has reached an inflection point as a result of the P546-billion flood control anomaly, the largest corruption scandal in the country, which even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cannot escape liability for.

Carpio said that “the tipping point is very near, if it’s not here already.”

“This is really the biggest corruption scandal in history. We used to refer to the corruption during martial law as the worst in Philippine history. That was under President Marcos Sr. Now here is a much bigger instance of corruption under Marcos Jr,” Carpio said.

He said Marcos will now have to resolve this issue satisfactorily, as his credibility and the Marcos family name are at stake.

Carpio said the events that are happening must be seen from the historical viewpoint that Bongbong Marcos ran to redeem the honor of his family. What actually happened is we are “in a worse corruption episode than what happened during the martial law years.”

ICI’s work will be difficult

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will face challenges in addressing the irregularities within the government, Carpio said.

He said the powers of the ICI under an Executive Order (EO) are the most that the President can grant. To bestow it more power, you have to get Congress to pass a law, Carpio indicated.

“They cannot even cite anyone in contempt there, no? They have to go to court to cite a person in contempt. So, it’s tough for them. Nobody will want to testify. All the ICI can do is recommend to the DoJ or to the Ombudsman, and it’s the Ombudsman that will conduct the proper preliminary investigation,” he noted.

In fact, it should be the Ombudsman who should investigate because he can cover everyone, anyone in government, and has the full powers to investigate, he added.

Carpio explained, “Right now we don’t have an Ombudsman, and the people were clamoring for an investigation, so the ICI was created. But if the proper agencies, the appropriate government offices, are working, the ICI is not needed.”

The Ombudsman post became vacant after Samuel Martires’ seven-year term ended last 27 July.

Indignation nation

Endemic corruption, a blight tolerated in society because many Filipinos have grown up accepting officials filching public money, from the smallest agency to the top echelons of government, can and must end through a united purpose.

The “Trillion Peso March” is a series of peaceful protests against systemic corruption, with a particular focus on the anomalies in flood control projects.

It is named after the estimated P1.9-trillion spent on rickety government projects over the past 15 years, with more than half of the amount lost to kickbacks, ghost projects, substandard work, and funds misuse.

Participants at the events, expected to exceed 30,000, will demand accountability, transparency, and the prosecution of those involved.

Parallel events are planned in provinces such as Negros Occidental, where 6,000 participants are expected, as well as in Iloilo, and Cagayan de Oro and Bacolod cities.

Protest day, 21 September, is also significant as it marks the 53rd anniversary of the 1972 declaration of martial law by then president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the father of the incumbent, a dark chapter in history that lasted until 1986.

Organizers said the date was deliberately picked to draw parallels between past authoritarian excesses and today’s “brazen” graft.

Authorities, including the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), have placed Metro Manila on full alert, with road closures, suspended officer leaves, and enhanced monitoring via CCTV and a no-fly zone in the airspace above the capital.

The Department of Health has advised participants to bring water, masks, and essentials for a healthy, safe gathering.

Catholic bishops appealed to the public to join the nationwide day of prayer and protest against corruption.

The “Trillion Peso March” will be held at 2 p.m. at the EDSA People Power Monument, with simultaneous prayer rallies encouraged in dioceses, parishes, and Catholic schools across the country.

The bishops said the gathering is “not a political spectacle, but a moral stand” against entrenched corruption that “robs our people of dignity, deepens poverty, and betrays our future.”

“Let us not meet corruption with apathy or violence, but with faith, courage, and unity. Let us raise our voices in prayer, in conscience, and in peaceful action,” they said in a statement.

In Manila, activities will be held at the Luneta.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also called on legislators, oversight bodies, and prosecuting agencies to act decisively on corruption scandals, particularly in flood-control projects and budget insertions.

“We issue a serious appeal to our legislators, independent oversight bodies, and prosecuting agencies: expedite the process of investigation and accountability,” the bishops said.

“Our people deserve concrete solutions — not empty rhetoric, not endless political grandstanding, not the usual delaying tactics. Enough is enough!” they added.

The bishops stressed that the rallies seek to strengthen, not destabilize, democracy, and urged Filipinos to resist attempts by opportunists to exploit the public outrage.

Bar opportunists

“We must resist opportunists who exploit our outrage for selfish gain, while reminding our leaders that accountability must be pursued through due process, within the bounds of our Constitution and the rule of law,” the statement read.

They also appealed to the young people to use digital platforms to “document the truth, expose wrongdoing, and build communities of conscience.” They welcomed honest government workers to join in as a sign that reform is possible.

“Corruption is not just about stolen money — it is about stolen futures: flooded homes, poisoned lands, wasted opportunities for our children,” the CBCP said.

UP backs rally

University of the Philippines president Angelo Jimenez issued a memorandum in support of the mobilizations.

Jimenez noted the assemblies will coincide with the UP System Day of Remembrance, which commemorates the university’s vital role in the struggle against martial law during Marcos Sr.’s regime.

“The UP System stands in solidarity with the UP community in advocating for good governance, integrity in the use of public funds, and strategic science-driven, climate-resilient solutions to the nation’s infrastructure challenges,” the memorandum read.