President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government must adhere to the rule of law to achieve justice in the ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, taking a more deliberate approach compared to the previous administration.

Marcos explained that due process must be followed despite the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s ongoing investigation, noting that no one has been jailed so far. He has faced criticism for being “slow” compared to his predecessor when it comes to pursuing those accused of breaking the law.

He emphasized that accusations must be supported by solid evidence.

“This guy stole, another one gave him money, and then another person did this… We have to prove it. We don’t want to go after people who are innocent,” he said.

“Now, we know many of these people are not innocent. But if you are going to bring them to court, you must have a very strong case,” he added.

Marcos warned that hastily filed cases could have worse outcomes if they fail to hold up in court.

“What will happen if we rushed it? The evidence is incomplete, the evidence is not clear but we still pushed through. We lose our case,” he stressed.

Corruption as 'sins,' not mistakes

For President Marcos, acts of corruption in the Philippines are no longer mere mistakes — they are sins.

“I call them sins; it’s no longer mistakes or corruption – the sins they committed are hard to swallow,” Marcos said, describing individuals who took advantage of public funds for personal gain.

“We are a nation – a people of laws. We have to follow the law. Otherwise, whatever we do is not legitimate,” he said.

He added that it would be wrong to imprison anyone without clear evidence.

“We have to be thorough also. If we are actually going to punish these people, we have to be very, very clear about what we are doing, and we have to be very, very clear that we go after the guilty ones. You know, because some of the guilty ones they are trying to – they are trying to derail the system,” he said.

“That's not me,” Marcos said of those being investigated, noting that some tend to deflect blame. “Maybe we'll get to that point, so let's make sure that we get them.”