Marcos: Corruption isn’t the face of government

Government service isn’t easy — it’s tough, often thankless work, and now in the shadow of the corruption scandals it’s even tougher, admits President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Amid the noise, however, the President said he still believes there are many good, hardworking people in government who serve with integrity.

“There are so many people in government who are very good, who are dedicated, who make sacrifices,” he said in the latest episode of his BBM Podcast. “One of the reasons I exposed all these anomalies is because these (good) people are trying so hard.”

Marcos was referring to the irregularities in flood control projects, which he said exposed how corruption continues to thrive in some corners of government. He lamented that while many civil servants stay late, work weekends, and spend their own money to get things done, a few bad actors “just take the money and destroy projects that people worked very hard on.”

Still, the President insisted that corruption doesn’t define the government. “Those people are not the face of government — they are the face of corruption,” he said. “Most government workers would rather just do their jobs and actually serve. That’s why they’re there.”

Marcos said he hopes the public doesn’t lose faith in the many honest people in the bureaucracy. “Government service is not easy. We must respect that people are really working very hard and trying their best,” he said.

In the podcast, Marcos grew reflective when asked who he would want to speak with if given the chance. His answer was quick: his late father and namesake, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.

“I always think, what did my dad do? It was a similar situation I saw him in,” he said. “If I asked him, ‘Dad, what am I supposed to do?’—what would he say? That’s a treasure trove of good advice right there.”

Marcos said he sometimes imagines hearing his father’s voice reminding him of the weight of leadership. “Since I became president, sometimes I hear in the back of my mind: ‘Oh, mahirap, ano?’” he said with a laugh.

He credits his father for shaping his own leadership style — from big-ticket infrastructure projects to social programs and foreign policy. “You have a good idea, but you don’t really know until you’re there,” he reflected.

Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was the country’s 10th president under the Third and Fourth Republics.

His son, now the 17th under the Fifth Republic, says he continues to draw lessons from that legacy — determined to prove that amid the corruption and controversies, good people continue to keep the government’s heart beating.