“Kailangan pong ang korapsyon, ayon kay PBBM, ay matapos na at matuldukan sa panahong ito. Ang utos sa amin: walang kaibigan, walang kakampi. Kung sino ang makasalanan, siya ang makukulong.”

This was how Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla described the “uncompromising instructions” of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., as he relayed them during the 277th founding anniversary and 10th cityhood celebration of the City of General Trias in Cavite.

Remulla said the President has issued a clear directive to ensure that no one will be spared in the government’s intensified campaign against corruption, amid ongoing investigations into alleged flood control ghost projects and budget insertions.

He stressed that the President’s order is firm and non-negotiable, noting that all individuals involved—regardless of position or political affiliation—will be investigated and held accountable.

The DILG chief acknowledged that enforcing the mandate has come with personal costs, including strained friendships built over many years. However, he said these are sacrifices that come with choosing public service over personal comfort.

“Napakahirap na tatawag ang mga kaibigan na hindi mo puwedeng sagutin ang kanilang tawag at baka sabihin, ‘tumawag na ako, ayos na.’ Hindi po ganoon ang utos ng Pangulo,” Remulla said.

He also addressed criticisms directed at him and his brother, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, emphasizing that their shared commitment to justice and public accountability remains unchanged.

Remulla added that the coming week would be critical, as developments in the investigations are expected to surface. “Abangan ninyo na lang,” he said.

The DILG Secretary underscored that the decisive reforms being implemented in Cavite—credited with driving tangible progress on the ground—should serve as a model for governance nationwide. He said the fight against corruption must be consistent, fearless, and felt across all levels of government, in line with the President’s vision of a government that truly works for the people.