President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 4 July defended his administration's anti-corruption campaign, saying the ongoing investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects began under his watch and is being pursued solely on the basis of evidence, rejecting accusations of selective justice.

Speaking during a press conference upon his return from an official visit to Canada, Marcos said his administration was the first to actively pursue accountability over alleged irregularities in flood control projects despite earlier acknowledgments of the problem under previous administrations.

"If I didn't say what I said in the State of the Nation Address, we wouldn't even be talking about this," Marcos said. "I'm the one who exposed all of this, and I'm the only one who started to do anything about it."

Marcos said investigators have uncovered evidence suggesting the alleged corruption predates his administration, extending as far back as 2017 and 2018.

"The more we look, the more we find," he said. "It goes beyond my administration, beyond my term."

The President recalled that then-House Minority Leader Rolando "Nonoy" Andaya Jr. had earlier alleged a "P300-billion flood control mess" in 2018.

He noted that while former President Rodrigo Duterte publicly acknowledged problems involving flood control projects, accountability was never established.

"At the time, President Duterte acknowledged there were great problems in terms of the flood control projects, but nothing happened," Marcos said. "Having acknowledged it, he did not find accountability in anybody. So I guess that was left up to me."

Marcos described corruption in flood control projects as a deeply entrenched system requiring structural reforms within government.

"This is a deep-seated system of corruption that requires not only structural changes in the way government is run and in the way the budget is written, but also a change in attitude," he said.

According to the President, some officials have normalized the practice of receiving commissions from government projects.

"They put all kinds of nice words to it, rebate or whatever. That's a kickback," Marcos said. "Some people think that's acceptable."

Asked about allegations that the investigations amount to selective justice, Marcos denied the claim, saying an independent commission was created to investigate the projects and that authorities have simply followed the evidence.

"From the time that we formed the independent commission, I said we will just follow the evidence," he said. "We'll continue to do that."

Marcos also confirmed that the government has maintained an inventory not only of contractors but also of flood control projects found to have irregularities.

He said the list he previously disclosed has already undergone investigation, with some contractors now facing cases and the freezing of their bank accounts.

"When we discussed this before, I gave you the list of all the contracts," Marcos said. "Since then, they have all been investigated."

He added that investigators also found that not every contractor included in the original list committed wrongdoing.

"There were one or two where, although they were named and had large contracts, it turned out there was no problem," he said.

"So yes, we have the inventory not only of the contractors but also of the projects themselves that are problematic."

Marcos declined to comment on the merits of the Office of the Ombudsman's decision to discharge former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan as a state witness in its investigation involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

He said the decision rests solely with the Ombudsman.

"If he feels that former Secretary Manny Bonoan will be helpful to the cases against the other people, then it is his prerogative," Marcos said. "It is his decision and his judgment to make. I have complete faith in the Ombudsman and what he is doing."