Marcos: Corruption fight needs cultural shift

SINGAPORE — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said eliminating corruption in the Philippines requires more than changing government systems, arguing that the country must also change attitudes that have allowed corrupt practices to persist.

Speaking with Forbes Media Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes at the 24th Forbes Global CEO Conference, Marcos said corruption continues to undermine institutions and can discourage investment.

“Well, immediately, the corrosive effect and influence of corruption has always reared its ugly head at every level,” Marcos said.

He said the problem extends beyond government and requires changing behavior that may once have been tolerated.

“What was acceptable behavior before, we have to put into people's minds, into people's thinking, that this is no longer acceptable. This cannot be done,” he said.

Marcos also cited digitalization as one way of reducing opportunities for corruption by making government processes more transparent and less dependent on traditional bureaucratic systems.

He acknowledged, however, that technology and administrative safeguards alone would not eliminate wrongdoing.

“A determined criminal mind will find ways around any safeguards that you put in,” Marcos said.

He added that shifting public attitudes toward corruption would be more difficult than changing government procedures.

Marcos also linked the persistence of corruption to the Philippines’ colonial history, arguing that generations of people learned to work around systems they viewed as stacked against them.

“When people say, why do you think that this is so prevalent? And I think colonialism has something to do with it,” he said.

He stressed that such attitudes now have to change.

“It's not an easy job, but it is something we absolutely have to do,” Marcos said.

The remarks came during Marcos’ working visit to Singapore, where he is pitching the Philippines to global business leaders and investors.