President Marcos asked: Report on flood mess, economy, peace process

SONA 2026 SARA ON TRIAL DUTERTE AT ICC FUEL PRICE TRACKER INFLUENCE OPS EXPLAINERS FACT CHECKS ENVIRONMENT Headlines President Marcos asked: Report on flood mess, economy, peace process Mark Ernest Villeza - The Philippine StarJuly 27, 2026 | 12:00am President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holds a press conference at Malacañang on March 11, 2025. STAR / Noel Pabalate MANILA, Philippines — Sen.

JV Ejercito expects President Marcos to report on the administration’s crackdown on alleged flood control corruption in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) today, saying the public is waiting for those behind the controversy to be held accountable. Ejercito said he wants the President to explain what has happened since he challenged officials with the “Mahiya naman kayo” (Have some shame) remark during last year’s SONA. “I hope those responsible have finally been identified.

I have consistently said the real architects of this scheme must be held accountable,” Ejercito said in an interview over radio dzBB. The President, during his fourth SONA last year, called out politicians involved in the flood control scandal amid the heavy flooding being experienced in their respective cities and provinces. He said the alleged anomalies have eroded public trust in government and urged authorities to go after those who masterminded the scheme.

“The public wants to see results,” he said. Ejercito also backed stricter conflict-of-interest rules to prevent politicians and their relatives from benefiting from government contracts, saying stronger safeguards are needed to curb corruption. He also reiterated his support for a long-term national infrastructure master plan to ensure projects are based on development priorities rather than political interests.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla shared Ejercito’s sentiments, and has called for a more thorough Senate Blue Ribbon investigation on the matter. He gave the government’s response to the controversy a rating of 2 out of 10, citing the continued flooding in many areas and what he described as the limited number of people held accountable.

“We’re still experiencing floods, and I haven’t seen enough people jailed over this,” Padilla told dzBB. ‘Explain economic gaps’ For her part, Sen. Loren Legarda wants President Marcos to explain why economic gains have yet to translate into better living conditions for many Filipinos amid rising prices and lingering poverty.

Legarda said the address should go beyond reporting economic indicators and instead focus on how the government intends to address inflation, unemployment, corruption, education, food and energy security and climate resilience during the administration’s last two years. “The Filipino people have carried the country through every crisis. They have worked, sacrificed, adjusted and endured.

The government must now show that their sacrifices have led somewhere, and that the progress being reported by the nation is progress they can finally see and feel in their own lives,” she said. She cautioned against treating the Philippines’ recent classification as an upper-middle income economy as proof that the country had already achieved prosperity. Bangsamoro peace process Meanwhile, the recently formed Multi-Sectoral Peace Coalition is urging President Marcos to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process ahead of today’s SONA.

In a statement, the coalition said the President would send a strong signal that the peace process remains a national priority if he addresses the issue during his SONA. Among the coalition’s convenors are former peace adviser Teresita Quintos-Deles, former peace negotiator and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, former government peace panel member Yasmin Busran-Lao, Muslim rights advocate Amina Rasul-Bernardo and Tindig Pilipinas convenor Kiko Aquino Dee. The coalition had earlier urged Marcos to meet with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front leadership ahead of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in September.

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