MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday stressed the importance of building “solid evidence” against individuals linked to the alleged flood control project anomalies, saying due process must prevail despite public impatience over the lengthy investigation.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Marcos said the government must ensure airtight cases before filing charges to prevent suspects from escaping accountability.
“Can you imagine these people who have stolen billions from the government getting away because the evidence was not handled well? That would be a much worse result,” Marcos said.
He emphasized that while authorities “already have a good idea” of who the perpetrators are, the priority is to secure convictions and recover stolen public funds.
“We must make sure that they really go to jail and that what they stole is returned to the government, to the people,” he added.
Marcos said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) continues its probe and is preparing to livestream its proceedings to promote transparency.
Acknowledging the public’s frustration, the President said justice must be pursued carefully rather than hastily.
“Do you want to get it done quickly or do you want to get it done right? That’s the choice that we have,” he said.
