Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says many of the powerful figures tied to a massive corruption scandal will be behind bars by Christmas.
He made the pledge on Thursday as public anger continues to rise across the country.
At least 37 senators, members of Congress and wealthy businesspeople have been implicated in the scandal.
They allegedly pocketed huge sums from defective or non-existent flood control projects.
The scandal has sparked outrage because floods and typhoons regularly devastate communities. Many Filipinos blame corruption for the failing infrastructure.
Marcos said the independent fact-finding commission he created has already filed multiple criminal complaints.
The charges include graft, corruption and plunder, a crime that is not eligible for bail.
The commission also filed complaints against 86 construction company executives.
Nine government officials were charged as well for allegedly dodging nearly 9 billion pesos in taxes. That amount equals about $152 million.
According to Marcos, the evidence is strong. He insisted the government aims to recover every stolen peso.
He stressed that the goal is accountability, not political theatrics.
“We don’t file cases for optics. We file cases to put people in jail,” he said.
The scandal broke at a time when the country is grieving heavy losses from two destructive storms.
Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 232 people last week.
Many victims died in flash floods across central Philippines. Another 125 remain missing. Days later, Super Typhoon Fung-wong battered the north.
The storm left 27 dead and displaced millions. These tragedies intensified public frustration over years of failed flood control.
Marcos gave the update during a televised news conference.
The briefing was part of the crackdown he promised in his July state of the nation address. Street protests have grown since the scandal broke.
A new three-day protest is planned for this weekend, with another set for November 30.
However, Vice President Sara Duterte sharply criticised Marcos after his remarks.
Their political feud has intensified in recent months. Duterte argued that Marcos should also be held accountable.
She said he signed the 2025 national budget, which includes the disputed flood control funds.
According to her, he “can put himself in jail” for approving it.
Her comments fuelled debate over whether the corruption network extends deeper into the government.
Despite the political tension, Marcos insists more anomalies will soon be uncovered.
He promised that investigations will continue and that more individuals could face prosecution.
As the Christmas deadline approaches, the Philippines is bracing for one of its largest corruption crackdowns in decades.
Many citizens say they want real accountability, not another cycle of scandals and broken promises.
For now, the pressure on the administration continues to grow as the country waits to see who will actually land in jail.