Chair Emeritus 'Ka Pep' Goitia declares his support to the President's anti-corruption crackdown. (Photo supplied)
Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.
— United States president John Adams
PRESIDENT Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM)’s campaign to rid the government of corruption is gaining traction as more and more groups join the fight to weed out public officials involved in irregularities in government transactions and projects.
Among those who have expressed firm support to the chief executive’s initiative are the civic-oriented groups Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (PADER), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) and Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY) Movement.
According to the groups’ convenor and chairman emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, their advocacy has always been attuned with the government’s efforts to promote and strengthen sovereignty, patriotism, social equality and justice for all.
“In times like these, when our people are battered by floods and calamities, we cannot afford substandard work and corruption,” Goitia pointed out in reference to the President’s fight against corruption. “That is why I fully support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his strong and decisive inspection of flood control projects. He is showing the Filipino people that negligence and betrayal of public trust will not be tolerated,” he asserted.
Goitia praised the President’s recent on-site inspections across the country, especially in Bulacan, one of the most flood-prone provinces, where in Calumpit hus visit in barangays Bulusan and Frances he uncovered shoddy workmanship and missing infrastructure that contradicted official records of project completion.
“At Barangay Bulusan, the President discovered that over 200 meters of the river protection structure had never been built, even though reports claimed it was finished. He even dispatched divers to inspect below the surface, revealing thin, uneven concrete and gaps between the structure and its foundation—substandard work destined to fail,” he cited.
Goitia noted how President Marcos demanded accountability from those responsible, quoting from the chief executive’s very wirds: “They must explain why this is how they built it. It would serve them well to come here and feel how hard life is for our countrymen because of their actions.”
At Barangay Frances, PBBM found another flood mitigation structure worth ₱77.1 million having poor-quality materials and incomplete dredging and desilting, despite being listed as completed.
Goitia emphasized that President Marcos Jr. is taking the irregularities seriously and following the Bulacan inspections, the Commission on Audit was immediately ordered to conduct an immediate fraud audit of all flood control projects in the province—a crucial step toward securing accountability.
Turning to Oriental Mindoro, he highlighted how Governor Humerlito ‘Bonz’ Dolor publicly exposed damaged dikes that collapsed weeks after completion, decried the misuse of over ₱39 billion in flood control funds and appealed directly to Malacañan to hold contractors and officials accountable.
“The President’s approach combines inspection, swift corrective action and anti-corruption measures with tangible aid. In Oriental Mindoro, he released ₱46.14 million to farmers and fishers affected by storms and instructed agencies to revise the Flood Control Masterplan to make it climate-resilient and data-informed,” he noted.
“This is what leadership looks like. President Marcos is not just building infrastructure; he is demanding quality, integrity and fairness. He is delivering on promises, and he is cleansing systems of corrupt practices,” Goitia added
In ending, he called on Filipinos to stand behind the President’s efforts: “Every botched dike is a threat to households. Every peso lost to corruption takes food from someone’s table. President Marcos has made it clear: no room for thieves or saboteurs. This is our fight too. We must unite in this crusade.”
He concluded with conviction: “We will expose the dishonest. We will condemn the incompetent. We support a president who dares to fight corruption head-on. Because this isn’t just politics. It’s about survival, dignity, and justice for every Filipino.”
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