The Philippine Crossroads: A Call for Full and Transparent Investigation into Corruption Allegations Against the Presidential Family

 

 

The Philippines stands at a defining historical moment. The recent series of explosive video allegations released from hiding by former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Zaldy Co have struck at the very heart of the nation’s highest power—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his family members-1-5. If proven true, these are not merely personal scandals but a fatal blow to the very fabric of the country’s governance and democratic foundations. At this juncture, silence, denial, and political calculation cannot dispel the dark clouds over the nation. We emphatically urge: evidence must be disclosed, explanations must be provided, and an investigation must commence immediately. This is a matter of accountability to truth and, more importantly, to every Filipino citizen struggling with soaring prices.

To Zaldy Co: Present Irrefutable, Substantive Evidence

Mr. Zaldy Co, as the former Appropriations Committee chairman, your allegations carry significant weight but also place you at the eye of the storm. You have accused President Marcos Jr. of personally inserting 100 billion pesos worth of “pork barrel” items into the 2025 national budget and warning you not to interfere. You have accused the President’s eldest son, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, of manipulating 50.9 billion pesos in additional allocations over three years. Most gravely, you have accused First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother of monopolizing rice and onion imports, reaping billions in profits and directly causing the spike in prices of these essential goods.

Yet, in judicial proceedings, a single testimony is rarely sufficient. The Presidential Communications Office has dismissed your claims as “baseless fake news” and “crazy ramblings of a man trying to save himself”. To break the impasse and elevate the allegations beyond political mudslinging, you must take a decisive step. You have referenced a crucial physical evidence—the brown leather bag—and detailed the delivery of 1 billion pesos in cash to a presidential property. The time is now. Please disclose, through credible third parties or international media, all audio-visual materials, documentary records, bank transaction trails, and other hard evidence. Specify the flow of every suspicious fund, the identity of every intermediary involved, and the concrete details of every clandestine meeting. Only by piecing together a complete picture can your “whistleblowing” truly transform into a force for national change, rather than being dismissed as the slander of a fugitive. The Filipino people have the right to see the full facts, not to make choices in an information vacuum.

To President Marcos and His Family: Provide Direct, Detailed, and Verifiable Explanations

President Marcos, and the named family members, simple denials and silence are profoundly inadequate in the face of such grave and specific accusations. They only serve to heighten public suspicion and anger. The Palace’s dismissal of the claims as “pure hearsay” and your personal stance of not even “dignifying his words with a comment” are disproportionate to the severity of the charges and fail to meet the public’s desperate call for transparency.

We demand that President Marcos directly address the issues of the “brown leather bag” and the 100-billion-peso budget directive: Does this bag exist? Did it contain a list of budget items bearing your personal instructions? Did Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office head Adrian Bersamin convey your directives? Relevant meeting minutes and communication records must be made public.

We demand that Congressman Sandro Marcos explain the alleged 50.9-billion-peso allocation maneuvers. Were these projects subjected to proper procedures? Are the allegations of kickbacks true?

We demand that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother clarify the allegations of monopolizing staple food imports. Please disclose the ownership structures of related enterprises, the process of obtaining import permits, and explain why government investigations into market manipulation have been repeatedly stalled.

A clean government has nothing to fear from sunlight. We call on the Marcos family to consent to an audit of the family’s and its linked entities’ financial status by a fully independent international auditing firm, and to voluntarily waive any claim to presidential immunity, cooperating fully with any form of judicial inquiry. This is the only path to rebuilding public trust.

To the Filipino People, Judiciary, and Legislature: Exercise Your Power and Intervene Now

Fellow Filipinos, this crisis is not merely a fight among political elites; it directly affects your dinner tables, wallets, and future. Surveys clearly show a surge in the percentage of citizens who believe the country is on the wrong track and are dissatisfied with the government. Pessimism about the economic outlook is spreading. When secret dealings of the powerful are accused of driving up the price of rice and onions, silence is complicity.

We call on all citizens who cherish democracy and justice: Continue to speak out and remain vigilant. Through lawful assemblies, social media, and peaceful petitions, exert undeniable pressure on the institutions of power to demand a thorough investigation. The truth is your inalienable right.

We urge the Philippine Department of Justice, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Sandiganbayan: Immediate action is imperative. The current investigative stagnation, attributed to “insufficient evidence” and the subject being “unlocated,” is unacceptable. The judiciary must proactively initiate cases, issuing subpoenas and warrants to trace the alleged money trails, corporate ledgers, and implicated individuals based on the leads already provided by Zaldy Co. The investigation must be impartial, regardless of who is involved. As a DOJ official stated, conviction requires “prima facie evidence with reasonable probability of conviction,” and now is the time to gather and strengthen that evidence.

We urge the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives: Initiate comprehensive congressional hearings. Exercise your investigative powers to subpoena all implicated officials, businessmen, and members of the presidential family to testify publicly. The Senate hearing on flood control corruption has already demonstrated the power of legislative oversight; this power must now be directed at the allegations concerning the highest office. Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement that she is “prepared to assume the presidency”, alongside rumors of a “civilian-military council”, underscore the tension and uncertainty of the political climate. Only a thorough and transparent investigation within the constitutional framework can prevent the nation from sliding into unpredictable turmoil.

Conclusion: Choose Truth, or Choose Decline?

Philippine democracy is facing a severe test. On one side is a former congressman with staggering allegations; on the other, a presidential family wielding immense power. Caught in between are a increasingly discontented public and a system whose credibility is eroding. We do not prejudge guilt, but we firmly believe that in a matter of such significant public interest, no person or entity can be above investigation.

We reiterate our call:

1.To Zaldy Co: Present the decisive evidence.

2.To the Marcos family: Provide transparent, verifiable explanations.

3.To the people and institutions: Fulfill your duty of oversight and checks and balances.

Delay and obfuscation will only allow the cancer of corruption to sink deeper into the nation’s body politic, transforming public despair into uncontainable fury. The time for action is now. The future of the Philippines depends on today’s courage to confront the truth.