Marcos Teases 'New Chapter' in Corruption Fight

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has teased a "new chapter" in the country's fight against corruption. When asked on Friday if he would again tackle corruption issues in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, the President cryptically responded, "Abangan ang susunod na kabanata" (Wait till the next episode). Last year, Marcos delivered a fiery rebuke against widespread corruption in flood control projects during his SONA, famously saying, "Mahiya naman kayo (Have some shame)!" However, critics belittled the catchphrase as no close allies were charged in connection with the flood works scandal. Despite past criticisms, the President hinted at a renewed campaign against corruption when speaking to reporters on Friday. A survey by Pulse Asia, conducted from June 28 to July 3 and July 6, revealed that 29.8 percent of Filipinos want Mr. Marcos to discuss the government's fight against corruption in his upcoming speech. In contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial (1.2 percent) and the recent leadership crisis in the Senate (1 percent) were among the least concerns, according to the Stratbase Group-commissioned survey among 2,400 respondents. Meanwhile, business groups representing the country's leading manufacturers and exporters are urging Mr. Marcos to lay out concrete plans to reduce the cost of doing business. In a statement, Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) chairperson Elizabeth Lee said, "Cutting power costs is a key factor to putting Philippine manufacturing on equal footing across" the region. FPI emphasized that lower power costs remain critical to energy-intensive industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, and food processing. The group called for accelerated reforms in the energy sector, including renewable energy expansion, grid modernization, and policy reviews. The group also urged for measures to reduce logistics costs, which they stated are driven not only by fuel prices but also by port congestion, redundant local government pass-through fees, and other operational bottlenecks. "Streamlining operational friction points will directly lower input costs, improve supply chain reliability, and make local goods more competitive," Lee added.