Camille Naredo

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs into law the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila on August 14, 2025. Mark Balmores, PPA Pool

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs into law the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila on August 14, 2025. 

The law strengthens the constitutional guarantee under Article VIII, Section 3, ensuring that the Judiciary’s budget cannot be reduced below the previous year’s allocation and must be automatically released. It also authorizes the Supreme Court to submit its budget proposal directly to Congress, mandates the automatic monthly release of funds, and requires quarterly reporting to the President and Congress. Witnesses include Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, Senate President Chiz Escudero, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and other officials. 

Mark Balmores, PPA Pool

Article (news)

MARCOS

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175725375680520250814-marcos-judiciary-fiscal-autonomy-PPA-8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs into law the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila on August 14, 2025. Mark Balmores, PPA Pool"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs into law the Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace in Manila on August 14, 2025. <em>Mark Balmores, PPA Pool</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decried massive corruption in the country amid anomalies hounding flood control projects. </p><p>Marcos Jr. said he is “very upset” seeing hardworking Filipinos suffering from corruption. </p><p>&quot;Mabuti ba kung masamang tao ‘yan, dapat parusahan. Hindi naman eh. Walang ginawa ‘yan kung hindi magtrabaho. Kung hindi mahalin ang pamilya. Ba&#x27;t mo paparusahan? Para magpayaman ka? Makes no sense to me,&quot; he said in the latest episode of his podcast, released Sunday, September 7. </p><p>“I&#x27;m not disheartened. I&#x27;m not disappointed. I get very, very angry. How can you do this to people that have worked every day of their lives?” he added. </p><p>“That&#x27;s all they want in life. Kukunin niyo pa sa kanila ‘yun para bumili ng Rolls-Royce,” Marcos Jr. stated, seemingly taking a jab at government contractors publicly flaunting their luxury cars. </p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/7/cbcp-chief-on-flood-control-projects-make-corruption-shameful-again-0005"><strong>CBCP on flood control projects: &#x27;Make corruption shameful again&#x27;</strong></a> </div><p>The Chief Executive also lambasted how corruption has become entrenched and systemic through the years. </p><p>“Noong ako’y governor, hindi ganito. At bukod pa sa laki ng halaga ng nakukuha ng kung sino-sino na tao na wala namang karapatan na bulsahin ang pera na ‘yan, bukod pa roon, ay hindi nila tinatago,” he recalled. </p><p>“Kasi ngayon sila, wala – walang pakialam,” he added. </p><p>Marcos Jr. believes the change in the system “did not happen overnight” and that corruption has been neglected. “This happened over many decades,” he noted. </p><p>“Ako, nasho-shock ako. Hindi ako – hindi ako makapaniwala na nandito na tayo na ganito na ang gobyerno,” Marcos Jr. added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>’IT WAS NORMALIZED’</strong> </div><p>Marcos Jr. also lamented how corruption has been tolerated over the years. </p><p>“It became allowable. ‘Okay lang. Hindi problema ‘yan. Hindi krimen ‘yan. Sige lang.’ It was normalized,” he noted. </p><p>The President underscored the need to figure out the root cause of corruption to be able to effectively put safeguards. </p><p>“If it requires legislation, if it requires restructuring the government, lahat ‘yan kailangan natin gawin,” he said. </p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/6/groups-urge-gov-t-to-replace-system-of-corruption-with-transparency-accountability-1342"><strong>&#x27;Dapat may managot&#x27;: Amid flood control probe, groups urge gov&#x27;t to replace &#x27;system of corruption&#x27; with transparency, accountability </strong></a> </div><p>“Make them answerable for their wrongdoing and fix the structure, so this is not allowable,” the Commander-in-Chief stated.</p><div> </div><div><strong>‘HAVE HOPE’</strong></div><p><strong></strong>Nonetheless, Marcos Jr. tells the public to &quot;have hope&quot; amid corruption issues hounding the country. </p><p>“There&#x27;s hope. Have hope. We&#x27;ve seen all of what people are complaining about or having to live with,” he said. </p><p>He also vowed to hold corrupt individuals accountable even if it means going against his own. </p><p>“At lahat ng aming gawin na kayang gawin, ginagawa namin pero ‘yun na nga ‘yung na – babalik na naman ako doon sa nasabi ko kanina na ang lalim ng kalawang. Ang lalim ng bulok,” Marcos Jr. added. </p><p>“They keep saying, ‘How about if these are your friends? How about if these are your kaalyado?.’ They said, ‘What can you do?’” </p><p>“And I said, we&#x27;re making an omelet. We&#x27;re going to have to break some eggs. There&#x27;s just no way around it,” he stated.</p><div> </div><div><strong>‘SUMBONG SA PANGULO’</strong></div><p>According to Marcos Jr., over 12,000 reports have been lodged in the ‘Sumbong sa Pangulo’ website concerning not only flood control projects but other infrastructure projects. </p><p>“May mga paving, mga road widening, marami, maraming dumadating,” he said. </p><p>He further urged the public to report infrastructure irregularities within their localities.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/4/p96-m-ghost-flood-control-project-in-bulacan-a-bicam-insertion-lawmaker-reveals-1926"><strong>P96-M &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood control project in Bulacan a &#x27;bicam insertion&#x27;, lawmaker reveals </strong></a></div><p>“We started talking about only flood control. Pero siyempre, nagkaroon ng tao ng line of communication sa akin na para makapagreklamo sila, ginagamit talaga nila. That has been very effective,” the president added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>‘NO REGRETS’</strong> </div><p>Amid controversies being faced by his administration, Marcos Jr. maintained that he does not regret being president “not for one moment”. </p><p>“Because I am given the privilege, the opportunity and the chance to actually do something. All of the things that I complained about all my life, now I can do something about it. And that is the greatest privilege that anyone can be granted,” he said. </p><p>“So no, I don&#x27;t regret it,” the President said.</p><div> </div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decried massive corruption in the country amid anomalies hounding flood control projects.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decried massive corruption in the country amid anomalies hounding flood control projects.

'I get very, very angry': Marcos Jr. condemns shameless, systemic corruption

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'I get very, very angry': Marcos Jr. condemns shameless, systemic corruption

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 07, 2025 10:23 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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