MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos blasted "useless and crumbling" flood control projects in a state of the nation address on Monday that focused on domestic issues after a months-long feud with his vice-president. Marcos repeated his recent warning that the nation faced a climate change-driven "new normal", while pledging to investigate publicly funded projects that had failed.
"Let's not pretend, the people know that these projects can breed corruption. Kickbacks... for the boys," he said, citing houses that were "swept away" by the floods. "Someone has to pay for the grave damage and corruption," he said, adding he would demand a full list of failed flood control projects and make it public.
After months dominated by a feud with his vice-president that left many voters disillusioned, Marcos's speech leaned heavily into bread-and-butter concerns. "The people feel a sense of defeat and dismay at the government, especially when it concerns basic services," he said, referencing disappointing mid-term election results in May. "The lesson for us is very simple. We need to do better. We need to work faster." — AFP
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