Philippine Leader Marcos Confirms Seven Arrests in Corruption Probe

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1053 EAT on Monday 24 November 2025

Seven people have been arrested in the Philippines as part of an investigation into a sprawling corruption scandal linked to flood control projects, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced.

The suspects are among more than a dozen individuals indicted by the Sandiganbayan, a special anti-corruption court, in the first of what authorities expect to be multiple probes into so-called “ghost” infrastructure projects.

The arrests come two months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. established a commission to investigate the scandal, which the Department of Finance estimates has cost the Philippines up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion), following mass protests in Manila in September demanding accountability.

In a video address posted on Facebook on Monday, Marcos said two wanted suspects were prepared to surrender, while seven remained at large. He warned that anyone aiding the fugitives would also face legal consequences.

“To the rest, give up,” Marcos said, singling out Zaldy Co, a former member of the House of Representatives.

Officials have said Co’s family owns Sunwest Corporation, the construction company contracted to build a dike on the Mag-asawang Tubig River in Oriental Mindoro province. The project, valued at 289 million pesos ($4.9 million), is the first to be scrutinized by the Sandiganbayan since the scandal surfaced.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co’s current whereabouts are unknown but is believed to be outside the Philippines. Three other suspects may soon surrender to Philippine embassies in the United States, New Zealand, and Jordan and be repatriated.

“No matter where you are in the world, we will find you,” Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said at a news conference, where mugshots of the arrested suspects in orange shirts were displayed.

Philippine media outlet Rappler reported that eight officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were in custody over the Oriental Mindoro case as of Monday.

The suspects include two regional directors, an engineer, and a bidding and awards committee accountant, Rappler reported.

President Marcos has vowed that dozens more criminal corruption cases will target implicated senators, members of the House, and wealthy construction company owners, promising they will be “jailed before Christmas.”

The scandal has sparked widespread outrage, fueled by reports of the suspects’ lavish lifestyles, including mansions, suitcases of cash, and fleets of luxury cars and private jets.

An upcoming demonstration on November 30 has received backing from the dominant Roman Catholic Church.

Among those implicated is Representative Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin and key political ally. Romualdez has denied any involvement but has stepped down as House speaker. Former Senate President Francis Escudero has also been accused of pocketing kickbacks; he too has resigned from his post and strongly denies any wrongdoing.

The archipelago nation, made up of some 7,641 islands, is highly vulnerable to flooding. Residents of low-income communities say the corruption scandal has left them without adequate protection.

More than 250 people were killed when two super typhoons struck the Philippines within a week earlier this month, Al Jazeera reported.

Experts warn that island nations like the Philippines are facing increasingly severe and frequent tropical storms due to warming oceans and other impacts of climate change, highlighting the urgent need for expanded flood control measures to reduce potential devastation.

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