MANILA – Malacañang stood firm on its deliberate pace in addressing the multi-billion-peso flood control corruption scandal, stressing that the Marcos administration would not trade due process for speed in pursuing accountability.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the government is already moving within legal limits to address the controversy, but warned against hasty actions that could violate constitutional rights.
“Sa mga naiinip, ang pamahalaan po ay nasa tamang pagkilos na naaayon sa batas. Nagmamadali? Yes, minamadali lahat pero hindi natin mamadaliin ang lahat na magba-violate tayo ng batas at ng human rights,” Castro said.
Her statement came after major business and labor groups jointly urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take “bold, concrete steps” to combat corruption and restore public trust, citing the unresolved flood control controversy as a major test of leadership.
The groups proposed several reforms, including a dedicated Sandiganbayan division for infrastructure-related graft, recovery of stolen public funds, and stronger budget accountability mechanisms.
They also expressed frustration that the government has not yet issued hold departure orders against individuals linked to the scandal.
“We are told to be content with immigration lookout bulletins for now,” their joint statement read.
Castro, however, explained that the executive branch cannot issue hold departure orders since such authority rests with the judiciary.
“Hindi po natin basta-basta maaaring tawagin or sabihin na ang isang tao ay hindi ka puwedeng magbiyahe – iyan naman po ay lalabag sa batas dahil lahat naman din po tayo ay may freedom of movement, iyan po ay isang constitutional right,” she said.
The Palace official underscored that several measures have already been undertaken, including the freezing of assets by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the filing of criminal complaints, and the release of immigration lookout bulletins.
“Sino man ang mademanda, kayo man o ibang tao, due process po ang lagi nating papanatilihin na marespeto. So, iyon lamang po. Sana po maintindihan po nila iyon,” Castro said.
On calls to expand the powers of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), Castro noted that the panel’s inquiries have thus far proceeded smoothly even without contempt authority.
She reiterated that the government’s priority is to ensure that all actions taken — no matter how urgent — stand firmly on legal and constitutional grounds./PN
