SONA 2026: President Marcos says anti-corruption campaign will spare no one, even his family

Declaring that his anti-corruption campaign will spare no one—not even his own family—President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. announced on Monday (July 27, 2026) that multiple criminal and administrative charges against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, his cousin, are about to be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman over the flood control scandal.

Opening his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasan Pambansa, Marcos emphasized that his administration's sweeping investigation into massive public infrastructure irregularities has reached its final stages.

“Malapit na ang paghahain ng patung-patong na kaso laban sa dating speaker. Masakit man sa akin ito pero kailangan nating gawin ang tama (The filing of multiple cases against the former Speaker is near. Painful as this may be for me, we have to do what is right),” Marcos told a joint session of Congress and public leaders.

The President underscored his constitutional allegiance to the nation over personal and familial ties.

“"Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya, hindi ako pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay pangulo ng Pilipinas. at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo, mga kapwa ko Pilipino ,” he said.

After the SONA, Leyte Rep. Romualdez, issued a statement addressing Marcos' declaration in his SONA. Romauldez said, "Masakit man ito sa aming pamilya, iginagalang ko ang naging pahayag ng Pangulo. Hindi ako kailanman humingi ng pabor o espesyal na pagtrato."

"Sang-ayon ako na gawin natin ang tama. Ang tama ay ang sumunod sa proseso at hayaan ang ebidensya ang magsalita. Naninindigan akong wala akong ginawang anumang labag sa batas. At handa akong patunayan ito,' Romualdez said.

Uncompromised probe

According to the Philippine News Agency,  Marcos said the government pursued an unyielding, evidence-based inquiry that scrutinized ghost projects, rigged biddings, and substandard flood mitigation infrastructure across key regions.

“Gaya ng aking ipinangako sa inyo, nagsagawa tayo ng malawakan at malalimang imbestigasyon, na walang pagkiling kahit kanino man. Masusi nating sinuri at sinundan kung saan tayo itinuro ng ebidensya. Lahat ng kailangang gawin ay ginawa natin upang matunton ang puno’t dulo,” Marcos said.

The President reported that the multi-agency task force investigating the infrastructure anomaly has already secured arrests and initiated legal proceedings against several private contractors, high-ranking officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and sitting lawmakers.

Beyond prosecution, the administration has moved aggressively to freeze and claw back stolen public funds to prevent government pay-outs for non-existent, defective, or fraudulent works.

“Halos dalawampu’t limang bilyong piso ang halaga ng mga nabawi, ‘frozen,’ at na-preserbang mga pera at ari-arian ng mga akusado. Ang mahigit walong daang milyong piso dito ay agad nating ibinalik sa Treasury,” Marcos stated, reassuring the public that all recovered assets will be remitted to the national coffers.

Marcos concluded that formal criminal indictments are now being finalized for turnover to the Office of the Ombudsman and the strengthened National Prosecution Service.

Flood control controversy

The Philippine flood control controversy centers on widespread public outrage over severe, repeating urban and rural flooding despite billions of pesos allocated annually for flood mitigation infrastructure.

Investigations uncovered a systemic network of corruption involving DPWH personnel, private contractors, and politician-patrons. 

Common schemes included "ghost" (fictitious) projects, heavily inflated billings, kickbacks, substandard construction materials, and intentionally uncompleted dikes or pumping stations.

Despite massive funding increases following annual typhoon disasters, major metropolitan and regional hubs continued to submerge under modest rainfall. This triggered Congressional hearings, lifestyle checks, asset freezes, and nationwide demands for public accountability regarding public infrastructure spending.

What is the State of the Nation Address (SONA)?

The State of the Nation Address (SONA) is an annual constitutional mandate in the Philippines (Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution) where the President addresses a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City.

It serves as a report card to the Filipino people detailing the economic, political, and social state of the country over the past year, while outlining the executive branch's legislative priority agenda for the upcoming year.

Held every year on the fourth Monday of July, coinciding with the opening of the regular session of Congress.

Beyond being a legislative ritual, the SONA is a primary platform for the President to address national crises, announce major policy shifts, and rally support from lawmakers and the public.

-Paraluman News