A corruption expose initiated by a fugitive from overseas has once again put the Marcos family, which has dominated the Philippine political scene for half a century, into a desperate situation.

Zaldy Co was the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, holding the "power of life and death" over national budget approvals. In July this year, he quietly fled the Philippines.

It wasn't until November 21 that Marcos issued an arrest warrant against him, accusing him of corruption, and said, "If you have evidence to accuse me of embezzlement, bring it out."

Thus, he fell into Marcos's trap. Not long after, Zaldy, hiding in an unknown location, released two videos. He not only pointed the finger at Marcos but also did not spare his wife and children, making new corruption allegations and insisting he had evidence in his possession.

Although Zaldy's accusations are not yet proven, they have once again escalated the corruption scandal of the Marcos family.

First, this matter goes back to July this year. At that time, young Marcos suddenly announced a major revelation in his state of the nation address, stating that nearly 10,000 flood control projects across the country were seriously in violation of regulations, with an amount involved of 54.5 billion pesos (approximately 6.8 billion yuan), attempting to regain low public support by portraying himself as a "anti-corruption fighter."

However, he didn't expect that this "self-directed" anti-corruption campaign would eventually become a "boomerang" directed at himself.

But after a typhoon passed through, the so-called "flood control projects" exposed their flaws.

Philippine citizens then found out that the flood control project in Bulacan province, which cost 77 million pesos, was merely a "name-only" castle in the air; another project worth 55 million pesos was never even started.

The money was spent, the projects were approved, but not a single shovel of earth was dug; they were all "substandard construction projects," with large amounts of funds flowing into the pockets of politicians through "kickbacks."

Angry Philippine citizens took to the streets. As protests spread to more than 20 cities, demands for a thorough investigation of the flood control project corruption case grew louder, and the "anti-corruption storm" gradually approached the core of power.

The first to be dragged into the water was Marcos's cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

In September, he was forced to resign due to being accused of misusing funds and taking kickbacks in the flood control projects, marking the first step of the Marcos family's "cutting off the tail to save the body."

But now, Zaldy's exposure has completely burned the fire onto the president himself.

On November 25, Zaldy Co released a video: In March this year, he met with Marcos near the presidential palace along with the then-House Speaker Romualdez.

But this meeting did not discuss any serious government affairs. Instead, Marcos became angry on the spot and openly warned the two not to interfere with a 10 billion peso funding project he had specifically ordered included in the 2025 national budget, implying that there is something shady about where the money went.

On November 26, Zaldy continued to release another video, directly targeting First Lady Liza.

He said that Liza and her brother Martin Araneta controlled the import rights of rice and onions in the Philippines, making billions of pesos by monopolizing them. When the people wanted to buy these essential goods, the prices had already been raised to sky-high levels.

He also revealed that the House of Representatives had intended to investigate these monopoly groups, but the First Lady had blocked it forcefully.

It should be noted that the Philippine people have long been burdened by rising food prices. Now, saying that behind this is the profit-making of the president's family is essentially poking at the "people-centered" slogan of the Marcos government.

It can only be said that the corruption of the Marcos family is deeply rooted in their genes.

In the 1980s, the elder Marcos was exiled to Hawaii for being accused of embezzling $10 billion, and the corrupt legacy he left has never been cleaned up to this day.

Now, young Marcos not only continues the "family tradition," but also involves his children and relatives in the interest network.

On November 26, Manila saw another large-scale protest.

More importantly, political opponents seized the opportunity to "strike," and Vice President Sara has publicly stated that she is ready to take over as president.

Now, Marcos is in a desperate situation: domestic protests continue, political opponents are sharpening their knives, and corruption is almost solid evidence.

Zaldy's exposure may just be the tip of the iceberg, but the political foundation of young Marcos is already shaky. If he cannot provide a convincing explanation, the people's anger may completely swallow his presidency.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577314918291816995/

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