ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia
The current ubiquity of corruption underscores the normalization of impunity in the country’s politics, despite recent democratic uprisings.
Protesters take part in an anti-corruption demonstration in Manila, Philippines, Sep. 21, 2025.
An impeachment trial for betrayal of public trust, plunder charges against legislators, the Senate leadership squabble, and the dismissal of cases involving the First Family – several investigations are taking place in the Philippines reflecting the deeply entrenched corruption in the bureaucracy and the role of impunity in the unfolding political crisis ahead of the highly anticipated 2028 presidential election.
Massive flooding in July last year exposed the proliferation of substandard and even non-existent flood projects. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. blamed corruption and vowed to pursue accountability by establishing the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to determine the perpetrators, identify anomalous contracts, and submit recommendations for the filing of legal cases.
