Marcos compares corruption to cancer, vows tough crackdown

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December 4, 2025 | 12:01pm

MANILA, Philippines — Corruption is like cancer and a major surgery is needed.

This is according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In a meeting with reporters, a toned-down Marcos acknowledged the difficulties that the country went through in 2025.

The president apologized, saying that he knew the people were suffering because of the corruption scandal that was unearthed in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and possibly other agencies.

The process has been painful, Marcos admitted, comparing corruption to cancer.

“When you have to excise a cancer out of such a complicated system, you need to do some very major surgery. And to do that, and when you do that, you will bleed. And that is what we had to go through. We had to. I am sorry that the people suffered because of it, but it had to be done,” Marcos said.

Otherwise, things would remain the same, the president said.

Marcos indeed triggered a landslide of controversy when he first addressed corruption during his State of the Nation Address, with the decision eventually finding its way back to him after resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co accused the president and his family of plunder.

The Palace has already denied Co’s accusation, challenging the missing congressman to come home and face the music. The fallout from Co’s accusation is apparent, however, with two major cabinet secretaries stepping away from their posts after being implicated in the alleged P100 billion insertion.

Marcos also faces declining popularity and trust following the corruption scandal.

Despite this, Marcos said that he wanted to finish what he started.

“We have to go through all that pain, go through the difficulty, go through the anguish the country is going through now. But we are Filipinos. We may be bleeding now, but we will also heal very, very quickly,” Marcos said.

The DPWH kickback scandal is the largest corruption scandal during the Marcos administration, with billions of pesos likely to have been pocketed by officials and lawmakers.

Addressing the media directly, he asked for help in addressing the disinformation that has proliferated in the country in recent years, calling it damaging to the country.

“Government needs the help of all the media to try and explain to people that you have to be more discerning about what you read and what you believe and what you take on,” Marcos said.