Vol. VII, No. 20 - October 31, 2025
In an attempt to liven up an otherwise lackluster report on his State of the Nation Address delivered to a bicameral Congress last July 28, 2025, Ferdinand Marcos Jr theatrically castigated corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and flood control project contractors with a “Mahiya naman kayo!” (Shame on You!) outburst. At the same time he presented a list of 15 contractor companies suspected of executing overpriced, substandard, delayed or even “ghost” infrastructure projects.
Little did he know then that his rant would open a flood gate of anger from the Filipino masses that swelled with every new revelation of increasingly worse corruption cases. The exposures implicate not only the politicians associated with former president Duterte’s faction but also Marcos himself and his faction, like the proverbial stone lifted and let fall on his own feet.
Marcos and his allies in Congress have repeatedly inserted various forms of pork barrel into the 2026 budget. They still went ahead with inserting P281 billion in pork barrel funds for Marcos in the form of unprogrammed appropriations, confidential and intelligence funds, and others. Meanwhile, P414 billion in pork barrel funds will be divided among corrupt congressmen and senators.
All government programs were revealed as riddled with corruption. In addition to flood control projects, billions of pesos are also being embezzled in farm-to-market roads, multipurpose buildings, health centers, bridges, roads, and funds for public aid, salaries, pensions, and insurance.
On the other hand, the Duterte family embezzled billions of pesos in the Pharmally contract during the pandemic, the P51 billion flood control project of Paolo Duterte and the P125 million confidential and intelligence funds of Sarah Duterte. Billions of pesos in contracts also went to Duterte’s former aide Bong Go and other allies.
A vast and powerful people’s movement has arisen.
The student walkout movement has spread to universities in Manila and other parts of the Philippines. At the same time, civic groups, church people, workers, peasants, the poor and other sectors are expanding their actions. People are forming broad alliances leading to a vast and powerful movement.
This is most widespread in impoverished communities and factories, where the masses of workers, who are the most victimized by corruption and the collusion of bureaucratic capitalists and big businessmen, are most outraged.
Every time a typhoon, flooding, earthquakes or volcanic eruption comes, people curse at the corruption of politicians who stole the money that should have gone to disaster preparedness and rehabilitation.
Through the rallies and demonstrations and group discussions in-between mobilizations, more people and more people realize that low wages, widespread unemployment, high prices of goods, high education costs, continues increases in fuel prices, poor social services and others are the result of collusion between corrupt bureaucratic capitalists and greedy big bourgeoisie.
National-democratic forces should intensify the mass study movement about Philippine society and revolution. They should tirelessly explain that corruption and cronyism are inherent in the semicolonial and semifeudal system, and that it can only be ended by overthrowing imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism.
The Communist Party of the Philippines, on October 21, 2025, exhorted the youth and the impoverished toiling masses to strengthen their their voices against corruption, bureaucratic capitalism and fascism, and to amplify the call for the ouster of the oppressive US-Marcos regime along with the Duterte clique.
The greatest number of chapters of the allied organizations of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines be established and the New People’s Army fully supported and strengthened. #