President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is facing an impeachment complaint filed before the House of Representatives by 36 complainants from progressive groups from Koalisyong Makabayan, charging him with betrayal of public trust for allegedly masterminding a multibillion-peso corruption scheme in flood control projects from 2022 to 2025.
The 80-page complaint, endorsed by solons of the Makabayan bloc, accuses Marcos of engineering a “hostile takeover” of the state’s financial machinery by manipulating the national budget to siphon ₱545.6 billion into the hands of favored contractors and political allies.
The diverted funds, complainants allege, were converted into a “private war chest” for the 2025 elections.
Allegations of Systemic Plunder
– Institutionalized Patronage: The adoption of the “BBM Parametric Formula” allegedly entrenched a pork barrel-style allocation system, subordinating technical and community needs to political patronage.
– Unprogrammed Appropriations: The complaint cites the unprecedented rise of unprogrammed appropriations, reaching ₱807 billion in 2023 and ₱734 billion in 2024. The Supreme Court has already ruled unconstitutional the diversion of ₱60 billion from PhilHealth funds to finance these projects.
– Direct Kickback Involvement: Testimonies from former officials claim that billions in cash were delivered to Palace intermediaries, allegedly on behalf of the President.
Evidence Presented
Former House Appropriations Chair Zaldy Co alleged that Marcos personally ordered the insertion of ₱100 billion in anomalous projects in the 2025 budget.
Ex-DPWH Undersecretary Bernardo testified to coordinating armored van deliveries of ₱8 billion in cash to Palace officials, coinciding with the 2025 midterm campaign. Internal DPWH documents, dubbed the “Cabral Files,” reportedly tracked allocations coded for the Office of the President.
Impact on Communities
Audits revealed 421 ghost projects out of 8,000 flood control initiatives, while only 23 percent of completed projects were effective, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Talisay City in Cebu, devastated by flooding in November 2025, had received more than ₱2 billion in projects largely awarded to firms linked to campaign donors. (ZIA LUNA)
