The Philippines in 2025: Corruption, Accountability, and the Marcos-Duterte Rift |
Corruption and accountability dominated the news in the Philippines this year, amid the vicious infighting of the camps of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. The collapse of the so-called “unity government” bolstered opposition forces, but Marcos has so far survived the biggest challenge to his presidency.
Marcos has garnered global attention for his strong stance against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea and after assuming the leadership role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2026. He was also praised for securing better tariff deals during his meeting with United States President Donald Trump at the White House.
But these accolades didn’t add much to his local trust ratings after a massive corruption issue triggered widespread protests and severely undermined his presidency. Marcos blamed corruption for substandard flood control projects, but the ensuing investigations uncovered more evidence indicating that the problem is not limited to a single agency. Charges were filed against corrupt contractors, top officials in charge of infrastructure projects, and even lawmakers for their alleged misuse of pork barrel........