A Philippine civil society group has filed a petition to impeach President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accusing him of involvement in a fraudulent flood control project that caused the state to lose over 545.6 billion pesos.
On 22 Jan 2026 GMT+7, a Philippine civil society group submitted a petition to remove President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from office, alleging his systematic involvement in corruption through a fictitious flood control project that resulted in massive losses of taxpayers' money.
The Makabayan bloc, a coalition of left-wing political parties, stated that they have submitted the documents to the House of Representatives' Secretariat according to parliamentary procedures, even though responsible officials were absent at the time. This action is based on the Philippine Constitution, which allows any citizen to file an impeachment petition if endorsed by at least one member of the House.
The petition alleges that President Marcos violated public trust by inserting the project into the national budget to divert funds to political allies. Public discontent over the nonexistent infrastructure project has intensified over several months, especially after many cities suffered severe flooding due to typhoons throughout the past year.
The petition submitted to the House Secretariat states that President Marcos established a mechanism to siphon off more than 545.6 billion pesos (approximately 349 billion baht) from flood control funds, channeling them to close businessmen and contractors, effectively turning public money into political capital ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
The petition also accuses Marcos of accepting bribes, citing allegations from a former lawmaker who fled the country during investigations. President Marcos has consistently emphasized that he initiated the investigation into the project himself and pushed for inquiries that implicated numerous construction company executives, government officials, and politicians.
However, experts say the chances that the House Justice Committee will endorse the petition are very slim, and the likelihood decreases further in the plenary session, as the president still retains the support of the majority of representatives.
Source: AFP