The stench of corruption; cracks in the Senate’s walls

The recent swift change in Senate leadership is more than just a shuffle of political chairs. While publicly described as a matter of internal strategy, this upheaval is unofficially linked to the growing storm of investigations surrounding substandard and ghost flood control projects. The saga has unearthed deeply troubling revelations—shaking the foundations not only of the Senate, but of our democratic institutions themselves.

Ousted Senate President Chiz Escudero, once considered a pragmatic figure in the upper chamber, is now under fire after it was revealed he received a ₱30 million campaign donation from a contractor based in Bicol. That contractor, by his own admission, has ties to local government in Sorsogon—Escudero’s home turf. This singular revelation has triggered a wider investigation by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), as suspicions rise about how many other candidates may have accepted questionable donations.

But if this already stank of influence-peddling, the situation worsened when Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials—backed by contractors—exposed names of lawmakers allegedly receiving commissions from infrastructure projects, especially in flood control. Two senators and more than a dozen members of Congress were implicated. True to the script of political scandal, each of them has vocally denied wrongdoing—so loudly, in fact, that one might suspect their protests are less about innocence and more about image control.

The most damning allegation so far is tied to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, cousin to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. According to DPWH insiders, Romualdez was not just a passive recipient—he allegedly demanded delivery of his “share” of the project commissions. This came even after President Marcos made public commitments to fight corruption, even within his own circle. The defense he mounted for Romualdez now smacks of hypocrisy. It betrays the public expectation of integrity and equal accountability that Marcos himself claimed to champion.

Such duplicity does not go unnoticed. Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto—often hailed as a rare voice of reason in the political landscape—has warned of efforts to blur the lines of truth by attacking the credibility of whistleblowers. It is a tried-and-true tactic in Philippine politics: smear the source, deny with drama, and ride out the outrage until public attention moves on. But Sotto is right to caution that this time may be different.

There is a growing, simmering anger among Filipinos. Most are weary of cyclical scandals, where public funds are siphoned off while basic services remain inadequate. They are tired of empty promises and rehearsed outrage from politicians who preach reform while practicing self-preservation. The boiling point, however, isn’t just public fury—it’s when that fury finds allies in places the government can no longer ignore.

When law enforcers, soldiers, or government employees—who are just as betrayed by corruption—begin to sympathize with protesters, the dynamics shift dangerously. History shows us that tipping points are unpredictable but inevitable when legitimacy erodes. And in the Philippines, the go-to tactic of branding protesters as communists has lost its sting. Ordinary Filipinos are not demanding revolution—they’re demanding justice, transparency and accountability.

The credibility of government is decaying—not in one swift collapse, but through a slow, painful rot. Each denial, each half-truth, each unpunished offense eats away at the foundation. The leadership change in the Senate may be an attempt to contain the fallout, but it will not stop the spread of this political infection.

What’s needed now is not another reshuffle, not another inquiry that goes nowhere, but swift, impartial and public action against those implicated—no matter their name or rank. The public deserves more than showbiz apologies and clever soundbites. They deserve truth. They deserve leadership. And most of all, they deserve a government that is not for sale.