President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday maintained that he is blameless regarding the anomalies in flood control projects, stating that the accusations against him are politically motivated.

At a press conference, Marcos was asked to comment on claims that the investigation into flood control projects would eventually point to him, as he signed the national budget and appointed individuals who might be involved in the irregularities within the infrastructure programs.

“On this I’m confident that whatever mud might be slung at the administration, we will be able to show that this is—these are politically motivated and do not actually have any validation in fact,” Marcos said.

Marcos emphasized that he is not hiding anything, adding that the opposition wants to remove him from office.

“We are not hiding anything, we have no—I know that there are several—the opposition would love to bring me into this—to include me in all of this. But that’s politics,” Marcos said.

“That is not—that is not about corruption. That is about politics. They want to remove me,” he added.

Malacañang earlier maintained that Marcos is not involved in the anomalies and irregularities in flood control projects.

During his speech on July 28, the President promised to take strict action against public officials who profited from the government’s infrastructure projects, including flood control projects.

An Independent Commission for Infrastructure, established through Marcos’ executive order, was tasked with investigating these anomalies.

Marcos also expressed confidence because “I know what we did or did not do.”

“So if we are—we investigate. We investigate everybody. We follow the evidence. And wherever that leads, it’s not something that we try to direct or influence. That’s why we have the ICI,” he said.

Malacañang

Malacañang Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines, located in Manila. Originally built in 1750 as a Spanish nobleman’s summer house, it was later seized by the Spanish colonial government and became the official residence of the Governor-General. After Philippine independence, it was transformed into the presidential palace and has since been the symbolic center of political power in the country.

Independent Commission for Infrastructure

Based on the name, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure appears to be a public or governmental body, likely established to oversee and manage major infrastructure projects. Its purpose is typically to ensure impartial planning, funding, and execution of projects like transportation, energy, and utilities to promote economic development. The specific history would depend on the country that established it, as many nations create such independent commissions to depoliticize and improve the efficiency of critical national infrastructure.