Majority of Filipinos outraged over flood control mess —OCTA Research

Majority of Filipinos have expressed outrage over the recent flood control mess and support investigations into the issue, according to the results of an OCTA Research survey released Tuesday.

In a recent Tugon ng Masa survey conducted nationwide from September 25 to 30, 60% of respondents feel outrage or anger when they think about corruption
in government, particularly in the flood control projects while 30% expressed fear or anxiety and 9% said they felt disappointed or sad.

Anger or outrage was the prevalent emotion recorded across all regions, socioeconomic class, and age groups.

The survey showed anger or outrage over corruption in government projects is an emotion especially pronounced among younger Filipinos, particularly Gen Z and millennials.

OCTA Research said the strong emotional response "highlights the public’s continued frustration over the misuse of public funds in infrastructure programs and may suggest declining confidence in the integrity of public institutions." 

It added the public expressing both moral outrage and deep apprehension toward corruption in government projects signals "a growing demand for accountability, transparency, and decisive government action."

Meanwhile, 83% of Filipinos support the decision of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to expose corruption, viewing it as a necessary step toward restoring public trust, OCTA Research said.

Only 3% of the respondents disagreed while 13% remain undecided.

The highest percentage of support came from the National Capital Region with 91%, followed by Balance Luzon with 90%.

“These results indicate a strong reservoir of public goodwill and trust for the President’s decision to confront corruption head-on. The findings suggest that sustained transparency and follow-through on reforms could further strengthen public confidence in government integrity and leadership,” OCTA Research said..

On the other hand, one in two respondents or 46% said that an independent commission like the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) was most suitable to lead the probe.

The Senate ranks second with 23%, while the House of Representatives ranked third with 13%.

"This finding reflects a strong public preference for a credible, impartial, and nonpolitical inquiry into corruption allegations...The strong support for an external, integrity-based commission underscores the public’s skepticism toward political institutions and highlights the need for new, transparent mechanisms of accountability that can restore public confidence in the government’s anti-corruption efforts," OCTA Research said. 

Preferred outcomes

According to the survey, the top five results the Filipinos wanted to see are: 

• Holding corrupt officials and contractors accountable (68%)
• Recovery of lost or misused public funds (58%)
• Imprisonment of those proven guilty (58%)
• Ensuring efficient implementation of quality flood control projects (41%)
• Strengthening transparency and monitoring of government infrastructure projects (34%)

The call for holding those accountable prevailed across regions and socioeconomic classes.

“Filipinos also expect concrete reforms, including the efficient implementation of quality flood control projects and enhanced transparency and monitoring systems to prevent future misuse of funds,” OCTA Research said.

“Taken together, these findings reveal a clear and uncompromising public mandate: Filipinos demand not only the exposure of wrongdoing but also decisive action, justice, and long-term reform to safeguard the integrity of public institutions and infrastructure programs,” it added.

Data for the recent Tugon ng Masa survey was gathered through face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above.

The survey has a ±3% margin of error at the 95% confidence level. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/AOL, GMA Integrated News