EU, Canada envoys back Marcos admin fight vs. corruption

The top diplomats of Canada and the European Union welcomed Thursday ongoing efforts by the Marcos administration to hold accountable those implicated in the multi-billion peso flood control corruption scandal involving lawmakers and top senior government officials.

Serious efforts to fight corruption and adherence to democracy and the Constitution, they said, restore investment confidence.

"The European Union supports any action which is taken by the government against corruption. Any government action intended to fight corruption is something which is absolutely welcome and which is important," EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro told reporters on the sidelines of a cybersecurity forum hosted by Philippine think tank Stratbase.

Santoro lauded the steps taken by the government to address corruption, such as the creation of an independent fact-finding commission, which has so far filed criminal complaints against 37 personalities, including lawmakers and government officials.

Criminal complaints have also been filed against more than 80 construction company executives tagged in the scandal for tax evasion.

"It has to come together with accountability," said Santoro. 

"Fighting corruption means ensuring that investors are happy with this fight and ensuring investors continue staying," he added.

Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said he hopes "the best for things to play out" for the Philippines, which he described as a "very important partner" at the "very forefront" of Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy.

Corruption in government flood control projects is a sensitive issue in the country as it is prone to deadly typhoons, landslides and massive flooding.

Amid public outrage and mass demonstrations sparked by the scandal, Marcos last week said senators, members of Congress, government officials, and private contractors involved in the scandal would be in jail by Christmas.

Canada, Hartman said, remains "very committed to Philippine democracy, right to the Philippine Constitution, to the Philippine people."

"Ensuring that we're able to build partnerships together, partnerships for prosperity to protect and defend our respective democracies. All of these issues remain very much top of mind for us," Hartman said.

Despite current domestic troubles confronting the Marcos administration, Hartman said Canada "continues to encourage opportunities in this country," adding that a free trade deal with the Philippines is expected to be finalized in 2026.

"The scale of scope of opportunity that exists in areas that are tremendously complementary between Canada and the Philippines, are very, very robust," he said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News