Marcos commits to continue fight vs. corruption, abuse

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has committed to continue the fight against corruption and abuse in the society, saying that the public has been ''bleeding'' over these issues. 

''We know what we are going to do... and we will continue this campaign against corruption. We will continue our campaign on this abuse, on this entitlement... that has shocked everyone, myself included,'' Marcos said during a fellowship with the media in Malacañang Palace on Wednesday evening. 

Marcos said that when he started the drive against corruption, he knew that it would be damaging but he insisted of changing the system to stop the ill practices in the country. 

''I knew that what we were starting would really be disruptive. But we are trying to change the entire system. And when you have to excise the cancer out of such a complicated system, you need to do some very major surgery. And to do that, and when you do that, you will bleed,'' Marcos said. 

''And that is what we had to go through. We had to. I am sorry that the people suffered because of it, but it had to be done. Otherwise, we will move things the same way that we have always — things that we have discovered that have been done for the last three decades will just continue,'' he added. 

The Philippine leader is confident that in time, the Filipino people would heal from all the ''pain'' brought by the corruption and anomalies in the government. 

''So we have to go all through that pain, go through the difficulty, go through the anguish the country is going through now. But we are Filipinos. We may be bleeding now, but we will also heal very, very quick,'' Marcos said.

In his drive against corruption, Marcos had said those involved in anomalies in flood control projects would be jailed before Christmas Day. 

The President had maintained that he wants airtight cases against personalities involved in the flood control projects scandal, as sometimes, cases were junked because of lack of evidence or technicalities.

Fake news

Meanwhile, Marcos also called on members of the media to continue the fight against fake news, noting that it has since been a big problem in the society. 

Marcos said huge efforts are needed to eradicate misinformation, lamenting that reports of the press are now ''equal in importance'' to conspiracy theories that have no basis.

''Suddenly, your writings, your opinions are equal in importance and credibility to this crazy conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact. And that's why we really have to work on this very, very hard because it has taken too much of the space,'' Marcos said.

''Fake news has taken too much of the space. In the beginning, we thought it was funny, it was entertaining, but now it's become damaging. And that is something that we have to be concerned about,'' he added. 

He said the government needs the media to explain to the public that they have to be more discerning with what they read and believe in. 

''It's not an easy challenge. But we have to continue and try and do it because it is important that people know the truth, that people know what is happening, truly,'' Marcos said.

''That the people are not led into this crazy mind game that people have been playing without any connection anymore to reality. That is what I think we all have to work together,'' he added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News