[Rappler’s Best] Mahiya naman kayo

SONA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his 4th State of the Nation Address, at the House of Representatives, on July 28, 2025. RTVM screengrab It’s been a year since the President’s remarkable SONA, where he vowed to expose and punish public officials who have enriched themselves through corrupt flood control projects. What do we have today? Yes, it’s been a year since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s remarkable State of the Nation Address (SONA), where he vowed to expose and punish public officials who have enriched themselves through corrupt flood control projects. “Mga kickback, mga initiative, errata, SOP, for the boys. Kaya sa mga nakikipagsabuwatan upang kunin ang pondo ng bayan at nakawin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan, mahiya naman kayo sa inyong kapwa Pilipino!” Marcos said in his July 28, 2025 SONA. (Kickbacks, initiatives, errata, SOP, for the boys. To those who connive to take government funds and steal the future of our people, feel some shame towards your fellow Filipinos!) Well, what do we have today? We have the alleged main executioner of the anomalous projects, resigned congressman Zaldy Co, sweating in a harsh European summer but nonetheless out of government’s reach, and free. We have the “central figure” in the corruption scheme, former House speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the President, ready with a battery of lawyers once the Ombudsman makes true his various pronouncements of a plunder charge to be filed against him. The Ombudsman has promised; he has yet to deliver. We have Senator Chiz Escudero, who was ousted as Senate president last year after his top campaign donor was linked to the scandal, now sitting as the presiding officer of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. We have resigned public works secretary Manuel Bonoan — whose department and deputies connived with contractors not only for fat commissions but for taxpayers’ money to be burned in ghost projects — now a state witness because, among others (hold your breath), he can help pin down Romualdez. It bears recalling that under his watch, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) awarded P2.5 billion worth of projects to his daughter’s business partner. We have resigned budget secretary Amenah Pangandaman — under whose term the anomalous 2025 national budget was crafted — now appointed as chair and CEO of the state-owned Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines. We have justice undersecretary Jose “Jojo” Cadiz Jr. — whose young son owns a company with hundred-million-peso flood control road projects with the government — still at his post even after he resigned following Rappler’s exposé in December 2025. President Marcos did not accept the resignation of his longtime aide and kababayan, who was described by Zaldy Co as the President’s “bagman.” This is not to say that nothing has moved. In this report, James Patrick Cruz shows us where we are as far as exacting accountability is concerned. Cases have been filed against at least 30 individuals in various courts, two dozen of them from the DPWH. The list includes the recidivists: Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former senator Bong Revilla. Read more. Who are public officials linked to contractors? Here’s a refresher. Who has turned state witnesses? Read here. The government has recovered only P611.379 million from individuals linked to the scandal, such as P290 million from former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo. Check the list here. Whose assets have been ordered frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council? Read more. In any case, the President will deliver his second-to-the-last SONA today, Monday, July 27, at 4 pm. Can he follow through on his 2025 promise? Bea Cupin tells more in this story. What has been the success rate of his legislative agenda in the last four years? Not much, based on this report. In fact, the administration found itself dropping Marcos’ own pet bills. Watch our live coverage here. Here are some of Rappler’s bests that you shouldn’t miss: Jairo Bolledo reminds us that it’s not only Zaldy Co whom the Marcos administration has failed to run after. In cases outside the flood control scandal, big-named suspects have also slipped away. Dwight de Leon writes about the shrinking influence of the President over the legislature. Val Villanueva explains “why oil forecasts fail when war, inventories, and China rewrite the math.” Lance Spencer Yu highlights a central bank official’s criticism of the country’s antiquated bank secrecy law in relation to the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. – Rappler.com Rappler’s Best is a weekly Rappler+ exclusive newsletter of our top picks delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Visit rappler.com/newsletters to subscribe. The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Rappler. How does this make you feel? Loading