Pulse Asia: 45% of Filipinos Distrust Marcos Jr. On Corruptive Drive

By Pulse Asia

Most Filipinos consider the following as corrupt acts regardless of whether they take place in the public or private sector – accepting or giving bribes (75%), misuse of public funds or company resources (67%), and offering or receiving kickbacks for contracts or services (64%)

For sizeable to big majorities of Filipino adults, accepting or giving bribes (75%), misuse of public funds or company resources (67%), and offering or receiving kickbacks (64%) are corrupt acts. Nearly half of the adult population (49%) identifies insider trading or financial fraud as an act of corruption. This is followed by a set of responses that includes evading taxes or regulatory requirements (41%) and nepotism or favoritism in hiring or promotion (38%). Meanwhile, a little over a quarter of adults (27%) say the non-disclosure of conflicts of interest is also a corrupt act. (Please refer to Table 1.)

Table 1
ACTIONS IN THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTOR PERCEIVED AS CORRUPT

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent / Multiple Response Allowed)

The predominant sentiment across geographic areas and socio-economic classes is that accepting or giving bribes (67% to 86% and 71% to 76%, respectively) and offering or receiving kickbacks (56% to 73% and 61% to 68%, respectively) are acts of corruption. With the exception of Mindanao, majorities in the other areas and all classes consider the misuse of public funds or company resources as a corrupt act (63% to 75% and 66% to 68%, respectively). Aside from these, the only other corrupt act cited by a majority in any of these survey subgroupings is insider trading or financial fraud (60% in the rest of Luzon). 

Overall, Filipinos have negative views about corruption in the country, with practically all of them describing corruption in government as being widespread (97%) and most of them observing an increase in corruption in government over the previous 12 months (85%) and seeing corruption as a normal part of Philippine politics (59%)

 Agreement with the view that corruption is widespread in government is essentially universal not only at the national level (97%) but also in each geographic and socio-economic subgrouping (95% to 100% and 97% to 98%, respectively). More specifically, the prevailing sentiment across areas and classes is that corruption is very widespread in government (75% to 82% and 68% to 87%, respectively). The rest of Filipino adults are unable to say if corruption is widespread or not widespread in Philippine government (2%). (Please refer to Table 2.)

Table 2
PREVALENCE OF CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Over the past year, corruption in government increased, an opinion expressed by a huge majority of the adult population (85%) and echoed by most, if not nearly all, adults in each area and class (78% to 98% and 81% to 87%, respectively). A contrary view is articulated by 3% of adults while 12% observe no difference in the extent of corruption in government. (Please refer to Table 3.)

Table 3
WHETHER THE EXTENT OF CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT HAS
INCREASED OR DECREASED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Corruption is a normal part of politics in the country, say 59% of Filipino adults. Except in Mindanao, this is the majority opinion in Metro Manila (65%), the rest of Luzon (62%), the Visayas (73%), and every socio-economic subgrouping (58% to 61%). A near majority of Mindanawons (47%) disagree with this opinion. At the national level, 30% of adults do not consider corruption as a normal part of Philippine politics while 11% are ambivalent on the matter. (Please refer to Table 4.)

Table 4
AGREEMENT / DISAGREEMENT WITH TEST STATEMENT:
"Corruption is a normal part of politics in our country."

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

The predominant opinion among Filipinos is that the congressional investigations into flood control projects are being conducted to expose corruption in government and to hold accountable those found responsible for irregularities in these projects (54%)

Small to considerable majorities in the Philippines (54%) as well as most geographic areas and socio-economic classes (52% to 61% and 54% to 63%, respectively) are of the view that the investigations of the Senate and the House of Representatives into irregularities in flood control projects are being held for the purpose of exposing corruption in government. This is the plurality opinion in the Visayas (40%) while in Class E, almost the same percentages opine that the hearings are being done either to exposure corruption (43%) or to pressure political rivals or protect allies (31%). (Please refer to Table 5.)

Among the general adult population, 19% consider these congressional investigations as a response to the public’s outrage against corruption in government, 13% say these are a means for lawmakers either to pressure their political rivals or to protect their allies, and another 13% see these as a diversionary tactic to draw public attention away from other issues.

Table 5
MAIN PURPOSE OF CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS
INTO FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Almost all Filipinos (90%) agree there is collusion among executive officials, lawmakers, and private contractors in the misuse of funds allocated for flood control projects

The prevailing opinion among adults in the country is one of agreement with the view that there is collusion among executive and legislative officials as well as private contractors in various ghost and substandard flood control projects. This observation holds true not only in the Philippines (90%) but also in every area and class (88% to 93% and 87% to 91%, respectively). In particular, sizeable to big majorities in Metro Manila (71%), the rest of Luzon (65%), Mindanao (60%), Class ABC (66%), and Class D (62%) strongly agree with this view. The rest of Filipinos adults are either undecided on the matter (6%) or express disagreement (4%). (Please refer to Table 6.)

Table 6
AGREEMENT / DISAGREEMENT WITH TEST STATEMENT:
"There is collusion among executive officials, legislators, and private contractors in the misuse of funds for flood control projects."

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Public opinion regarding the trustworthiness of public and private entities involved in addressing the problem of corruption in flood control projects is mixed

At least half of Filipino adults trust in the ability of civil society organizations (50%) and the media (51%) to help in addressing the problem of corruption in flood control projects in the country. However, a different picture emerges when one considers government entities. While a big majority of the adult population (81%) distrusts the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), distrust is the plurality sentiment toward the President (45%). The prevailing sentiment toward the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is one of ambivalence, with 56% of adults being unable to say if they trust or distrust the ICI. (Please refer to Table 7.) 

Basically the same percentages either trust the Senate (37%) or are undecided toward its trustworthiness (36%). Likewise, the Office of the Ombudsman registers virtually the same trust and indecision figures (39% versus 43%). As for the House of Representatives, nearly the same percentages either distrust the legislative chamber (36%) or cannot say if they trust or distrust it (40%).

Table 7
TRUSTWORTHINESS OF SELECTED ENTITIES IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF CORRUPTION IN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

A big majority (71%) believes government officials found responsible for the anomalous flood control projects will be punished 

Around seven (7) in 10 Filipino adults (71%) say government officials involved in the irregularities in flood control projects will be held accountable – an opinion shared by considerable to huge majorities across areas and classes (66% to 78% and 69% to 79%, respectively). In particular, big pluralities in Metro Manila (47%), the rest of Luzon (43%), and Class ABC (49%) believe these government officials will definitely be punished while the plurality sentiment in the Visayas (42%) is one of likelihood that these officials will be held accountable. About a fifth of the adult population (21%) expresses ambivalence on the matter while nearly a tenth (8%) opine that these officials will be not punished. (Please refer to Table 8.)

Table 8
LIKELIHOOD OF PUNISHMENT FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR IRREGULARITIES IN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

The plurality view among Filipinos is that the investigations into flood control projects conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House Infrastructure Committee are likely to uncover the truth on the matter and to hold those involved accountable (45% and 38%, respectively)

The investigations into flood control projects held by the Senate and the House of Representatives are likely to find out the truth on the matter, according to sizeable to big pluralities of adults in the country (45% and 38%, respectively). This is the plurality sentiment in most areas and classes in relation to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigations (46% to 48% and 45% to 47%, respectively) while in the case of the investigations of the House Infrastructure Committee, plurality figures are recorded only in Mindanao (45%) and Class D (40%). (Please refer to Tables 9 to 10.) 

Overall, the following views regarding the investigations into anomalous flood control projects of the Senate and the House of Representatives are expressed by essentially the same percentages of Filipinos: 

1.     legislative investigations sometimes reveal the truth but have limited impact (28% and 29%, respectively);

2.     legislative investigations rarely lead to meaningful results (15% and 20%, respectively); and

3.     legislative investigations are mainly for show or political theater (10% and 11%, respectively).

Table 9
FILIPINOS' VIEWS ABOUT THE SENATE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE'S INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ALLEGED ANOMALIES IN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

Table 10
FILIPINOS' VIEWS ABOUT THE HOUSE INFRACOM'S INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ALLEGED ANOMALIES IN FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)

For nearly half of the adult population (46%), protest actions are an effective means to ensure that those involved in corruption are held accountable

In the Philippines (46%) as well as in Metro Manila (50%), the Visayas (50%), Mindanao (56%), Class D (45%), and Class E (61%), big pluralities to small majorities see rallies and protests as an effective way of ensuring that government officials and others involved in corruption are punished. In the rest of Luzon, nearly the same percentages either agree or disagree with this view (39% versus 35%) while a three-way split may be observed in Class ABC (41% agreement, 31% indecision, and 28% disagreement). At the national level, 31% do not consider protest actions as an effective way of holding corrupt government officials and private individuals accountable for their actions while 23% express indecision on the matter. (Please refer to Table 11.)

Table 11
AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT WITH TEST STATEMENT:
"Rallies or protests are effective to ensure that government officials and others involved in corruption are held accountable."

September 27 - 30, 2025 / Philippines
(In Percent)