MANILA, Philippines — Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said any proposal for the Liberal Party to enter into an alliance with the Marcos administration is inconsistent with the party's core principles unless the administration first addresses what he described as the largest alleged corruption scandal in the history of the Philippine national budget and infrastructure program.
Erice, a former ranking member of the party, stressed in a statement on Thursday that LP has always stood for "transparency, accountability, and good governance,"
"We cannot abandon these principles for the sake of political convenience,” Erice added.
He also said that there are "serious questions" remain unanswered regarding alleged large-scale budget manipulations involving flood control and other infrastructure projects, which he believes resulted in the loss of trillions of pesos in public funds through ghost projects, substandard infrastructure, and questionable budget reallocations.
“What makes this issue even more compelling is that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself was the first to publicly raise concerns about irregularities in flood control projects," Erice said.
"He promised to determine the truth and hold accountable those responsible. Unfortunately, despite those commitments, the Filipino people have yet to see a comprehensive accounting of what actually happened or who has been held responsible,” He added.
Erice noted that instead of full transparency, the public witnessed political infighting, finger-pointing, and efforts that, in his view, have weakened public confidence in democratic institutions, including Congress., as well as using government institutions to suppress dissent.
Erice said the LP's identity has always been rooted in the defense of democracy and the rule of law.
“The leaders of the Liberal Party, including the late Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr., sacrificed their freedom—and in Ninoy’s case, his life—in the struggle against authoritarianism, corruption, and abuse of power. Those sacrifices should never be diminished by political expediency.” Erice said.
