Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that he didn't blame people for protesting “one bit,” as public outrage grows over a corruption scandal involving fake flood control projects.

The infrastructure scandal has sparked a series of protests across Manila in recent weeks, including one that drew about 3,000 students at the University of the Philippines campus. While most demonstrations so far have been small, a yearly protest connected to the 1972 declaration of martial law by Marcos’s father drew large crowds. As a precaution, the nation's army has been placed on “red alert.”

At a Monday press briefing where he named a former Supreme Court justice to lead an investigation, Marcos said the public's anger was justified. “To show that you are enraged, to show that you are angry, to show that you are disappointed, to show that you want justice... What’s wrong with that?” Marcos said at the briefing.

He also added, “I don’t blame them. Not one bit.” He repeated his promise that friends and allies “would not be spared” when asked about his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Romualdez's name was brought up by witnesses during hearings on the scandal last week.

Romualdez, who has denied any involvement, is one of several lawmakers under scrutiny because of the expanding scandal.

The potential sale of F-16 jets to the Philippines has been put on hold due to budget issues. The US State Department had approved the potential sale, valued at an estimated $ 5.6 billion, earlier this year. This was seen as a significant boost for the Philippine Air Force amid rising regional tensions.

Marcos also mentioned in a podcast video released by his communications office that the $ 6.2 billion allocated for flood control projects this year can be carried over to 2026. The president is set to remove flood control funding from the 2026 budget.

During hearings last week, the owners of a construction firm accused nearly 30 House members and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials of accepting cash payments. Marcos announced on Monday that former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes would lead a three-person commission tasked with investigating the past 10 years of flood control projects. While the body has the power to hold hearings and review evidence, it is not authorised to hand down punishments on its own.

The Philippines has a long history of public fund scandals, where high-ranking politicians found guilty of corruption often avoid serious jail term. The Department of Finance estimates that the Philippine economy lost up to 118.5 billion pesos (S$2.6 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects.

Earlier this month, Vince Dizon, an economist and political aide who has worked for several different governments, took charge of the DPWH, whose reputation has been severely damaged. On Monday, he dismissed three agency officials in Bulacan province, north of Manila, a region frequently affected by flooding, for misconduct and gross neglect of duty.