Philippine minister resigns amid flood corruption scandal

(CLO) The Philippine Executive Secretary and Budget Secretary resigned on November 18 after being named in a flood fund corruption investigation.

According to information from the Office of the President of the Philippines, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman decided to leave their posts after appearing in allegations related to irregularities in flood control and to “take political responsibility”, to facilitate the government to handle the case.

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According to expert Aries Arugay of the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute (Singapore), these are the highest-ranking officials of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration who have been directly affected by the scandal since it was exposed in July.

The scandal erupted after President Marcos Jr. told Congress that billions of dollars in flood-control funds had been misappropriated, with many of the projects being shoddy or nonexistent. The Philippines is regularly hit by typhoons and severe flooding, making the issue particularly sensitive.

The crisis has sparked protests across the country, with one in Manila on November 16 attracting about 500,000 people.

Source: https://congluan.vn/bo-truong-philippines-tu-chuc-giua-be-boi-tham-nhung-chong-lu-10318393.html