On the eve of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address, the Liberal Party of the Philippines fired a pointed salvo at Malacañang — turning the President's own words against him and demanding that rhetoric finally give way to real accountability.
Releasing a statement on Sunday, July 26, 2026, the Liberal Party echoed the very phrase Marcos himself used to publicly scold officials during his 2025 SONA: "Mahiya ka naman, Mr. President," the opposition party said, according to the statement — a deliberate reversal of the President's own "mahiya naman kayo" rebuke, which he delivered when he disclosed alleged irregularities in flood control disbursements a year ago.
A Year of Questions, Still No Convictions
At the heart of the Liberal Party's pre-SONA broadside is a question the opposition says has gone unanswered for twelve months: who will truly be held accountable for the alleged anomalies in government flood control spending?
The party noted that since Marcos himself raised the alarm about flood control fund irregularities at his 2025 SONA, names have been mentioned, accusations have been aired, and investigations have been initiated — yet, the Liberal Party said in its statement, no clear convictions have been secured. The opposition warned that without concrete results, the controversy risks disappearing into the long list of political scandals that Filipinos were promised would be resolved but never were.
The party was emphatic that the money at the center of the alleged irregularities did not belong to any administration or official — it was drawn from the taxes of workers, farmers, fisherfolk, businesses, and ordinary families across the country. Those funds, the Liberal Party's statement said, "should have gone to safe communities, functioning schools, health services, jobs, and a better future for the youth."
Floods Still Come — Accountability Does Not
With the rainy season again sending floodwaters into homes and streets across the country, the Liberal Party said it is deeply unjust that ordinary citizens continue to suffer the consequences of inadequate flood infrastructure while the individuals allegedly responsible for diverting the funds meant to build that infrastructure remain, in the party's words, "safe and free."
The opposition called on the Marcos administration to take three concrete steps: prosecute all those implicated in the alleged flood control anomalies, recover every peso of diverted public money, and deliver genuine justice to the Filipino taxpayers whose funds were allegedly stolen. The Liberal Party made clear that Marcos's fifth SONA would be judged not on the quality of its language, but on whether it announces meaningful steps toward these ends.
Anti-Dynasty Law and the West Philippine Sea
The Liberal Party's statement extended well beyond the flood control issue, pressing President Marcos on two other longstanding concerns.
On political dynasties, the opposition noted that the Philippine Constitution has long contained a mandate prohibiting political dynasties — yet enabling legislation has never been passed. The Liberal Party called for the immediate enactment of an Anti-Political Dynasty Law, arguing that the continued monopoly of a handful of powerful families over political offices and public resources is a structural barrier to genuine democratic governance.
On the West Philippine Sea, the party called for a firmer and more assertive defense of Philippine sovereignty, saying that China must be held to account for what the opposition described as dangerous and unlawful actions directed at Filipino fisherfolk and government personnel operating in Philippine-claimed waters. The statement framed these provocations as a direct threat to the livelihood and safety of ordinary Filipinos.
The Liberal Party drew a through-line connecting all three issues — flood control corruption, dynastic politics, and foreign aggression — arguing that each represents a different face of the same failure: a generation of Filipinos steadily being deprived of opportunity and security by those in power.
The Opposition's Message Before Batasang Pambansa
As Marcos prepared to deliver his fifth SONA at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on Monday, July 27, 2026, the Liberal Party closed its statement with a direct appeal to the President — and a warning.
According to the party's statement, the time for "beautiful words, new slogans, and fresh promises" has passed. "Mr. President, we have to make the government work. Make it work for the Filipino people — not for the corrupt, not for political dynasties, and not for those who put their own interests above the nation," the party said.
The Liberal Party ended its pre-SONA statement with a bilingual demand: "Mahiya ka naman, Mr. President. Panahon nang may managot. Panahon nang kumilos." — It is time for accountability. It is time to act.
By the Numbers
- 5th — Number of SONAs Marcos will have delivered as of July 27, 2026
- 1 year — Time elapsed since Marcos first disclosed alleged flood control irregularities at his 2025 SONA, with no convictions reported as of the Liberal Party's statement
- July 26, 2026 — Date the Liberal Party released its pre-SONA challenge statement
- July 27, 2026 — Scheduled date of Marcos's fifth SONA at the Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City
Why This Matters
The Liberal Party's pre-SONA statement brings the flood control controversy — originally disclosed by Marcos himself during his 2025 address — back to the forefront of national political debate, highlighting the absence of prosecutions or convictions a full year after the allegations were made public. The opposition's simultaneous calls for an Anti-Political Dynasty Law and stronger action in the West Philippine Sea reflect the breadth of governance concerns that Marcos faces as he delivers his fifth SONA. Taken together, the statement signals that the opposition and, by extension, a significant segment of the public will measure Monday's address not by its ambition or its rhetoric, but by the concrete accountability steps it produces.
Source: Originally reported by Balita / breakingnewsnegor.com