SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian warned on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, against the economical implication of the ongoing destabilization talks amid the massive corruption issues in the government.
In a statement, Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, cited the depreciation of peso against the US dollar, the slump in the stock market, and the declining foreign direct investments (FDI) amid controversies involving government projects.
He noted that negative sentiment does not just impact investor confidence but also dampens domestic consumption.
“Yung simpleng usapan lang ng destabilisasyon, hindi na maganda para sa atin. Ngayon nakikita nating mahina ang piso kontra dolyar, ‘yung stock market pababa. Sino pang mamumuhunan sa atin kung ganyan ang sitwasyon?” he said.
(Even simple talks of destabilization aren’t good for us. Right now, we see the peso weakening against the dollar and the stock market going down. Who would still invest in us in this kind of situation?)
“Malaking bahagi ng ekonomiya ang household consumption, almost 60 to 70 percent. Kapag hindi maganda ang sentimyento ng mga tao, naaapektuhan nito ang paggastos o pagbili,” he added.
(Household consumption makes up a large part of the economy, almost 60 to 70 percent. When people’s sentiment is negative, it affects their spending or buying.)
Gatchalian said slower government spending brought about by the anomalies in the flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways has also adversely affected economic expansion, resulting in a disappointing 4.0 percent growth in the third quarter of the year.
He said aside from the weak currency and sluggish equities market, FDI continues to decline, noting a 40.5 percent drop to $494 million in August, mainly due to lower investments in debt instruments.
Earlier, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it is verifying reports about the effort of an active-duty soldier to oust the Marcos administration.
AFP chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the AFP intelligence community is reviewing names included in a list circulating online that supposedly identifies government and retired military officials tied to a destabilization plot. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)