Duterte admin’s mess hurts PH economy; PBBM admin fixing it – Palace

MANILA – The Marcos administration is taking steps to address the Duterte administration’s unresolved issues, which continue to affect the Philippine economy, Malacañang said on Friday.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government is working to fix the previous administration’s shortcomings, including controversies that arose even before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assumed office in 2022.

Castro said most of the flagged flood control projects were implemented during the Duterte administration.

“Maraming anomalya na dapat nating malaman, pati ‘yung mga ghost project na inamin naman ng dating Pangulong  Duterte (There are many anomalies that we need to know, including the ghost projects admitted by former President Rodrigo Duterte),” she said.

“So, lahat po ng kalat ng nakaraan, ngayon po natin nililinis. At malamang isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit nagkakaroon po ng hindi magandang epekto ito sa ekonomiya (So, all the mess from the past, we are cleaning it up now. And this is likely one of the reasons why it is having an adverse effect on the economy),” Castro added.

Her remarks came after Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the Marcos administration for “daydreaming” about the Philippines’ economic recovery by the fourth quarter of 2025.

Castro reiterated that recent calamities and flood control issues have slowed down the country’s economic growth in the third quarter of 2025.

She, however, emphasized that the alleged corruption started even before Marcos took office.

“But ang pangako ng Pangulo, gagawin ang lahat, pati ang economic team, gagawin ang lahat para maiangat pa ang ekonomiya ng bansa (But the President and the economic team’s promise is that everything will be done to further uplift the country’s economy),” Castro said.

Castro also responded to Duterte’s claim that the administration is becoming “paranoid,” saying the President is “not having a meltdown.” (PNA)