[OPINION] Main corruption scandals and instances from 1989: The place are they now?

Under is a listing, not at all full, of main corruption scandals and instances that the Philippines has skilled since 1989. 

Many of those instances may be categorized underneath the RNC/EC class within the cycles of corruption that I tackled in a earlier piece, or return to regular/finish of cycle.

However, the instances of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, for instance, in three corruption scandals (“juetengate,” pork barrel rip-off, and the present flood management corruption scandal) may be categorized between levels 3 and 4: indictment and prosecution or acquittal.

To repeat, the levels of a lengthy corruption scandal cycle are:

1. Uncovering and/or exposé
2. Investigation
3. Indictment and Prosecution
4. Punishment or Acquittal
5. Non-implementation/Reversal of Punishment or Pardon
6. Rehabilitation and Relegitimation
7. Return to Regular/Finish of cycle (RN/EC)  

Ghost Street Tasks (1989): Pre-jail pardon (RNC/EC: Return to regular/Finish of cycle). In 1989 and 1998, two divisions of the Sandiganbayan convicted Jaime Ponce de Leon for 27 counts of graft and sentenced him to a complete of 203 years of imprisonment for conspiring with public highways officers in ghost highway initiatives in Negros Oriental. Going into hiding, Ponce de Leon didn’t spend a day in jail. In 2007, he introduced himself in court docket, declaring that he would voluntarily serve his sentence. Just a few hours earlier than he was to start his jail time period, then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pardoned him.

PEA-Amari Scandal, 1995: Nobody charged (RN/EC: Return to regular/Finish of cycle). This concerned the disadvantageous sale of public area (reclaimed land in Manila Bay) to a non-public company in trade for substantial bribes for the ruling get together’s electoral marketing campaign chest. Each then president Fidel Ramos after which speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. have been implicated within the anomalous transaction. After conducting investigations, two Senate committees concluded that the deal was unlawful. The Supreme Courtroom later nullified it. Nobody, nevertheless, was charged and convicted of corruption in reference to it. Ombudsman Aniano Desierto cleared the president who appointed him, Ramos, of any legal responsibility.

Juetengate/Joseph Estrada Impeachment, 2000-2001 (Lengthy cycle). President Joseph “Erap” Estrada was impeached by the Home of Representatives for, amongst different expenses, accepting hundreds of thousands of pesos in bribes from jueteng operators. When the impeachment trial took an important flip that indicated possible acquittal, a well-liked rebellion broke out (EDSA 2), forcing Estrada to resign. Just a few months later, Estrada and his son Jinggoy (then the mayor of San Juan) have been indicted for plunder, and their trial on the Sandiganbayan started. In September 2007, Joseph Estrada was discovered responsible of plunder, sentenced to life imprisonment and barred from public workplace. (He’s the primary and solely nationwide official to be convicted of plunder.) Six weeks later, President Arroyo granted former Erap Estrada government clemency, declaring: “He’s hereby restored to his civil and political rights.” He was free of home arrest.Though the penalty for plunder contains perpetual absolute disqualification from holding public workplace, former President Estrada was allowed to run for president once more in 2010. Estrada’s attorneys efficiently argued earlier than the Fee on Elections (Comelec) and the Supreme Courtroom that the restoration of Estrada’s civil and political rights underneath Arroyo’s pardon included restoration of the precise to run for public workplace once more. Estrada misplaced the 2010 presidential election, however he received when he ran for mayor of Manila in 2013. Jinggoy Estrada, a senator on the time of his acquittal, ran for senator once more thrice, profitable twice — in 2010 and 2022.

Fertilizer Fund rip-off, 2004: Some convictions however no convictions of ringleaders. The Fertilizer Fund rip-off consisted of the diversion of P728 million in agricultural funds to the 2004 election marketing campaign of then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The funds have been purported to be for a rollout of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program that would supply help to small farmers for fertilizers and farm inputs. In 2011, the alleged mastermind, then-agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, and then-agriculture secretary Luis Lorenzo have been charged with plunder, and a number of other different agriculture officers, with graft. The Ombudsman on the time, Conchita Carpio-Morales, rejected the inclusion of Arroyo within the case attributable to insufficiency of proof. In 2016, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the costs towards Bolante and his co-accused attributable to weak proof (once more!), then rejected the Ombudsman’s movement for reconsideration the next yr. Bolante’s case has been taken to the Supreme Courtroom. Dozens of native officers all around the nation have been investigated and charged in reference to the rip-off. A number of have been convicted, essentially the most distinguished amongst them being former Cagayan de Oro mayor (later congressman) Constantino Jaraula. In 2019, the Supreme Courtroom revived the graft case towards former Pampanga Governor Lito Lapid., who ran for senator for the third and fourth time in 2019 and 2025, rising a winner on each events. Bolante ran for governor of Capiz in 2010, however misplaced, thus failing in his effort at rehabilitation and relegitimation. 

Garcia ‘Plunder’ Scandal, 2005, and plea deal/army ‘pabaon’ scandal, 2010: No convictions.  In 2005, retired Main Basic Carlos Garcia, his spouse and three sons have been charged by the Ombudsman on the time, Simeon Marcelo, with plunder for ill-gotten wealth totaling P303-million. What led to this was the arrest and detention of two of Garcia’s sons at San Francisco airport for illegally bringing in undeclared money ($100,000). In 2010, Garcia entered right into a plea settlement with Ombudsman Gutierrez, pleading responsible to the lesser crimes of oblique bribery and cash laundering in lieu of plunder. (The controversial plea deal grew to become one of many grounds for Gutierrez’s impeachment in 2011.) The Garcia plea discount controversy triggered a Senate investigation into corruption within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on the whole. This inquiry uncovered the pabaon system, involving hefty sendoff cash — tens of hundreds of thousands of pesos — for retiring generals. One of many top-ranking generals implicated within the “pabaon” scheme, former AFP chief Basic Angelo Reyes, dedicated suicide. In 2012, the Division of Justice really useful that 11 retired and active-duty army officers and civilian officers be charged with plunder. Not one among them — actually, nobody in any respect — has been charged or convicted in reference to the 2010 AFP “pabaon” case. Garcia, himself a P165 million “pabaon” recipient, spent 17 years in jail for graft — not plunder — however this was in reference to the 2005 case. The case stays hanging as Garcia’s spouse and three sons nonetheless face plunder expenses. 

Garcia ‘plunder’ scandal: Return to regular/countless cycle (RN/EC)

Army ‘pabaon scandal: Return to regular/countless cycle (RN/EC

NBN-ZTE Scandal, 2007: No convictions (RN/EC: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). Allegations of corruption swirled within the awarding of a US$329 million development contract to the Chinese language telecommunications agency ZTE for constructing a Nationwide Broadband Community (NBN). The challenge was stated to be overpriced by about $130 million to cowl kickbacks. Amid the controversy, President Arroyo cancelled the NBN-ZTE contract. In late 2011, the Ombudsman indicted Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo, former Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos, and former transportation secretary Leandro Mendoza for graft. In 2016, the Sandiganbayan dropped all expenses towards them for insufficiency of proof. In 2021, the Supreme Courtroom barred former Nationwide Financial and Improvement Authority director normal Romulo Neri (who had famously sought to “average the greed”) from authorities service after it discovered him responsible of misconduct within the NBN-ZTE affair and barred him from  authorities service. Beforehand, Rodolfo Lozada Jr., the chief whistleblower within the NBN-ZTE scandal, had urged Neri to not enable himself to be the “fall man.” Though the Supreme Courtroom acknowledged that corruption had certainly been concerned within the deal, not a single particular person has been put behind bars for it.

Euro generals scandal, 2008: No convictions (RN/EC: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). Travelling to Russia for an Interpol convention, a number of senior officers of the Philippine Nationwide Police (PNP) led by comptroller Eliseo dela Paz have been caught in Moscow carrying an undeclared 105,000 euros or P6.9 million in money. The generals had tapped PNP intelligence funds for his or her journey allowance, thus drawing suspicion of corruption, cash smuggling and misuse of state funds. The scandal triggered investigations by the Senate and the Ombudsman, after which expenses. In 2019, the Sandiganbayan dismissed graft and technical malversation instances towards the 9 retired law enforcement officials within the Euro Generals scandal, citing inadequate proof introduced by state prosecutors. In 2022, the Sandiganbayan fined dela Paz P200,000 for failure to declare money in extra of US$10,000 upon leaving the nation. Nobody has been convicted within the Euro Generals case.

Malampaya Fund scandal I, 2008: Convictions (RNC/EC: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). In 2008-2009, the provincial authorities of Palawan headed by then-governor Mario Joel Reyes, entered into over 200 contracts with numerous firms for P1.534 billion value of infrastructure initiatives that have been funded from the Malampaya pure gasoline challenge within the province. In 2017, Reyes and 41 others have been charged within the Sandiganbayan for graft and falsification of public paperwork associated to the contracts. In 2025, the Sandiganbayan convicted Reyes and a number of other different provincial authorities officers and contractors for graft over the fraudulent initiatives. Discovered responsible of 11 counts of graft, Reyes was sentenced to 6 to 10 years imprisonment for every rely or a complete of 66 to 110 years.

Malampaya Fund scandal II, 2009: Nonetheless at prosecution. After nice devastation by floods and typhoons, Finances Secretary Rolando Andaya, Jr., requested P900 million from the Malampaya Fund for aid, rehabilitation and reconstruction. President Arroyo ordered the discharge of the stated quantity to the Division of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to implement help to beneficiaries. The P900 million ended up in bogus non-governmental organizations tied to Janet Lim-Napoles, with commissions and kickbacks allegedly distributed amongst some officers. In 2013, the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation filed plunder expenses towards former president Arroyo, Andaya, former government secretary Eduardo Ermita, former agrarian reform secretary Nasser Pangandaman, Napoles, and plenty of others in reference to the misuse of P900 million. In 2016 and 2017,  Ombudsman Carpio-Morales dropped plunder expenses towards Arroyo and all of the others, however filed graft expenses towards Andaya, Pangandaman and greater than 20 others. 

PCSO Fund Scandal, 2012: No convictions (RN/EC: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). In July 2012, former president Arroyo and 9 officers of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Workplace (PCSO) and the Fee on Audit have been charged with plunder for misuse of P366 million in PCSO funds. Arroyo, then present process medical therapy, was put underneath hospital arrest. In July 2016, the Supreme Courtroom  acquitted Arroyo of plunder on the idea of insufficiency of proof and ordered her instant launch. By Might 2018, expenses towards all of the others indicted for plunder within the PCSO case had been dismissed attributable to insufficiency of proof. Former President Arroyo, who was implicated within the NBN/ZTE scandal and indicted however acquitted within the PCSO scandal ran for Pampanga consultant 5 instances and received every time. She even grew to become Home Speaker in 2018-19.

Offshore Wealth, 2013-21: No severe investigation (RN/EC: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). Some Filipino public officers and their households or clans have been recognized as having vital offshore holdings — potential undeclared and unexplained wealth — in exposés (Offshore Leaks, Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, and so on.) by a world community of investigative journalists. Amongst them have been Imee Marcos, Edgardo Angara, Juan Edgardo Angara, Win Gatchalian and a few of their kin, in addition to JV Ejercito, Jamby Madrigal, Arthur Tugade and Andres Bautista. A lot of these named merely issued press statements that didn’t absolutely clarify their non- or mis-declarations nor the sources of their offshore wealth. Anti-corruption teams couldn’t pursue additional investigations attributable to lack of assets for monitoring down the officers’ offshore dealings. Ombudsman Martires’ inane ruling that an official’s SALN may be seen solely with the official’s notarized consent actually made issues quite a bit simpler for offshore wealth-holders. 

Pork barrel rip-off, 2013: Convictions and acquittals. Uncovered by a whistleblower, businesswoman Napoles and associates had connived with dozens of senators and congresspersons and a few of their staffs in looting P10 billion by way of pork barrel allocations underneath the Precedence Improvement Help Fund (PDAF). Napoles and the corrupt legislators had made use of a community of faux non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and ghost initiatives. Napoles and Richard Cambe have been meted life imprisonment for plunder and different corruption-related expenses, and plenty of others, lighter sentences for graft. Thoughts-bogglingly, nevertheless, not a single senator or congressperson has been jailed for plunder. Amongst these cleared of plunder are Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Revilla, Jr. and former consultant Rizalina Seachon-Lanete. These convicted of lesser expenses embody: Jinggoy and former representatives Rozzano Rufino Biazon, Gregorio Ipong, Constantino Jaraula, Reno Lim, Candido Pancrudo, Arrel Olaño, Edgar Valdez, and Rodolfo Valencia. Consultant Marc Douglas Cagas IV plea-bargained, admitted to lesser offenses, paid restitution and bought probation as an alternative of a stint in jail. Former representatives Samuel Dangwa and Douglas Cagas (Marc Douglas’ father) handed away earlier than the Sandiganbayan may concern a verdict on their PDAF indictments. Cambe, Senator Revilla’s former employees, died in jail.

In 2016, Ombudsman Carpio-Morales ordered Senator Joel Villanueva’s dismissal from public service for misuse of his pork barrel allocation. The Senate refused to implement Carpio-Morales’ order, insisting that Congress had the only prerogative to self-discipline its personal members. In 2019, Ombudsman Martires reversed Carpio-Morales’ 2016 resolution with out making any public announcement about it. 

As identified in an earlier article, 15 politicians indicted and even convicted within the PDAF rip-off sought to return to public workplace, 14 of them by operating for workplace, and three turning into Cupboard members.Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Congressman Arrel Olaño have been amongst these convicted within the PDAF rip-off who nonetheless ran for public workplace after the PDAF exposé. Jinggoy received, however Olaño misplaced. Amongst these indicted (however not convicted) who have been nonetheless elected to workplace have been Senators Revilla and Villanueva, and Representatives Douglas Cagas, Conrado Estrella III, Robert Raymundo Estrella, Arthur Pingoy Jr. and Rufus Rodriguez. Appointed to Cupboard positions have been Estrella III and former Senators Enrile and Gregorio Honasan. North Cotabato Vice Governor Gregorio Ipong and Davao del Sur Vice Governor Marc Douglas Cagas IV have been compelled to vacate their posts as courts dominated that their penalties within the PDAF case included perpetual disqualification from public workplace. It’s unclear if Muntinlupa Mayor Rozzano Rufino Biazon, not too long ago convicted of graft within the PDAF rip-off, will undergo the identical destiny as Ipong and Cagas.  

DAP controversy, 2014: Cleared of all expenses. The Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) was a finances mechanism utilized by President Benigno Aquino III and his finances secretary Florencio Abad to spur financial progress by reallocating unspent funds (reportedly  involving P172 billion) from numerous authorities companies to precedence initiatives. In 2014, the Supreme Courtroom declared such motion as unconstitutional, asserting that solely Congress had the authority to applicable public funds. Some opposition legislators accused Aquino of utilizing DAP funds as pork barrel similar to PDAF. Ombudsman Carpio-Morales indicted Aquino and Abad for usurpation of legislative powers in 2018.  Nevertheless, in 2023. Ombudsman Martires cleared Aquino (who had handed away in 2021) and Abad from all expenses associated to DAP, discovering no possible trigger for his or her alleged usurpation of legislative powers.

Ilocos Norte Tobacco Excise Tax Funds scandal, 2017: Nobody charged (RNC/EC?: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). After conducting an investigation, the Home of Representatives really useful submitting administrative and felony expenses towards then Governor Imee Marcos and different native officers for the misuse of P66.45 million in tobacco excise tax funds. In 2018, the OMB underneath Conchita Carpio-Morales opened its personal investigation. Nobody has been indicted. The case now seems to be in limbo. Imee, cited within the Panama Papers and the principal implicated within the Tobacco Excise Tax Funds scandal, ran for senator in 2019 and 2025 and received each instances.

Imelda Marcos conviction, 2018: Non-implementation of sentence (RN/EC: Return to regular/Limitless cycle). The Sandiganbayan convicted former first girl Imelda Marcos of seven counts of graft for corrupt acts she dedicated as a authorities official from 1968 to 1986. The previous first girl was sentenced to jail for six years and 1 month to 11 years for every case. She appealed to the Supreme Courtroom. Her sentence stays un-implemented.

UC-Malampaya scandal, 2019: Nonetheless at prosecution. In 2019, then power secretary Alfonso Cusi accredited a controversial $565-million transaction that enabled Udenna Company, owned by Dennis Uy, an in depth ally of President Duterte, to accumulate 45% stake within the Malampaya gasoline challenge regardless that the corporate lacked technical and monetary capabilities. In 2022, Ombudsman Martires dismissed the graft criticism towards Cusi and a number of other different former officers of the Division of Vitality for insufficiency of proof, however reversed his resolution in 2024. Cusi and 4 others have been formally charged with graft on the Sandiganbayan in August 2025. 

Pastillas scandal, 2020: Dismissals, reversals and reappointment. This concerned Bureau of Immigration officers accepting  bribes — in money wrapped like pastillas sweet — to permit Chinese language nationals, many linked to on-line gaming, to enter the nation with out correct documentation. It’s estimated that the bribery scheme’s masterminds amassed P40 billion from it. In 2022, the OMB indicted 43 folks, together with immigration officers, over the pastillas scheme. The Division of Justice ordered the dismissal of 18 officers and workers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI)  administratively liable within the scheme. The ringleaders of the pastillas scheme have but to be recognized. The executive sanctions towards some BI officers have been reversed or lightened. Final yr, in a controversial reversal, Vincent Bryan Allas, who was amongst these dismissed in 2022, was appointed appearing chief of the BI Border Management and Intelligence Unit. 

Philhealth Scandal, 2020: Nobody charged. A whistleblower — a former authorized officer — accused Philhealth officers of pilfering P15 billion in funds by way of anomalous transactions. Senate and Home committees performed their very own probes and really useful the submitting of administrative and felony expenses towards Well being Secretary Francisco Duque and different prime Philhealth officers. After President Rodrigo Duterte expressed “full belief” in Duque, the Division of Justice excluded the latter from the listing of chargeable officers it submitted to the Ombudsman. Some well being officers (not Duque) resigned or have been suspended for a number of months. The Ombudsman’s investigation has dragged on with out a lot progress. Even after greater than 5 years, nobody has been charged. 

Pharmally Scandal, 2021: Nonetheless at prosecution (Stage 3, indictment and prosecution). As unearthed by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, this scandal concerned overpriced and substandard medical provides, a comparatively unknown contractor with small capital (Pharmally Pharmaceutical), and misuse of public funds — between P11 billlion to P47 billion — within the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a lot dilly-dallying underneath Ombudsman Martires, the case seems to have been given a shot within the arm underneath Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla with arrest warrants issued towards former well being secretary Francisco Duque III and Christopher Lao, the previous officer-in-charge of the Division of Finances and Administration-Procurement Service, in September final yr. Each posted bail. Just lately, Remulla introduced that he was reconfiguring the Pharmally case, as he deemed that the preliminary pleadings made earlier than he assumed the Ombudsmanship have been swiftly executed and flawed.

Sara Duterte Impeachment, 2025: Impeachment judged unconstitutional (Stage 3, indictment, to Stage 2, investigation). The Home of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on numerous expenses, together with misusing confidential funds amounting to no less than P254.898 million, bribing former training division officers and amassing P2 billion in “hidden wealth.” The impeachment trial on the Senate was supposed to start shortly afterwards. The Supreme Courtroom dominated, nevertheless, that the Home motion was unconstitutional on the grounds that it had violated a constitutional ban on multiple impeachment continuing towards the identical official inside a yr. Any subsequent impeachment criticism might solely be filed beginning in February 2026. – Rappler.com

Nathan Gilbert Quimpo, who has retired from instructing Political Science and Worldwide Relations on the College of Tsukuba, Japan, taught an internet course on “Corruption” on the Ateneo de Manila College final yr and earlier this yr. He’s now primarily based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.