Magalong: Anti-corruption fight not political, threats persist

Metro Manila, Philippines - Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong said his campaign to expose alleged corruption in the government’s flood control projects is not driven by politics but by a desire to secure the country’s future, even as he faces threats to his life.

“We’re risking our life here. Sino ba maglalakas ngayon ang nagsasalita tungkol dito?,”Magalong said in an interview with Newswatch Plus on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

[Translation: Who dares to speak out about this now?]

“Wala na akong ibang motive diyan. (I have no other motive.) I’m willing even to sacrifice my life just to make sure that we give the future that our children really deserve.”

Magalong drew parallels with Venezuela, which he said collapsed into poverty and hyperinflation despite once being among the world’s richest oil producers.

“Look what is happening in Venezuela now. So much hunger, so much poverty, hyperinflation. People are throwing away their money because it’s useless. There’s no future for our children. And that’s precisely my motive,” he said.

He warned that if corruption persists, the Philippines could face the same fate. “At the end of the day, magko-collapse din yung ating ekonomiya, magko-collapse din yung ating bansa. Sayang lang lahat. At sino bang unang tatakas? Itong mga kurap na politiko dahil napakarami na nilang pera,” he said.

[Translation: At the end of the day, our economy will collapse, our country will collapse. Everything will be wasted. And who will be the first to flee? These corrupt politicians because they already have so much money.]

The Philippine National Police earlier raised his threat level to “high” during the election period, and Magalong said he assumes it remains elevated following his recent disclosures. He admitted concerns for his family’s safety, recalling how he briefs his wife and companions on what to do in case of an attack.

Magalong also rejected critics’ claims that his revelations are politically motivated.

“Sana makonsensyo kayo. Wala na kayong iniisip na lahat kung hindi politics ng politics,” he said.

[Translation: I hope you feel some conscience. You think of nothing else but politics. No wonder we’re striving to promote good governance because of that corrupt mindset] he said.