President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., now in the middle of his six-year term, stands at a critical crossroad. So does the country. The path he chooses today will either paint his legacy as a true reformer—or leave his administration remembered more for missed opportunities than meaningful change. His public outrage—a scathing statement during his fourth State of the Nation Address and repeated in his latest podcast—against the rot of corruption and the scandalous “budget insertions” in the annual appropriations is admirable. But indignation alone does not cleanse a government. Action does.

The Filipino people are tired—exhausted, even—by the cycle of political posturing that masquerades as reform. Presidents before Marcos have rallied against corruption. They’ve promised clean governance and pledged to uplift the ordinary Filipino. Yet the stink of patronage politics, unliquidated funds, ghost projects, and unexplained wealth continues to taint this nation of over 100 million people.

Now, President Marcos has made his move.

The issue of “budget insertions”—where millions, even billions of pesos, are funneled into projects often without scrutiny or merit—is not just technical misconduct. It is theft. Theft from Filipino taxpayers. Theft from the children who go to schools with no chairs. Theft from hospitals without medicine. It is treachery disguised as public service.

This cannot stop at scathing statements. Names must be named. Investigations must be pursued. No sacred cows. Just letting the law find its course. The Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit, and the Department of Justice must be fully empowered as fearless institutions of accountability.

But the government alone cannot win this battle. The private sector must clean its house as well. Corporations that fuel corruption through bribery and kickbacks must be exposed and banned from public contracts. Business leaders should champion transparency, support whistleblowers, and promote a culture where ethical practices trump political alliances. If they remain silent—or worse, complicit—then they are not partners in progress.

And what of the Filipino citizens?

We cannot afford to be bystanders in our own country’s moral war. Every Filipino must reject the culture of “pakikisama” (conformity) when it shields the corrupt. We must demand transparency in barangays, in school budgets, in every corner of government. We must vote wisely, speak courageously, and hold every official—elected or appointed—accountable. Our silence enables plunder. Our cynicism excuses it.

Let this be the beginning of a national reckoning.

Mr. President, Filipinos do not ask you to be perfect—but they expect that you be brave, steadfast, and unrelenting in this battle. Build a coalition of truth-tellers. Bring light into every dark room of government. Institutionalize reforms. Make examples of the corrupt, regardless of rank, relation, or religion.

More than a state policy, your war on corruption will define you and your administration.

The nation is waiting for a no non-sense war on corruption. The nation looks forward to genuine reforms, genuine system cleansing. If you do it right, your Bagong Pilipinas will come to light.