Malacañang has appealed to the people to calm down amid growing public demand for accountability over issues of graft and corruption.

"Kalma lang (Calm down)," Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Tuesday, Oct. 14, assuring the public that investigations on corruption are ongoing and that cases will be filed soon.

Castro stressed that the fight against corruption, particularly the alleged multi-billion pesos flood control corruption mess, takes time.

"Hindi po kasi ito nadadaan sa agad agaran. Siguro bilang lawyer na ako ay mismong humahawak ng mga kaso at ako mismo ay humaharap sa korte, kaya alam ko po kung paano magpresenta ng isang ebidensya (This cannot be done hastily. Perhaps because, as a lawyer who personally handles cases and appears in court myself, I know how to present a piece of evidence properly)," Castro said.

"Hindi po ito nadadaan sa pabilisan at kung ito naman ay mapapabilis, napakaganda ng numero, maraming nasampa sa korte pero kalaunan na-dismiss po lahat (This cannot be done through haste, and if it is done too quickly, we might end up with impressive numbers, many cases filed in court, but eventually, all of them get dismissed)," Castro added.

"Ano po ba ang mas hindi n'yo tatanggapin, nakapagsampa ng kaso pero na-dismiss po lahat, dahil hindi hinog at kulang ang ebidensya (What would be more unacceptable, filing cases that all end up being dismissed because they were premature and lacked evidence)?," Castro further said.

Based on a recent Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from Sept. 25 to 30, 60 percent of respondents feel outrage or anger when they think about corruption in government, particularly in the flood control projects. Thirty percent expressed fear or anxiety and 9 percent said they are disappointed or sad.

She called on the people to allow the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to conduct its investigation and complete its documentation in order to file stronger cases.

The Palace official also urged the public to be patient "because the process has already begun."

"Dahil ang sabi nga natin, kung hindi ito sinimulan ng Pangulo, sino ang magsisimula. Kung hindi ang Pangulo ang nagsimula nitong pag-iimbestiga, sino pa kaya ang pwedeng mag-iimbestiga (As we’ve said, if the President hadn’t initiated this, who would have? If the President himself did not start this investigation, then who else could)?," Castro said.

She assured the public that President Marcos' commitment is to hold accountable those who must be held accountable, stressing that this was perhaps "the fastest disclosure of the alleged anomalies in flood control projects."

The latest Ulat ng Bayan survey by Pulse Asia Research showed that the Marcos administration suffered a decline in approval ratings on most key national issues from June to September 2025, with corruption and inflation emerging as the public’s top concerns.

Castro said the President is not alarmed by the numbers, reiterating that rating should not be based on one survey alone.

The survey, however, revealed that most adults are critical of the administration’s handling of four issues—reducing poverty (57 percent), fighting illegal drugs (61 percent), controlling inflation (64 percent), and fighting corruption (69 percent).

Castro made an assurance that Marcos knows and listens to the public's sentiments, urging them to trust the President.

"Hayaan lang po nating magtuloy tuloy ang proseso at ang Pangulo po ay hindi po magsasawalang bahala sa mga nadidinig niya na mga sentimyento ng ating mga kababayan (Let us allow the process to continue, and the President will not ignore the sentiments he hears from our fellow citizens)," Castro said.

"Magtiwala lang po tayo sa ating Pangulo at sa pamahalaang Marcos Jr. dahil ito po ay lumalaban sa corruption (Let us place our trust in our President and in the Marcos Jr. administration, because it is firmly taking a stand against corruption)," she added.