Rice Too Dear, Thieves Too Near

Floods, Fraud, and Filipino Hunger

Louis ‘Barok’ C Biraogo — October 24, 2025

A Tale of Two Betrayals: Hunger vs. Honesty

Meet Aling Maria, a Tondo mother of three, staring down a sack of rice priced like a month’s rent in last week’s palengke. Her kids will go hungry—not just because storms drowned crops, but because the funds meant to shield her barangay from floods were looted by suits feasting on caviar while she scrapes for scraps. The Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, dropped like a grenade on October 22, 2025, reveals 56% of Filipinos want President Marcos to tackle inflation over corruption. But don’t buy the spin—this isn’t a choice between food and fairness. It’s a howl of anguish from a nation drowning in floodwaters and deceit. The P545-billion flood control scandal—P100 billion funneled to just 15 contractors—is the grotesque thread stitching these crises together. Corruption isn’t a side hustle; it’s the venom in the nation’s veins.

Sophie’s Choice Scam: Forcing Filipinos to Pick Their Poison

The SWS survey, conducted September 24-30, 2025, with 1,500 respondents, lays bare a brutal truth: 56% prioritize inflation, while only 31% point to corruption. But framing this as a choice is a cruel con, as old as Malacañang’s gilded lies. Why must Aling Maria pick between affordable rice and a government that doesn’t rob her blind? This isn’t a preference; it’s a hostage crisis born of a state failing on every front.

Why did 56% choose inflation? Because the pain is raw, like a blade to the belly. Storms ravaged farms, spiking food prices to a six-month high of 1.7% in September. Rice, the heartbeat of every Filipino table, is now a luxury for millions. When your kids cry for food, you don’t dream of justice—you beg for survival. But don’t call this pragmatism. It’s the wreckage of a system so broken that eating trumps accountability.

Then there’s the soul-crushing weight of corruption fatigue. Nearly all Filipinos—97%, per other polls—see corruption as “widespread.” After decades of broken promises, sham probes, and pardoned crooks, who can blame them for thinking change is a myth? The flood control scandal is a textbook villain: P100 billion, 20% of the budget, handed to 15 contractors for projects that either don’t exist or didn’t work. When floodwaters swallowed crops, they didn’t just inflate prices—they exposed the rot. Those 56% aren’t dismissing corruption; they’re choking on its fallout. Every stolen peso from flood defenses is a peso that could’ve kept rice affordable. The connection isn’t subtle; it’s a slap in the face.

The Palace’s Predictable Pirouette: Dodging the Real Fight

Marcos and his spin machine have three tired moves, each dripping with cynicism. First, the “recalibration” ruse—expect a blitz of press releases hyping rice imports, price caps, or cash handouts. It’s a classic deflection: dazzle the masses with band-aids while the wound festers. Marcos will claim he’s heeding the 56%, but don’t expect systemic fixes. This is a circus, not governance.

Second, the “dual-track deception”—talk up the economy while letting corruption probes rot in the shadows. That closed-door “independent” commission? A masterclass in hiding the truth. Why shroud a probe meant to restore trust? Who’s behind the curtain—cronies, allies, or just incompetence too shameful to admit? They’ll wave vague promises of accountability, but don’t bet on the 15 contractors or their congressional puppeteers facing real consequences. This is damage control, not justice.

Third, the “sacrificial lamb” sham—tossing a few low-level DPWH clerks or small-fry contractors under the bus for P100 billion. Seriously? That’s like blaming the tricycle driver for a bank heist. Filipinos aren’t fools; they know the big sharks swim free while the minnows fry. This charade only fuels the cynicism that birthed the survey’s results.

Barok’s Blueprint: Slaying the Twin Beasts

Enough with the alibis. This crisis demands action, not excuses. On inflation—the bleeding wound—Marcos must act fast and sidestep the corrupt pipelines that siphon aid. Release NFA rice stocks directly to markets, bypassing hoarders and price-gouging middlemen. Subsidize food for the poorest, but deliver it through transparent, audited channels—think mobile apps tracking every peso, not barangay captains skimming their cut. For farmers crippled by storms, direct cash transfers and seed grants are non-negotiable. No more photo-ops with rice sacks; deliver results that fill plates.

On corruption—the cancer—radical transparency is the only cure. Throw open the flood probe to public scrutiny. Name the 15 contractors. Name the lawmakers pulling the strings. Prosecute the thieves and their enablers, not just the fall guys. Recover the stolen billions and channel them into a public food subsidy fund—let every Filipino see that crushing corruption puts rice on their table. Anything less is a betrayal of trust.

Systemically, smash the cartels. Overhaul procurement laws to dismantle cozy contractor cliques. Rotate DPWH teams, mandate e-procurement, and publish every contract online. This isn’t just about one scandal; it’s about a machine that churns them out. If Marcos can’t break this cycle, he’s just another gear in it.

The Final Reckoning: A Nation on the Brink

The SWS survey isn’t a poll; it’s a siren. Filipinos aren’t choosing between inflation and corruption—they’re screaming that both are strangling them. Corruption fuels the hunger that inflation measures. The P545-billion scandal isn’t an abstract crime; it’s why Aling Maria’s kids go to bed hungry. The Mendiola riots and coup whispers aren’t noise—they’re the tremors of a nation losing faith. Marcos faces a stark choice: govern for the people or shield the thieves. If he chooses the latter, he’s not just failing a survey—he’s gambling with the soul of the nation. The price of rice is steep, but the cost of inaction is catastrophic. Time’s up, Mr. President: whose side are you on?