The Philippines is grappling with a major corruption scandal involving flood control projects, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announcing the detention of seven suspects and the pursuit of others. The scandal has implicated powerful members of Congress, including former House of Representatives member Zaldy Co and government public works engineers. The Sandiganbayan, a special anti-corruption court, has indicted over a dozen suspects, with more criminal graft and corruption lawsuits expected. The initial case involves irregularities in flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro province, with a river dike worth 289 million pesos ($4.8 million) undertaken by Sunwest Corp., a construction firm reportedly owned by Co's family. The president's advice to remaining suspects is to surrender, as the investigation continues relentlessly. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla stated that three suspects may soon surrender to Philippine embassies and be flown back home. The scandal has sparked public outrage, with protests and demonstrations backed by the dominant Roman Catholic church. Key figures implicated include Rep. Martin Romualdez, the president's cousin and ally, and former Senate President Chiz Escudero, who have denied involvement but stepped down from their posts. The investigation covers at least 9,855 flood control projects worth over 545 billion pesos ($9 billion) since Marcos took office in 2022, with potential losses of up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) due to corruption since 2023. The anomalies may have started under Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, and flood control projects from his tenure will also be investigated.