Philippine President Vows Jail Time for Corruption Scandal Suspects by Christmas

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines has pledged that individuals involved in a corruption scandal linked to failed government infrastructure projects will be jailed by year-end. The scandal has sparked public protests and is blamed for a significant slowdown in the country's economic growth.

In a determined stance against deep-seated corruption, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has vowed to imprison those implicated in a major infrastructure-linked scandal by the end of the year. The scandal has stirred public outrage and is said to have contributed to a downturn in the nation's economic growth.

The alleged scandal involves billions of pesos allocated to flood-control projects, with accusations of substandard work and non-existent facilities. This comes amidst severe flooding from recent typhoons, which has fueled public demonstrations. Civil society and church leaders are poised to intensify protests against this ongoing issue.

President Marcos announced plans to expedite government spending, which had been curtailed due to stringent validation processes prompted by the scandal. Infrastructure spending sharply declined while leaders aim for increased fiscal activity to meet original plans. Marcos also revealed that $108 million worth of assets linked to the scandal has been frozen.

(With inputs from agencies.)