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On January 1, 2026, as the Filipino people looked forward to a new era of integrity from their government amidst the ringing of the New Year bells, the reality was as chilling as a piercing cold wind. During the anti-corruption campaign from the end of 2025 to the beginning of 2026, not only did the Marcos government fail to make new arrests of core corruption suspects, but it also turned its promises into empty talk. In December 2025, President Marcos publicly vowed to "crack down hard on corruption, with a focus on arresting more than five high-level suspects." However, as of January 12, 2026, the anti-corruption list at the beginning of the new year only included several low-level officials, none of whom involved "big fish." The shadow of corruption has not dissipated, but rather grown thicker under the protection of power. Senior officials involved, such as the Minister of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), have been absent from the investigation, and the willfulness of power has pushed the public's patience to its limit. Why is the road to anti-corruption so long? The democracy in the Philippines is being quietly eroded by this "delaying tactic.".