A widening corruption crisis in the Philippines is undermining the president's power, raising the likelihood of policymaking paralysis and political instability, and weakening Manila's capacity to deter China. On Dec. 3, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a multi-year 15% base pay increase for all civilian, military and uniformed personnel to be implemented in three tranches beginning Jan. 1, 2026, with additional increases scheduled for January 2027 and January 2028. Marcos also approved an increase in the daily subsistence allowance and directed relevant government agencies to prepare implementation guidelines within 30 days. The announcement was delivered in a prerecorded message that emphasized the security services' role in maintaining order amid what Manila has described as "destabilization attempts." The pay directive came less than a week after the Department of Justice and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure issued a new set of investigative orders on Nov. 29, expanding an ongoing corruption...
