Politics · Philippines Bureau
Marcos links substandard steel trade surge to Duterte-era operations
President Ferdinand Marcos has indicated that illegal substandard steel trading in the Philippines may have begun proliferating as early as 2018 under his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte's administration. The remarks were made during the president's visit to New Delhi.
LSN Philippines ·
President Marcos has attributed the surge in substandard steel trading to the previous administration, suggesting the illicit operations gained significant momentum beginning in 2018 when Duterte was in office.
"If you look at their records, we started seeing more of these operations around 2018," Marcos told reporters while in New Delhi on an official visit to India.
The president's comments underscore ongoing concerns about the proliferation of substandard construction materials in the Philippine market, which has raised safety issues across the building and infrastructure sectors. The illegal trade in inferior steel products has become a significant enforcement challenge for authorities.
The revelation adds another layer to investigations into the supply chain irregularities that have persisted across administrations. Authorities have intensified efforts to crack down on smuggling and the distribution of substandard materials that pose risks to structural integrity of buildings and public works projects.
The administration has not detailed specific enforcement actions or the scope of the illegal operations discovered during the earlier period.