By CESAR JOLITO III

The Visayan Bloc in the House of Representatives has declared full support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying the political attacks against him in recent days are attempts to derail his administration’s intensified anti-corruption campaign.

In a statement released yesterday by Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the influential bloc said the President’s sweeping anti-corruption drive — which has opened several inquiries and uncovered alleged systemic irregularities amounting to billions of pesos — has begun to rattle “long-entrenched networks of influence and abuse.”

According to the group, the backlash directed at the President is “inevitable” given the scale of corruption being confronted, but lawmakers stressed that this is precisely the moment public officials must “stand firm, stay focused and finish the work.”

The bloc said their support is not rooted in partisanship but in “a moral obligation to uphold honesty, transparency and accountability in public service.”

“We stand with the President because we stand with every Filipino who deserves clean governance,” the statement read.

The Visayan bloc also urged both government colleagues and the public to rise above “distractions and political theatrics,” warning that political noise only weakens efforts to restore public trust in institutions.

They called for unity behind ongoing reforms, emphasizing that the fight against corruption “is bigger than any individual, administration or party.”

The group vowed continued cooperation with the President, saying it intends to ensure that the current push for clean governance becomes “a turning point in the country’s journey toward accountable and principled leadership.”/CJ, WDJ