A Filipino business leader in the United Kingdom has made a heartfelt appeal to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., calling on him to confront corruption and deliver long-overdue solutions to the country’s flood control problems.
Kate Whellams, a Filipina who heads a financial firm in London, published an open letter urging the President to “rewrite history” by proving he can rise above his family’s past and lead the country toward real reform.
“You have the unique power, and the singular responsibility, to transform that name into one that inspires rather than divides,” Whellams wrote, directly addressing Marcos Jr. “Hold the corrupt accountable. Call out not just the small players, but the powerful ones — the politicians, the contractors, the officials who profit from disaster.”
She reminded the President that corruption in flood control projects has robbed Filipinos of both safety and trust. “We can rebuild homes swept away by floods, but we cannot rebuild trust that has been eroded by decades of corruption and impunity,” she emphasized.
Whellams, who previously went viral in 2013 for an open letter to then-President Benigno Aquino III demanding transparency in typhoon aid, expressed frustration that little has changed over the years. In that earlier appeal, she had stressed the importance of ensuring that “every cent of these donations is accounted for.”
In her latest letter, she challenged Marcos Jr. to prove he is more than just the son of a dictator. “If you do this, you will not simply be the son of a dictator. You will be the leader who broke the curse of history,” she said.
Ending her appeal with urgency and hope, she reminded the President that the world is watching. “Rewrite our history. Leave behind a legacy that your children, and all Filipino children, can stand tall and proud to claim,” she wrote.
