Manila: Tens of thousands of Filipinos poured into the streets of the capital on Sunday, demanding accountability over a massive corruption scandal that has rocked the country’s political establishment.
The protests, among the largest anti‑corruption demonstrations in recent years, were triggered by revelations that lawmakers, officials, and businesspeople allegedly pocketed huge kickbacks from flood‑control projects worth billions of pesos in the storm‑prone nation.
Heavy Security and International Warnings
Authorities deployed thousands of police officers and troops across Manila to secure rallies at Rizal Park and near the EDSA People Power Monument. The United States and Australian embassies issued travel advisories urging their citizens to avoid protest areas as a precaution.
Voices from the Streets
Protesters waved Philippine flags and carried banners reading “No more, too much, jail them.” Many demanded the immediate prosecution of those implicated.
“We wallow in poverty and lose our homes and future, while they rake in fortunes from our taxes for luxury cars and foreign trips,” said student activist Althea Trinidad, who joined a crowd of about 8,000 people by midday, according to police estimates.
Trinidad, from flood‑prone Bulacan province, said many of the projects under investigation were either substandard or never built.
Church and Civil Society Call for Accountability
Catholic Bishops’ Conference head Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David urged demonstrators to remain peaceful, saying the goal was not to destabilize but to “strengthen democracy.” Organizers emphasized their focus was on corrupt officials and contractors, not on calling for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s resignation.
Fallout from Explosive Testimonies
The scandal erupted after a wealthy couple, Sarah and Pacifico Discaya, who ran several construction firms, flaunted their fleet of luxury cars including a ₱42‑million ($737,000) British vehicle during media interviews. Under pressure, they later testified in a Senate inquiry that at least 17 legislators and public works officials demanded huge kickbacks in exchange for contracts.
Two senators were subsequently implicated in a separate House inquiry, though all those named have denied wrongdoing.
The fallout has already claimed senior political figures: Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez both resigned amid mounting criticism. At least three government engineers have been dismissed, while 15 others face investigation. Their assets, including homes, cars, and bank accounts, are being frozen, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed.
Marcos’ Response
President Marcos first flagged the scandal in his July state of the nation address, calling the scale of corruption “horrible.” He has since created an independent commission to investigate anomalies in more than 9,800 flood‑control projects worth over ₱545 billion ($9.5 billion) since mid‑2022. He also accepted the resignation of his public works secretary.
The protests underscore growing public anger at entrenched corruption in the Philippines, where billions meant for disaster prevention and infrastructure have allegedly been siphoned off while millions remain vulnerable to devastating floods.
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