Tens of thousands of Filipinos marched through Manila on Sunday in one of the country’s largest demonstrations in years, protesting a ballooning corruption scandal tied to bogus flood-control projects that officials say drained billions from public coffers.
The day began with a massive morning rally at Luneta Park, where city officials estimated nearly 50,000 people gathered. By afternoon, crowds swelled again at EDSA, the historic site of the 1986 movement that toppled Ferdinand Marcos Sr., this time targeting his son’s government over what critics call “ghost infrastructure.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has acknowledged public anger, saying last week he did not “blame people one bit” for demonstrating but urged protests to remain peaceful. For the most part, they were though two clashes broke out near the presidential palace.
In the first, groups of mostly young men hurled rocks and bottles at police, who arrested 17 and dismantled a barricade of burning tyres. Less than an hour later, police used water cannons to disperse another group of masked protesters. Journalists reported seeing some officers throw rocks back. Authorities did not immediately confirm whether the clashes were linked to the organized rallies.
Marchers at EDSA said the scandal, which erupted after weeks of deadly flooding, had touched a nerve in a country long scarred by corruption. “It’s very rare for me to go to rallies, but this situation was bad enough that I was really urged to say ‘this is enough,’” said 30-year-old designer Mitzi Bajet.
Teddy Casiño, chairman of the left-wing alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said protesters were demanding not only the return of stolen funds but also prison time for officials involved. “Corruption requires people to go to the streets and express their outrage in the hope of pressuring government to actually do their jobs,” he said.
The Department of Finance estimates the economy lost up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) between 2023 and 2025 due to the fraudulent projects. Greenpeace puts the figure far higher, closer to $18 billion.
Earlier this month, construction executives accused nearly 30 lawmakers and Public Works officials of taking bribes. The fallout has already forced leadership changes in both chambers of Congress, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez a cousin of Marcos Jr. resigning as investigations began.
The Catholic Church lent its support to Sunday’s rallies, which drew families as well as politicians. Many echoed memories of the 1986 protests. “This is not partisan,” said Manuel Dela Cerna, 58, who said he had marched at EDSA four decades ago. “They are draining the people’s money while citizens suffer from floods, their homes being swept away, while officials ride private planes, live in mansions.”
The Philippines has a long history of corruption scandals, many of which ended with powerful figures avoiding serious jail time. Protesters on Sunday said they hope this time will be different.
