Thousands of Filipinos joined marches in Manila and other areas in the country on Sunday, protesting against what organizers say is widespread corruption within the government.
The largely peaceful rallies appear to be the biggest since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in July that many government flood-control projects had become a source of kickbacks. Corruption has long been a problem in the Southeast Asian nation, but the claim it involved state programs meant to mitigate flooding in one of the world’s disaster-prone nations struck a chord with many citizens.
"While there are people who suffer from the storms and floods, there are those allegedly involved in corruption in these projects who are flaunting their rich lifestyles on social media,” Francis Aquino Dee, one of the protest leaders, told local TV station GMA News.
The corruption allegations and ensuing public uproar have not moved Philippine financial markets so far, with the peso holding steady against the dollar this month and the benchmark stock index rising almost 2%.
The protests come at a time of growing unrest across the region.
Demonstrations in Indonesia over perks for politicians quickly turned violent after the death of a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver in Jakarta who was run over by a police vehicle in August. Nepal was hit by deadly protests this month, led mainly by teenagers and young adults, which forced the country’s top leadership to resign.
More than 100,000 people took part in a demonstration around a shrine and the People Power Monument along the capital’s main highway, said James Balbuena, one of the organizers. The monument commemorates a non-violent revolution in 1986 that toppled late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of the country’s current leader.
Around 50,000 people gathered earlier in a public park in Manila before marching to other parts of the city, the local government said. Simultaneous protests took place across the country, drawing a diverse group of participants including students, church leaders, militant organizations and some lawmakers, according to local media reports.
President Marcos has said he supports the protests but warned that law enforcement would act if the demonstrations become violent. Sunday’s events were held mostly without incident, according to police.
A group of protesters, most wearing black T-shirts, hurled rocks and bottles at policemen barricading the area in Manila near the presidential palace as they tried to advance, GMA News footage showed. Officers used tear gas and water hoses to disperse them.
Several police officers were hurt after an unidentified group of people threw rocks at them and set fire to a container van in an area, also near the presidential palace, with 17 taken into custody, local media reported.
"We will protect the citizens’ right to peaceably assemble to redress their grievance, but we will not tolerate instability and violence,” Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Marcos formed an independent body to determine how much was allegedly stolen from state coffers for flood-control projects. Hundreds of bank accounts tied to the programs have been frozen, and the president’s cousin stepped down as speaker of the House of Representatives amid allegations that he may have been connected to the graft-ridden projects. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Congressman Chel Diokno, who joined the demonstration, said the goal of the protests is to hold accountable those guilty of corruption.
"Whoever is involved, regardless of political color, if they are found to be guilty of a crime they should be punished,” he said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.