By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter and Erika Mae P. Sinaking
THOUSANDS of Filipinos marched in the capital on Sunday in the biggest protest so far against the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, turning weeks of online outrage over corruption into mass street demonstrations that rattled the political establishment.
About 49,000 people joined the anti-corruption rally at Luneta Park in Manila, the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said in a Facebook post. Organizers of a separate rally at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City said they expected about 30,000 to attend.
“It is probably the biggest protest in the last three years since Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. became President, and this is just the start,” Renato M. Reyes, Jr., president of the group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Manila protest. “Anger has been building up for quite some time, that’s why the wave of protests was unleashed.”
The rallies against massive corruption in flood control deals coincided with the 53rd commemoration of the Martial Law declaration by the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. in 1972 that plunged the Southeast Asian nation into political and economic disarray.
His son and namesake now faces mounting pressure as his administration is rocked by an unfolding flood control scandal involving substandard, incomplete or nonexistent infrastructure in a country regularly battered by flooding.
“I hope the irony is not lost on the President,” Mr. Reyes said. “Here we are, 53 years after the declaration of martial law, yet corruption remains a major issue confronting Filipinos.”
Street protests in the Philippines largely faded during the pandemic and has smothered the attendance of public demonstrations a few years after strict lockdowns.
But the demonstrations against anomalous flood control deals may mark a shift in public engagement with corruption and governance issues, Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“The protest drew such a large crowd because the flood control scandal strikes at something very basic, like public safety and dignity,” he added.
He added that Filipinos are deeply affected by massive corruption in flood control deals as they directly feel its effects, compelling them to participate in rallies. “They are living with waterlogged homes and disrupted livelihoods.”
After the Luneta program, some militant groups marched toward Mendiola, while others continued on to join the EDSA rally.
POCKETS OF UNRESTTensions escalated as protesters clashed with police at Ayala Bridge near Quiapo, Manila. Protesters, mostly young people and waving Philippine flags and wearing balaclavas, broke through metal barriers, grabbed police shields and threw stones at law enforcers.
A trailer truck was also set on fire, the Philippine National Police said in a statement.
“Seventeen individuals believed to be responsible are now in the custody of the Manila Police District,” it said. “Firefighters and police personnel responded immediately, and the situation is now contained.”
Charges were being readied against those involved, it added.
Hours later, another pocket of unrest broke out in Mendiola near the presidential palace as masked men dressed in black hurled rocks and makeshift Molotov cocktails at police officers holding crowd control lines.
Protesters waved the Philippine flag alongside others bearing the Jolly Roger, a symbol associated with piracy, as some ignited makeshift flamethrowers using aerosol cans and lighters, according to footage from a YouTube livestream on OneNews.PH. Several demonstrators were seen being arrested after authorities moved to disperse the crowd.
“We have to start arresting people because it’ll be anarchy if we don’t respond accordingly,” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla told reporters, based on the livestream.
President Marcos canceled a planned trip to the US to monitor the protests, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told GMA News.
She said the President respects dissent but urged demonstrators to act lawfully. She discouraged state workers from joining rallies to prevent heavier traffic but stressed their right to protest remained intact.
Reports of irregularities in infrastructure contracts have fueled public outrage after a series of typhoons and monsoon rains earlier this year left Metro Manila and nearby provinces flooded despite extensive flood control projects.
The controversy stems from Mr. Marcos’ revelation in August that more than 6,000 flood control projects launched since 2022 lacked key details. About P545 billion has been allocated for flood control since then, with P100 billion cornered by top contractors.
Mon A. Marquez, 29, said she joined the protest to demand accountability over fraudulent flood control deals. “I want to know where my tax money went.”
“I walk these streets every day,” she said in an interview, while holding a placard calling for an end to corruption. “As a working commuter, I face this reality daily.”
Vannessa Jane Dabay, 26, from the United Methodist Church, said the rally is an outlet for members to show that the church “acts on behalf of society and the oppressed.”
She added that the movement does not end with Sunday’s march. “We must continue organizing, studying social issues and resisting systems that cause suffering. Awareness and sustained action are essential.”
Mr. Marcos last week created an independent body to probe irregularities involving thousands of flood control projects nationwide, vowing that he won’t interfere with its investigation.
The Philippine demonstrations come amid a wave of unrest across Asia. In Nepal, youth-led protests earlier this month prompted the resignation of the country’s top leadership after moves to restrict social media use.
In Indonesia, rallies over parliamentary housing perks escalated after a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver was fatally struck by a police vehicle in Jakarta.
Maria Rovia Bello, a 26-year-old worker from Taguig City who joined the protest on her day-off, said she was tired of seeing the public and the youth being deceived.
“It is deeply moving because the placards capture real issues, not just images,” she told BusinessWorld. “People are exhausted, even those who couldn’t attend because of work or business, yet they care deeply about what the government is doing. Seeing those in power who are indifferent while Filipinos suffer is painful.” — with Chloe Mari A. Hufana
