The people of the Philippines have taken to the streets against alleged government fraud and corruption. On Sunday, September 21, people gathered at 10 AM and staged protest demonstrations. Thousands of people protested angrily after information came to light about massive irregularities in flood-control projects and misuse of public funds.
The demonstrations took place mainly at public venues in the capital Manila, including Luneta Park, Rizal Park, and the People Power Monument. The Sunday morning protest at Luneta Park saw approximately 50,000 participants. Protesters say the government allocated billions of pesos for flood control projects, but many projects are either incomplete, built with substandard materials, or turned out to be complete ghost projects.
According to a report, the government has acknowledged this scandal. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. published an internal audit showing 545 billion pesos (approximately $9.5 billion) spent on flood control projects since 2022. Many of these projects were either improperly documented or found to be of poor quality.
During the demonstrations, some clashes occurred near the Presidential Palace (Malacañang Palace) in Manila. Some protesters set vehicles on fire in the streets, clashed with police, and approximately 49 people were arrested. Police said such violent elements were trying to disturb the peaceful demonstration.
The main reason for public anger is that flood disasters occur frequently, and the government is expected to ensure that water management and flood control projects work properly. But after massive irregularities in those projects came to light, people realized that while the budget is large-scale, results are nowhere to be seen.
Student-youth organizations, churches, civil society groups, and media influencers particularly participated in this movement, demanding transparency from the government. Marcos first mentioned the flood control corruption scandal in his annual State of the Nation Address in July.
Later, he formed an independent commission to investigate irregularities in many of the 9,855 flood control projects worth over 545 billion pesos ($9.5 billion) that began after he took office in mid-2022. He called the level of corruption appalling and accepted the resignation of his Public Works Secretary.
In response, the government has announced an Independent Investigative Commission aimed at reviewing these projects.
The significance of this protest is heightened because it is happening on the anniversary of when Martial Law was declared in the Philippines on September 21, 1972.
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