MANILA – On Sunday, a massive crowd gathered in the Philippine capital for the commencement of a three-day rally orchestrated by a religious group. The purpose of the gathering was to demand accountability in a flood-control corruption scandal that has entangled influential members of Congress alongside top government officials.
This protest marks the latest wave of public indignation over allegations of pervasive corruption within flood-control initiatives in the Philippines, a nation frequently battered by typhoons. In recent months, diverse groups have staged protests after uncovering that numerous flood defense projects across the country were either substandard, incomplete, or entirely nonexistent.
During Senate hearings and investigations by a fact-finding commission, government engineers, public works officials, and construction executives have testified under oath. They claimed that members of Congress and officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways received kickbacks from construction companies in exchange for awarding lucrative contracts and evading accountability. Most of the accused have denied these allegations.
According to police estimates, approximately 130,000 Iglesia Ni Cristo, or Church of Christ, members gathered in Manila’s Rizal Park by mid-afternoon. Participants dressed in white and carried placards denouncing corruption. Additional groups planned to hold a separate anti-corruption rally later on Sunday at the “People Power” monument in suburban Quezon City.
The Iglesia Ni Cristo is a significant influence in politics, known for voting as a bloc that political candidates actively seek to court during election periods.
Law enforcement, supported by the military, was placed on high alert, deploying thousands of personnel to ensure the weekend rallies proceeded without incident. However, a confidential security assessment viewed by The Associated Press indicated that the government anticipated peaceful demonstrations.
During a Sept. 21 anti-corruption demonstration, a few hundred black-clad protesters threw rocks, bottles and firebombs at policemen near the presidential palace in Manila, injuring more than 100 officers. Criminal complaints have been filed against 97 protesters.
The presidential palace went on security lockdown over the weekend, with major access roads barricaded by anti-riot police forces, cargo containers and barbed wires.
National police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered law enforcement to exercise “maximum tolerance” in Sunday’s rallies.
Flood control is an especially sensitive issue in the Philippines, one of Asian countries most prone to deadly typhoons, flooding and extreme weather. Two typhoons left at least 259 dead this month, mostly from flash floods and landslides, as millions of others were forced to evacuate.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been trying to quell public outrage and street protests sparked by the scandal, saying on Thursday that many of the powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy businesspeople implicated in the scandal would be in jail by Christmas.
Marcos said an independent fact-finding commission he created has already filed criminal complaints for graft and corruption and plunder against 37 suspects. Criminal complaints have also been filed against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials for allegedly evading nearly 9 billion pesos ($152 million) in taxes.
Among those accused are lawmakers opposed to and allied with Marcos, including former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin and a key ally; and former Senate President Chiz Escudero. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
Sen. Bong Go, a key ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has also been accused of involvement in corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects. He has denied the allegations.
Duterte, a harsh Marcos critic, was detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands in March for alleged crimes against humanity over his brutal anti-drugs crackdowns.
His daughter, the current vice president, said Marcos should also be held accountable and jailed for approving the 2025 national budget, which appropriated billions for flood control projects.
There have been isolated calls, including by some pro-Duterte supporters, for the military to withdraw support from Marcos, but Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. has repeatedly rejected those calls.
“With full conviction, I assure the public that the armed forces will not engage in any action that violates the Constitution,” Brawner said. “Not today, not tomorrow and certainly not under my watch.”
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