Philippines Anti-Corruption Protests: People Rise Against ‘Grand Theft’ Under Marcos Jr. Rule

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The Philippines is seeing one of its largest anti-corruption protests in years as thousands of citizens, joined by members of the Catholic clergy, gather across Manila to demand accountability over a massive flood-control scandal. Demonstrators are calling for senators, congress members, and public works officials to return stolen government funds allegedly siphoned from defective or non-existent infrastructure projects.    The government has deployed over 17,000 police officers as tensions rise near the presidential palace. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed swift action, promising that officials involved in the widening corruption investigation will face prosecution. The protests, centered at the historic EDSA “People Power” monument, mark a significant public outcry over graft, misuse of funds, and growing frustration with government accountability.    #PhilippinesProtests #ManilaProtest #AntiCorruptionRally #FloodProjectScandal #PhilippinesNews #MarcosJr #CorruptionProbe #EDSAProtest #PeoplePower #ReturnStolenFunds #ManilaRally #PhilippinesUpdates #GraftScandal #PublicOutragePH #ProtestPH #CatholicClergyProtest #FloodControlFraud #AccountabilityNow  ~HT.410~GR.122~

Transcript

00:00Thousands of people took to the streets in the Philippines this Sunday in a massive protest

00:25against corruption. Demonstrators, including members of the Roman Catholic clergy, gathered

00:31in the capital, Manila, demanding swift action against top legislators and officials implicated

00:37in a widespread scandal. Left-wing groups also held a separate rally in the city's main park,

00:48calling for all involved officials to resign immediately and face justice.

00:55The protests come amid public outrage over corruption linked to defective or non-existent

01:03flood control projects that have left many communities vulnerable to deadly floods and

01:09extreme weather. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been scrambling to address these issues,

01:19promising accountability as the government faces intense scrutiny.

01:24More than 17,000 police officers were deployed to secure Manila, with key roads and bridges

01:32blocked near the presidential palace. The Malacanan Complex was put on lockdown, with anti-riot

01:41police, trucks and barbed wire in place. The Philippines, a nation with a history of political

01:48turmoil, including two presidents overthrown in the last two decades, has seen isolated calls for the

01:55military to withdraw support from Marcos.

01:57But the armed forces of the Philippines rejected such calls, reassuring the public that they remain a pillar

02:08of stability and guardian of democracy. Roman Catholic churches helped lead Sunday's anti-corruption rallies,

02:16with the main gathering held at a People Power Monument along Edza Highway.

02:25About 5,000 demonstrators, most wearing white, participated by midday. Protestors demanded that members

02:33of Congress, officials and construction company owners be imprisoned and forced to return government funds

02:41stolen from flood control projects. One demonstrator wore a shirt with the blunt message,

02:50no mercy for the greedy. Since July, at least seven public works officers have been jailed for illegal use of funds

02:59in one flood control project alone. Former government engineer Henry Alcantara returned 110 million pesos,

03:10about 1.9 million dollars, in kickbacks, promising to return more.

03:21Authorities have frozen assets worth 12 billion pesos, around 206 million dollars, the longing to suspects

03:30involved in the scandal. President Marcos has promised that many of the 37 impacted senators, congress members,

03:39and business executives will be in jail by Christmas. Protesters, however, say that justice must come faster,

03:50and that more officials should be held accountable, returning funds spent on luxury cars, private jets,

03:57and mansions. The rallies show a country vigilant and determined to fight corruption and protect democracy,

04:06even in the face of powerful interests.

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