Manila, Philippines – On Sunday, the Philippine capital Manila witnessed huge crowds taking to the streets in angry marches demanding accountability for those involved in one of the biggest corruption scandals to hit the country in years, in which lawmakers, officials and a number of businessmen in the construction sector are suspected of being involved.
The protests, in which official figures show fewer than 10,000 demonstrators despite activists’ estimates that the number was much larger, came against the backdrop of accusations of stealing millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money through alleged flood control infrastructure projects that were later found not to have been implemented.
The demonstrations coincide with growing public anger in a country frequently hit by devastating typhoons that batter large parts of the Philippines. Protesters say rampant corruption has turned flood protection projects into a “money trap,” exacerbating human and material losses in recent seasons.
Riot police set up barbed wire barriers to prevent protesters from approaching the presidential palace, while protesters chanted sharp slogans including: “The police are protectors of corruption!” Police officers responded by banging on the shields in an attempt to deter the crowds.
The protesters raised a huge effigy depicting President Ferdinand Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte as “two-headed crocodiles,” a symbolic reference to a political class they accuse of corruption and nepotism.
Elsewhere in the capital, youth and human rights groups demanded the “immediate imprisonment” of all those involved, considering the arrest of eight employees from the Department of Public Works and Highways a few days ago to be “an insufficient step.”
Mervyn Toquera of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines stated, “Corruption on this scale cannot occur without the knowledge of high-ranking officials,” emphasizing the need to hold accountable all those found responsible, regardless of their position. Meanwhile, a university student named Jessie Wanalufe asserted, “People have lost their lives because of corruption, not just because of disasters.”
The Philippines has a long history of corruption cases involving public funds, but senior officials have often escaped punishment or served short prison terms before returning to their positions.
