Mass rally in Manila targets flood corruption scandal
Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos gathered in the largest rally ever in Manila to demand accountability for the flood control corruption scandal involving powerful members of Congress and top government officials.
Various groups have staged protests in recent months after thousands of flood defense projects were discovered to be substandard, incomplete or non-existent in one of the world’s most typhoon-prone countries.
Government engineers, public works officials and construction company executives testified under oath at Senate and investigative committee hearings that members of Congress and Department of Public Works and Highways officials received kickbacks from construction companies to help them win lucrative contracts and avoid liability.
Most denied the allegations.
Some 650,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, or Church of Christ, attended the start of a three-day rally in Manila’s Rizal Park on Sunday despite intermittent rains, police said.
Many were wearing white shirts and holding anti-corruption banners. About 2,000 people, including retired generals, held a separate anti-corruption protest late Sunday at the “People Power” monument in a suburb of Quezon City.
“These thieves made us very angry because we pay our taxes and these officials are looting the treasury and stealing our future,” said Rachel Morte, 41, from northern Pampanga province, who attended the Greater Manila rally.
“We hope that justice will be served and the stolen money will be returned to the public.”
Iglesia is an influential group that votes as a bloc and is courted by political candidates during elections.
Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said police, backed by the military, were on full alert and deployed thousands of personnel to ensure security at the weekend’s peaceful rallies.
During an anti-corruption demonstration on September 21, several hundred black-clad protesters threw rocks, bottles and firebombs at police near the presidential palace in Manila, injuring more than 100 officers. A criminal complaint was filed against 97 protesters.
The presidential palace was locked down for security over the weekend, with main access roads blocked by riot police, cargo containers and barbed wire.
Flood control is a particularly sensitive issue in the Philippines, one of the Asian countries most prone to deadly typhoons, floods and extreme weather.
This month, two typhoons caused by flash floods and landslides killed at least 259 people and affected millions more.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is trying to quell public outrage and street protests sparked by the scandal, saying on Thursday that most of the powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy businessmen involved would be jailed by Christmas.
Marcos said that the independent investigation commission he established has already filed criminal charges against 37 suspects on charges of graft, corruption and plunder.
Criminal complaints were also filed against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials for allegedly evading nearly 9 billion pesos ($A233 million) in taxes.
