Protesters flood streets of Philippines over state corruption | Philippines
After allegedly lost billions of dollars for fake floods of floods, tens of thousands of Philippines went to the streets to protest against the corruption of the state on Sunday.
Students from different political camps, church groups, celebrities and citizens filled the streets in Manila and other cities.
MPs and officials claimed to be in the pocket of large recoils in exchange for contracts, while important projects to protect the country from flood damage did not occur.
The predictions of the Philippine government show that the country’s economy may have lost £ 1.48 billion in the last two years in flood control projects. Greenpeace predicted The cost says it was even larger, more than 13 billion £ from climate projects in 2023.
The allegations that shake the country first appeared in July, when monsoon rains and storms left the towns and cities under water and caused millions of misery. The Philippines have an average of 20 tropical cyclones each year, making it one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters.
Cardinal Pablo Virgiilio David, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Philippines, said in a statement that Cardinal Pablo Virinio David, who called on public opinion to demand accountability, said, ız Our aim is to strengthen our democracy, but to strengthen our democracy.
Despite the arrest of 72 people, including 20 small in two separate cases, the protests were largely peaceful.
According to a spokesman, at least 39 officers were wounded and a trailer used as a barricade flared up. Maj Hazel Asilo said that those who were arrested to AFP were “protesters or people who only cause problems”.
According to the city estimates, he drew about 50,000 people in a morning show in a park in Manila, and thousands of more people attended the rally on an afternoon on Edsa street of the capital.
58 -year -old Manuel Dela Cerna, “Citizens suffered from floods, the houses are sweeping, the authorities ride on private planes, live in the mansions,” he said.
The protesters wanted to be returned to abused funds and wanted to imprison those who were imprisoned.
The protests reflect the anger of the government’s allegation of corruption and inequality in other parts of Asia, including Nepal, which a protest movement led by Gen Z overthrew this month, and Indonesia, which the protests recently detonated the privileges given to MPs.
President Ferdinand Marcos JR announced the flood control corruption scandal at the Annual State State of State and then established an independent commission to investigate the allegations.
In a separate investigation in the Senate, the owner of a construction company accused about 30 deputies and officials of television testifying television testimonies of paying cash. The past TV interviews given by the owner’s family, which shows luxury lifestyles, also fueled the public anger.
Marcos JR tried to soothe the people by supporting the protests.
“Do you blame them for going to the streets?” He asked journalists at a press conference this week. “If I wasn’t the president, I would be on the streets with them.
“Of course they get angry. Angry, I’m angry. We must all be angry, because what happened is not true.”
The protests on Sunday were historically important: on September 21, 1972, President Marcos’s father and name, late dictator Ferdinand Marcos brought martial law. He came to power for 14 years and is accused of plundering up to $ 10 billion.
Marcos JR promised that investigations about the flood scandal would not be “sacred cows ..
Senate President Francis Escudero and Parliament Speaker Marcos Jr’s cousin Martin Romualdez, the scandal.
