Massive protest in Philippines again; 17,000 police deployed, presidential palace locked down - Here's what we know
Thousands protested across the Philippines demanding swift prosecution of lawmakers and officials linked to a massive flood-control corruption scandal. With rising public anger, church groups, activists and citizens called for resignations and arrests as President Marcos Jr. vows action.
Massive protest in Philippines
Tens of thousands of people, including Roman Catholic clergy, took to the streets on Sunday (Nov 30) in Philippines to protest a widening corruption scandal involving substandard or non-existent public works projects.
What are the protesters demanding?
Protesters demanded accountability from top legislators, government officials and private contractors allegedly benefiting from fraudulent flood control schemes.
What are the accusations against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.?
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been accused of failing to act swiftly against corruption. Left-wing groups leading a separate rally at Manila’s Luneta Park demanded the resignation of all officials linked to the alleged scheme.
Though Marcos has publicly acknowledged the scope of the problem, and promised that corrupt lawmakers would be jailed by Christmas, the unrest has triggered isolated calls for the military to withdraw support from the administration.
What were the steps taken by authorities during the protest?
Police deployed more than 17,000 officers across the capital to secure protest sites, and the Malacañang presidential palace was placed under tight lockdown with barricades, anti-riot shields and barbed wire blocking key entry points.
What angry protesters said?
Angry protesters argued the scandal reflects systemic abuse of public funds. "Jail all the corrupt and jail all the killers," said Rev. Flavie Villanueva, a Catholic priest known for assisting families of drug war victims under Rodrigo Duterte. Another protester added, "We are tired of leaders getting rich while ordinary Filipinos drown.
What steps have authorities taken?
Since July, at least seven government officials have been arrested on graft and misuse-of-funds charges, according to AP. On Friday, former public works engineer Henry Alcantara returned 110 million pesos ($1.9 million) in alleged kickbacks and pledged to pay back more. Authorities have frozen approximately 12 billion pesos ($206 million) in assets belonging to contractors and officials tied to the scheme. However, these steps has not been enough
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