Widespread Protests in Philippines Demand Action Against Corruption

Thousands of demonstrators, including clergy from the Roman Catholic Church, protested in the Philippines on Sunday, demanding the return of stolen funds and the prosecution of officials implicated in a significant corruption scandal.

The protests were held amid public outrage over alleged misuse of billions in funds for flood control projects, which have often resulted in ineffective or nonexistent infrastructure. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has faced increasing pressure to address these issues after raising them in his state of the nation address in July.

More than 17,000 police officers were deployed in metropolitan Manila to manage the protests, which included a major rally at the pro-democracy 'people power' monument along EDSA highway. Protesters called for the imprisonment of members of Congress and construction company owners involved in the anomalies, wearing shirts with messages like 'No mercy for the greedy.' Rev.

Flavie Villanueva, a Catholic priest, urged for the jailing of corrupt officials and those responsible for violence against citizens. Since the corruption allegations surfaced, at least seven public works officers have been jailed, and former government engineer Henry Alcantara has returned 110 million pesos, or about 1.9 million dollars, in kickbacks.

Marcos has stated that he expects many of the implicated senators and wealthy construction executives to be jailed by Christmas. In total, approximately 12 billion pesos, or 206 million dollars, worth of assets linked to the corruption scandal have been frozen.

Protesters are demanding quicker action and accountability, calling for all implicated officials to resign and face prosecution immediately. The military has firmly rejected calls for any unconstitutional actions against the Marcos administration, reaffirming its commitment to stability and democracy in the Philippines.