Tens of thousands of protesters returned to the streets of Manila for a second straight day on Monday, pressing their demands for accountability over alleged corruption in flood-mitigation projects.
The protest, which started on Sunday and drew over 600,000 people, will run until Tuesday. It is organised by Iglesia Ni Cristo, a 2-million-strong church known for bloc voting, which mobilised members nationwide.
Many in Sunday’s crowd expressed frustration at what they described as ineffective inquiries into irregularities in major infrastructure projects.
“We are calling for the government to carry out a real, sincere, investigation and not cover up for anyone who are involved in this anomaly,” said 60-year-old Freddie Beley.
The scandal has widened since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. disclosed in August the results of an internal audit into flood-control projects, revealing troubling irregularities.
It has implicated public works officials, executives of major construction firms, and lawmakers, who allegedly enriched themselves through substandard, or in some cases non-existent, flood-control projects.
The controversy has hammered investor confidence and is seen by some analysts as a factor behind economic growth hitting a four-year low in the third quarter, as public spending slowed.
Marcos has created a commission to investigate the alleged corruption in infrastructure projects, focusing on flood-control facilities. The president, son of a former leader accused of widespread corruption during his rule, has framed his crackdown as part of a broader push for accountability and transparency.
Protester Armelyn Bandril, 35, said there was a lack of accountability. “Almost a hundred days have passed since the process began, yet no one has been jailed. There’s plenty of proof,” she said.
Marcos on Thursday vowed that those responsible for the flawed projects would be jailed before Christmas.
(REUTERS)