Filipinos Rally Against Flood Control Corruption Scandal

Thousands of Filipinos rallied across the country on Sunday to demand accountability for a sprawling corruption scandal involving defective flood control projects, though turnout appeared lower than in previous demonstrations, raising questions about the movement's staying power.

The protests, centered in Metro Manila at sites including Luneta Park and the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City, drew an estimated 90,000 participants nationwide, according to police figures. In the capital, crowds numbered around 8,000 to 16,000 across multiple locations, with organizers reporting about 7,000 at the Quezon City monument and up to 20,000 at Luneta throughout the day. Demonstrators, including Catholic clergy and left-wing activists, chanted for the jailing of implicated officials and the return of stolen funds. Some carried effigies portraying politicians as crocodiles to symbolize graft, while others wore white shirts emblazoned with messages like "No mercy for the greedy."

The rallies focused on the "Trillion Peso March 2.0," highlighting anomalies in flood control infrastructure meant to protect the typhoon-prone archipelago. Authorities have identified irregularities in...