Making a stand: Members of religious group Iglesia ni Cristo attending an anti-corruption protest at a park in Manila. — AFP
Thousands gathered for the start of a three-day rally organised by a religious group in Manila to demand accountability over a flood-control corruption scandal that has implicated powerful members of Congress and top officials.
It’s the latest show of outrage over accusations of widespread corruption in flood-control projects in one of the world’s most typhoon-prone countries, which has erupted in recent months following the discovery that thousands of flood defence projects across the country were made from substandard materials or simply did not exist.
Construction companies were accused of giving dozens of influential politicians and officials huge kickbacks in order to win lucrative contracts and avoid accountability for anomalies in the projects.
Police estimated that 27,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, or Church of Christ, gathered in Manila’s Rizal Park before noon, many wearing white and carrying anti-corruption placards, for the afternoon demonstration.
Other groups also held a separate anti-corruption protest yesterday at the “People Power” monument in Quezon city.
Iglesia Ni Cristo is an influential group that votes as a bloc and is courted by political candidates during elections.
The police, backed by the military, went on full alert and deployed thousands of personnel to secure the weekend rally, although the government expects the weekend rallies to be peaceful, according to a confidential security assessment.
During a Sept 21 anti-corruption demonstration, a few hundred black-clad protesters threw rocks, bottles and firebombs at policemen near the presidential palace, injuring more than 100 officers.
Criminal complaints have been filed against 97 protesters.
National police chief Lt-Gen Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr ordered law enforcement to exercise “maximum tolerance” in yesterday’s rallies.
Flood control is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, which is prone to deadly typhoons, flooding and extreme weather.
Two typhoons left at least 259 dead this month, mostly from flash floods and landslides, as millions of others were forced to evacuate.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been trying to quell public outrage and street protests sparked by the scandal, saying on Thursday that many of the powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy businesspeople implicated the scandal would be in jail by Christmas.
Marcos added that an independent fact-finding commission has already filed criminal complaints for corruption and plunder, against some 37 suspects.
Criminal complaints have also been filed against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials for allegedly evading nearly 9 billion pesos (RM627mil) in taxes.
Sen Bong Go, a key ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, has been accused of involvement in corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects. He has denied the allegations.
Duterte, a harsh Marcos critic, was detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands in March for alleged crimes against humanity over his brutal anti-drugs crackdowns.
His daughter, the current vice-president, said Marcos should also be held accountable and jailed for approving the 2025 national budget, which appropriated billions for flood control projects.
The military “remains steadfast in preserving peace, supporting lawful civic expression and protecting the stability and democratic institutions of the republic”. — AP
