Revolt in Manila, Hundreds of Thousands Take to the Streets in the Philippines
Featured image: Riot police is forced to retreat during a clash with protesters in Manila. Source: Social media.
Protests erupted across the Philippines and paralyzed the capital Manila on Sunday over a corruption scandal involving flood-control projects in a nation battered by storms and poverty. Thousands took to the streets and demanded Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign.
A new large corruption scandal triggered the protests. A fierce monsoon and the flood control projects have sparked the anger, as billions of Filipino pesos have been directly stolen by government officers. This money was supposed to be used to build infrastructure like roads, bridges and embankments. Even Marcos Jr. got humiliated when he tried to visit a flood control dam that actually did not exist. According to local sources, “corruption had claimed 70% of public funds allotted for flood control.” According to the Office of the Ombudsman, there is “at least 20 percent of yearly government allocations being misused”.
The protests were set for Sunday, 21 September, anniversary of the day when Ferdinand Marcos, father of the current President, imposed martial law in the country in 1972. Protests erupted in several cities of the country, such as in Quezon City, Baguio City, Davao City, Cebu City and many others.
The protests in Manila became fierce clashes. Philippine National Police (PNP) said that 8,000 officers across Manila were deployed. According to local reports, PNP agents fired live ammunition and used tear gas. Water cannons were also used and many pictures and videos of police violence have been shared in social media:
The protesters repelled the police attacks. According to local sources, around 300 to 400 protesters hurled stones and petrol bombs, and charged against the police forces at the Ayala Bridge. The repressive forces were forced to retreat in several points of the city:
So far there are 216 protesters arrested and 95 police officers claim to be hurt. These figures might increase during the following hours. Among the detainees there are several minors, whose parents protested in front of police stations in the capital. They have not been informed about their condition and they state: “We think the Philippine National Police did not practice maximum tolerance despite saying that they did. We believe that they were prepared to make mass arrests.”
