Thousands of citizens gathered in Manila and other regions on Sunday (Sep. 21), protesting alleged corruption in government flood-control programmes. The demonstrations follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s admission in July that some state projects had become a source of kickbacks.
• Protest scale: Over 30,000 expected near Manila’s main highway; 20,000 elsewhere in the city.
• Participants: Students, church leaders, civil society groups, lawmakers, and militant organisations.
• Peaceful demonstrations: Police report no significant violence; Marcos expressed support for protests while warning law enforcement may intervene if unrest escalates.
The president recently established an independent body to investigate alleged misappropriation, freezing hundreds of bank accounts linked to the projects. His cousin, former House Speaker, resigned amid allegations but denies wrongdoing.
Markets have remained largely stable, with the peso steady against the dollar and the benchmark stock index up nearly 2% this month..
Source: Bloomberg
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