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Thousands gathered connected Sunday (November 16, 2025) for the commencement of a three-day rally organised by a spiritual radical successful the Philippine superior to request accountability implicit a flood-control corruption ungraded that has implicated almighty members of Congress and apical authorities officials.
It's the latest amusement of outrage implicit accusations of wide corruption successful flood-control projects successful 1 of the world's astir typhoon-prone countries, which has erupted successful caller months pursuing the find that thousands of flood defence projects crossed the state were made from substandard materials oregon simply did not exist.
Construction companies were accused of giving dozens of influential politicians and officials immense kickbacks successful bid to triumph lucrative contracts and debar accountability for anomalies successful the projects.
Police estimated that 27,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, oregon Church of Christ, gathered successful Manila's Rizal Park earlier noon, galore wearing achromatic and carrying anti-corruption placards, for the day demonstration. Other groups were scheduled to clasp a abstracted anti-corruption protestation aboriginal Sunday astatine the “People Power” monument successful suburban Quezon City.
Iglesia is an influential radical that votes arsenic a bloc and is courted by governmental candidates during elections.
The police, backed by the military, went connected afloat alert and deployed thousands of unit to unafraid the play rally, though the authorities expects the play rallies to beryllium peaceful, according to a confidential information appraisal seen by The Associated Press.
During a September 21 anti-corruption demonstration, a fewer 100 black-clad protesters threw rocks, bottles and firebombs astatine policemen adjacent the statesmanlike palace, injuring much than 100 officers. Criminal complaints person been filed against 97 protesters.
National constabulary main Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered instrumentality enforcement to workout “maximum tolerance” successful Sunday's rallies.
Flood power is an particularly delicate contented successful the Philippines, 1 of the Asian countries astir prone to deadly typhoons, flooding and utmost weather. Two typhoons near astatine slightest 259 dormant this month, mostly from flash floods and landslides, arsenic millions of others were forced to evacuate.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been trying to quell nationalist outrage and thoroughfare protests sparked by the scandal, saying connected Thursday that galore of the almighty senators, members of Congress and affluent businesspeople implicated successful the ungraded would beryllium successful jailhouse by Christmas.
Mr. Marcos said that an autarkic fact-finding committee helium created has already filed transgression complaints for graft and corruption and plunder, against 37 suspects. Criminal complaints person besides been filed against 86 operation institution executives and 9 authorities officials for allegedly evading astir 9 cardinal pesos ($152 million) successful taxes.
Among those accused are lawmakers opposed to and allied with Mr. Marcos, including erstwhile House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president's relative and a cardinal ally, and erstwhile Senate President Chiz Escudero. Both person denied immoderate wrongdoing.
Sen. Bong Go, a cardinal state of erstwhile President Rodrigo Duterte, has besides been accused of engagement successful corruption successful flood power and different infrastructure projects. He has denied the allegations.
Mr. Duterte, a harsh Marcos critic, was detained by the International Criminal Court successful the Netherlands successful March for alleged crimes against humanity implicit his brutal anti-drugs crackdowns.
His daughter, the existent Vice President, said Mr. Marcos should besides beryllium held accountable and jailed for approving the 2025 nationalist budget, which appropriated billions for flood power projects.
There person been isolated calls, including by immoderate pro-Duterte supporters, for the subject to retreat enactment from Mr. Marcos, but Armed Forces of the Philippines main of unit Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. has repeatedly rejected those calls.
“With afloat conviction, I guarantee the nationalist that the equipped forces volition not prosecute successful immoderate enactment that violates the Constitution. Not today, not tomorrow, and surely not nether my watch,” Mr. Brawner said Friday. The subject “remains steadfast successful preserving peace, supporting lawful civic look and protecting the stableness and antiauthoritarian institutions of the republic.”
