Thousands rally in Philippines, demanding Marcos resign over fraud scandal

Manila, Philippines – Thousands of radical person gathered successful the Philippine capital, Manila, demanding President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s resignation implicit a corruption ungraded linked to authorities spending connected flood-control infrastructure.

The march, organised by the Kilusang Bayan Kontra-Kurakot oregon the People’s Movement Against Corruption (KBKK), began astatine the Luneta National Park successful Manila connected Sunday, with protesters expected to march connected to the statesmanlike palace.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Philippine President Marcos says 7 arrested implicit corruption scandal
• list 2 of 3Philippines ministers resign arsenic flood ungraded reaches statesmanlike palace
• list 3 of 3The quality outgo of the Philippines’ flood-control corruption scandal

It is the past show of nationalist choler implicit the “Trillion-Peso” scandal, successful which almighty politicians, including Marcos’s allies, are accused of pocketing billions of pesos successful bribes for contracts connected flood-control infrastructure that ended up being defective oregon were ne'er built astatine all.

Extensive harm from 2 caller powerful typhoons, which killed much than 250 people, has spurred nationalist outrage.

Two furniture ministers person resigned implicit the scandal, portion a erstwhile lawmaker accused successful the case, Zaldy Co, has alleged that Marcos directed him to adhd $1.7bn to the fund for “dubious nationalist works” portion helium headed an appropriations committee.

The president has denied the claims.

Among those astatine Sunday’s protestation was 21-year-old pupil Matt Wovi Villanueva, who besides took portion successful a akin protestation astatine the statesmanlike palace successful September. That protestation turned convulsive with the constabulary arresting immoderate 300 people.

Villanueva said helium was beaten and detained for 5 days then.

“Compared to September, we person much reasons to spell backmost to the streets now,” Villanueva told Al Jazeera. “They support treating america similar fools. If we privation existent justice, we request Marcos and [Vice President Sara] Duterte to resign.”

Duterte, the girl of erstwhile President Rodrigo Duterte, who has fallen retired with Marcos, is facing abstracted allegations implicit the misuse of authorities funds.

Meanwhile, mainstream absorption forces, backed by the Catholic Church, organised a abstracted “Trillion Peso March” on the historical EDSA Avenue. The radical said they are lone urging Duterte to resign arsenic they hold for much factual grounds of transgression enactment by Marcos.

Earlier this month, Co, the erstwhile lawmaker, claimed that Marcos obtained much than 50 cardinal pesos ($852m) successful kickbacks from infrastructure projects since 2022, and ordered the insertion of 100 cardinal pesos ($1.7bn) for alleged “ghost projects” successful the 2025 budget.

Co besides claimed that successful 2024 helium personally delivered suitcases containing a cardinal pesos (US$17m) successful currency to the Marcos residence.

Co himself is accused of pocketing billions from the aforesaid projects and has been a fugitive since July, with Japan being his past known location.

“Anyone tin spell online and marque each kinds of claims,” Marcos said successful response.

“For it to mean something, helium should travel home,” the president added.

With oregon without Co’s accusations, Raymond Palatino of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) oregon Bayan, 1 of the groups successful the KBKK, said the president bears an undeniable work for fraudulent nationalist spending.

“He feigns astonishment implicit the grade of corruption, but helium drafted, signed, and implemented the budget, a fund infested with pork tube projects and anomalous insertions,” Palatino told Al Jazeera.

Protesters outcry slogans during an anticorruption protestation successful Manila connected Sunday [Aaron Favila/AP]

Palatino said some Marcos and Duterte indispensable measurement speech “so the federation tin statesman to heal and rebuild”.

Following their removal, helium urged the enactment of a civilian-led modulation council, a impermanent entity to usher the state towards governmental renewal.

Presidential property serviceman Claire Castro, however, has dismissed calls to region the president, saying they are unconstitutional and travel from “vested interests”.

Marcos raised alarm implicit the ungraded successful July, during his State of the Nation code to Congress. In September, helium formed the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) tasked with investigating officials linked to corruption.

Some 9,855 flood-control projects, worthy much than 545 cardinal pesos ($9bn) are nether investigation.

The Senate and House besides conducted their ain hearings into the case.

Finance Secretary told lawmakers successful September that up to 118.5 cardinal pesos ($2bn) for flood power projects whitethorn person been mislaid to corruption since 2023.

Among those implicated are Marcos’s relative and cardinal ally, Martin Romualdez, who has denied immoderate engagement but has stepped down arsenic the House of Representatives speaker.

The ICI, meanwhile, has yet to look into allegations of misconduct by the president.

“The ICI investigations person not inoculated him from accusations of wrongdoing,” said governmental subject Professor Sol Iglesias from the University of the Philippines.

“Following the September action, the Marcos medication has been bleeding retired its credibility. It would agelong the imaginativeness that the president’s hands are clean, though we inactive haven’t seen the equivalent of a smoking gun,” she told Al Jazeera.