Police in the Philippine capital arrested more than 200 individuals during clashes with masked protesters that erupted on a day of largely peaceful anti-corruption demonstrations, a spokesperson said Monday.
Protesters lay on the ground after being apprehended by police officers during a protest denouncing what they call corruption linked to flood control projects in Manila, Philippines, on September 21, 2025. — Reuters
At least 88 minors were among the initial count of 216 taken into custody Sunday as police deployed water cannons and deafening sirens against crowds of mostly young, rock-throwing protesters.
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno stated that a 12-year-old boy was the youngest detained.
Police officers blocked protesters during a protest denouncing what they call corruption linked to flood control projects, in Manila, Philippines, on September 21, 2025. — Reuters
Thousands of Filipinos rallied in Manila on Sunday to express their anger over a growing scandal involving bogus flood-control projects believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
The scandal has implicated numerous lawmakers and prompted the leaders of both houses of Congress to step down from their positions during an investigation.
However, Sunday’s street battles, which saw multiple police vehicles set ablaze and the windows of a precinct headquarters shattered, threatened to overshadow demonstrations that had been filled with families, activists, clergy, and politicians.
“So far, none of them are explaining the reasons behind their actions or if somebody paid them to do it,” regional police spokesperson Major Hazel Asilo told AFP.
“As soon as we know their affiliations, we can determine if they were part of the protesters or if they were just causing trouble,” she added.
According to a statement released Monday by the department of health, about 50 people were brought to a single Manila hospital following the clashes.
Another police spokesperson, Major Philipp Ines, reported that 93 officers had been injured on Sunday, while noting the number of arrests could still rise as individuals were still being processed.
Rage over the so-called ghost infrastructure projects has been escalating in the Southeast Asian country since President Ferdinand Marcos highlighted them in a July state of the nation address following weeks of deadly flooding.
The Department of Finance has estimated the Philippine economy lost up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects.
Greenpeace has suggested the figure is actually closer to $18 billion.
The Philippines was expecting heavy flooding on Monday as Super Typhoon Ragasa approached the country’s northernmost provinces.
The archipelago nation is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, placing millions of people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty.
cwl/aph/dhw
© Agence France-Presse
