On Sunday, thousands of Filipinos rallied in Manila to voice their anger over a growing scandal involving fake flood-control projects that allegedly cost taxpayers billions.
Outrage over these ‘ghost’ infrastructure projects has been escalating in the Philippines since President Ferdinand Marcos highlighted them in his July state of the nation address, following weeks of severe flooding.
On Monday, Marcos expressed understanding for the protests, urging them to stay peaceful. The army is on “red alert” as a safety measure.
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“I’ve personally waded through floods,” said Aly Villahermosa, a 23-year-old nursing student from Metro Manila, as around 13,000 people gathered at Luneta Park in the capital on Sunday morning.
“If there’s money for ghost projects, why isn’t there funding for healthcare?” she questioned, calling the misappropriation of public funds “deeply shameful.”
Teddy Casino, 56, head of the left-wing group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, demanded the return of embezzled funds and jail time for those responsible.
“Corruption needs public outcry to pressure the government into action,” he stated.
Leadership Changes
Even larger crowds are expected to march down EDSA, the historic protest site that helped remove Marcos’s dictator father in 1986.
The scandal has triggered leadership changes in Congress, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of Marcos, resigning as an investigation begins.
This month, a construction firm accused nearly 30 House members and Department of Public Works and Highways officials of accepting bribes.
The Department of Finance estimates a loss of up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects, though Greenpeace suggests the figure is closer to $18 billion.
The Philippines has a history of public fund scandals, often with high-ranking officials avoiding serious penalties.
During a recent visit to Bulacan, a flood-prone area north of Manila, AFP reporters saw residents navigating muddy waters in rubber boots.
Elizabeth Abanilla, an 81-year-old retiree, said both politicians and contractors are at fault.
“They shouldn’t have handed over money before completing the work,” she remarked. “Both parties are responsible.”
