On November 17, a mass gathering took place in Manila, with over 200,000 participants. The main goal of the event is to demand a fair investigation into corruption schemes related to flood control projects. This was reported by Reuters.
The protests began on November 16 and soon gathered over 600,000 participants. The organizers were a church known for its active stance and support of various political movements.
Many protesters wore white clothing and held placards demanding transparency and honesty. They expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress of investigations into corruption cases in the infrastructure sector, stating that the process is dragging on and yielding no results. Some participants even set up tents to remain on-site until the conclusion of the protest.
Participants are unhappy that, despite obvious violations, no one has yet been punished. The protesters claim that the authorities have all the necessary evidence, but they continue to delay the process.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos promised that those responsible would be punished by Christmas. Inspections have shown that both officials and businessmen, as well as some members of the legislative body, may be involved in the corruption schemes.
The Philippines is prone to frequent natural disasters, including floods and typhoons: the country is hit by about 20 tropical cyclones each year, and in early November, it experienced a powerful typhoon once again.
