Thousands of Filipinos took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the state corruption after allegations were made that taxpayers in the Philippines have lost billions of dollars in purported flood relief projects. At least 49 people, suspected of hurling rocks and fire bombs at Philippine police, were arrested by law enforcement authorities as they blocked heavily guarded roads that led to the presidential palace, officials said, reported Associated Press. Protesters carry signs as they gather during a rally against government corruption at the EDSA People Power Monument in suburban Mandaluyong, east of Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo) Students, church groups, celebrities, citizens from different political camps among 33,000 protesters rallied on the streets of Manila and other cities as they expressed their anger over a corruption allegation that involves lawmakers, officials and construction company owners, who pocketed huge sums of money meant for flood-control measures for Philippines, which gets regularly struck by storms and typhoons. The estimates by the Philippine government suggests that the administration might have lost about £1.48 billion in the last two years under the garb of flood-control projects, The Guardian reported. However, the report added that Greenpeace has estimated the loss to be over £13 billion. Thousands of protesters in the Philippines have expressed their outrage over a corruption scandal involving fraudulent government-funded flood control projects. Some demonstrators clashed with police in Manila. pic.twitter.com/oMrVTALNbG— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 21, 2025 The anti-corruption rally that took place on Sunday in Manila was largely peaceful but the police said a group of protesters hurled rocks, bottles at the law enforcement officers, sprayed graffiti on the walls, toppled steel posts, and shattered glass panels. The assault injured about 70 Manila law enforcers and schools were canceled due to the violence. Philippine police in a statement said that after the arrests of about 50 people, the situation was “contained” but cautioned that violence and vandalism would not be tolerated. It wasn’t immediately known, as per the media reports, whether the Philippine President Marcos Jr. was present inside the Malacanang presidential palace during the chaos. Student activist Althea Trinidad said, “I feel bad that we wallow in poverty and we lose our homes, our lives and our future while they rake in a big fortune from our taxes that pay for their luxury cars, foreign trips and bigger corporate transactions,” AP reported. (with inputs from AP, The Guardian)
