Journalism of Courage
Days after Nepal witnessed its worst unrest in decades, after a campaign highlighting the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children and allegations of corruption took off on social media, another South-Asian nation is inching towards a similar online campaign.
For many residents in the Philippines, floods are a grim routine, but this year, rising waters have collided with swelling anger, turning streets into rivers and social media into a storm of outrage over corruption. In Apalit, near Manila, 36-year-old teacher Crissa Tolentino navigates her submerged neighbourhood by paddle boat daily — to work, to the clinic treating her cancer, to wherever she must go. “I feel betrayed,” she tells the BBC. “I work hard, I don’t spend too much and taxes are deducted from my salary every month. Then I learn that billions in our taxes are being enjoyed by corrupt politicians.”
Anger has spilled online, with Filipinos criticising lawmakers and contractors alleged to have pocketed funds meant for flood control. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr acknowledged the problem during a dam inspection, noting corruption had claimed 70 per cent of public funds allocated to flood management. “If I wasn’t president, I might be out on the streets with them,” he said. “Let them know how much they hurt you, how they stole from you. Let them know, shout at them, demonstrate — just make it peaceful.”
At the centre of the scandal is a family-owned business, run by Pacifico and Sarah Discaya, once celebrated for their rags-to-riches story. Videos of their dozens of luxury cars resurfaced after the floods, igniting public outrage. Discaya admitted to paying kickbacks to lawmakers, although the politicians denied wrongdoing. Social media campaigns have also targeted “nepo babies,” the children of officials flaunting extravagant lifestyles funded by taxpayers. Creators Against Corruption, a popular online collective, told the BBC: “We will be relentless. We will be loud. We will be a mirror held up to power, and we will not look away until justice is served.”
Meanwhile, daily life remains flooded. In Calumpit, Rhens Rafael Galang wades through streets inundated with up to five days’ worth of rain in a single hour. The 28-year-old researcher has turned his struggle into a viral TikTok business, selling overalls with sewn-in rain boots. “I’m angry and dismayed because money allocated for flood control projects in our province went to waste, to people who used it for their personal gain,” he said.
