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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/17/manila-philippines-corruption-protest-flood-funds>
"From a skyscraper in downtown Manila, a sea of white spreads out below,
covering the vast green lawns of Rizal Park and expanding down arterial roads
and sidestreets. It is formed of more than half a million people, clad in
matching white T-shirts, the slogan “transparency for a better democracy”
emblazoned on their chests.
An estimated 650,000 of them have flooded the centre of Manila to protest, amid
fury over a spiralling corruption scandal in which billions of dollars in flood
mitigation funds have evaporated. Organised by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), a
powerful sect in the Philippines, the three-day rally has shut down schools,
roads and offices. Many of those protesting have camped out all night on the
park’s lawns, sleeping in tents or beneath tarpaulins and umbrellas. Families
have journeyed from across the country to set up camp, some equipped with
portable stoves and rice cookers, others pushing elderly family members in
wheelchairs, many of them bearing placards saying “expose the deeds”.
“We are Filipino … that’s why we’re here. We have decided to unite as one
people to try to make our government better, because there is so much
corruption. Our money is being taken but the projects are never completed,”
says Edward, 20, who has come from Batangas, a province about two hours away.
“There are so many floods. And when the floods come, there are so many issues.”
The focus of the fury is on company owners, government officials and parliament
members accused of pocketing billions in funds for substandard or nonexistent
flood protection projects. Since the scandal began, the country’s economic
planning minister has said up to 70% of public funds allotted for flood control
may have been lost to corruption; some senators have estimated 50%. Government
investigators have discovered more than 400 “ghost” flood protection projects
that were reported to have been completed but turned out to be nonexistent.
Thousands protest in the Philippines over disappeared flood defence funds –
video
The absence of those protections is felt keenly in the Philippines, where
hundreds of people have died in typhoon-related flooding over the past month.
More than 20 typhoons have hit the country’s territory this year, and extreme
weather increasingly derails daily life. As the rally formed on Sunday,
authorities and families were still searching for those missing from Typhoon
Kalmaegi, which ripped through the country in early November, killing at least
269. The 100 or so still missing are likely to also have been killed. Days
after Kalgaemi blew through, Typhoon Fung-wong arrived, causing more
devastating floods, displacing 1.4 million people and killing another 28."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
