Frustrations over unresolved issues in society—daily commuting struggles, high prices of goods, and perennial flooding—have seemingly left most Filipinos in the lurch.
It is as if the persistent flooding that has plagued different parts of the country in recent months has been instrumental in exposing the insatiable greed for wealth among those in government. The issue of solving flooding has unleashed a Pandora’s box: recent hearings revealed how government officials and contractors acquired unimaginable wealth and lived ostentatious lifestyles to the detriment of millions of Filipinos.
Outraged, tens of thousands of Filipinos took to the streets on Sunday, September 21 to condemn massive corruption in government.
Pockets of rallies were organized in different regions with one call—to hold accountable those involved in corrupt practices. The protests, which coincide with the 53rd anniversary of Martial Law, calls for accountability over alleged multi-trillion-peso corruption in anomalous flood-control and infrastructure projects.
In Metro Manila, two major protests—Baha sa Luneta and the Trillion Peso March—gathered citizens from all walks of life, united by the vision of a better Philippines free from plunder.