(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (KUNA) -- Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Manila, the Philippines on Monday for the second day in a row, demanding accountability for alleged corruption in flood control projects.
The Philippine Star reported that the three-day demonstration, organized by a church group, was calling for accountability for a major corruption scandal involving flood control projects and implicating influential members of Congress and senior government officials.
The protests, which began on Sunday with more than 600,000 participants, are scheduled to continue until Tuesday, and are being organized by Iglesia ni Cristo, a church with nearly two million members known for its collective voting and ability to mobilize its members nationwide.
Many protesters expressed frustration with what they described as ineffective investigations into the irregularities plaguing major infrastructure projects, demanding that the government conduct an honest investigation and not cover up for those involved.
The scandal has widened since Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos revealed last August the results of an internal audit of flood control projects, which uncovered alarming irregularities involving officials in the Department of Public Works, executives at major construction companies, and members of parliament who are believed to have amassed fortunes from substandard or entirely fictitious projects.
Last week, Marcos announced the formation of a commission to investigate allegations of corruption in infrastructure projects, particularly flood control facilities, and emphasized that this campaign is part of a broader push for accountability and transparency, vowing to imprison those involved in corrupt projects "before Christmas."
He added that the independent fact-finding commission has already filed criminal complaints of corruption and embezzlement against approximately 37 individuals and has also filed lawsuits against 86 construction company executives and nine government officials for allegedly evading nearly PHP nine billion (approx. USD 154 million) in taxes.
This scandal has negatively impacted investor confidence in the Philippines, with some analysts believing it contributed to the economic slowdown to its lowest level in four years during the third quarter of this year, a consequence of reduced public spending.
Flood control remains a sensitive issue in the Philippines, which is struck by deadly typhoons annually, two typhoons this month alone have claimed the lives of at least 259 people, mostly due to flooding and landslides, while millions more have been displaced. (end)
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