Manila, Philippines - Members of teh Roman Catholic Church joined widespread protests in the Philippines on Sunday, escalating pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to swiftly prosecute those implicated in a massive corruption scandal involving flood control projects. The demonstrations reflect growing public outrage over alleged embezzlement of billions of pesos and a demand for accountability reaching the highest levels of government.
The involvement of the Church, a significant moral and political force in the predominantly Catholic nation, adds a new dimension to the unfolding crisis. Rev. Flavie Villanueva, a catholic priest who has long advocated for families affected by the previous administration’s drug war, voiced a stark condemnation of the corruption, stating, “But, most importantly, against God.” His participation underscores the depth of concern within religious circles regarding the alleged misuse of public funds.
President Marcos frist raised concerns about anomalies in flood control projects during his State of the nation address in July. Since than, at least seven public works officers have been jailed on charges related to the illegal use of public funds in connection with a single flood control project. Authorities have frozen approximately 12 billion pesos ($206 million) in assets linked to suspects.
the protests center on allegations that powerful senators, members of Congress, and construction executives diverted funds intended for vital infrastructure.Protesters are demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those implicated, as well as the recovery of stolen funds allegedly used to finance lavish lifestyles. Henry Alcantara,a former government engineer,recently returned 110 million pesos ($1.9 million) in kickbacks and pledged to return more.
Marcos has vowed that many of the at least 37 individuals implicated in the scandal will be in jail by Christmas. The ongoing inquiry and subsequent prosecutions are being closely watched as a test of marcos’ commitment to tackling corruption, a persistent problem in the Philippines.