Overview

• Municipal estimates put the morning crowd at roughly 50,000 in Luneta Park, with additional rallies later on a central Manila avenue known for past mass demonstrations.
• Riot police used water cannon during clashes with groups of masked youths who threw stones, and police reported 72 arrests, including 20 minors, with at least 39 officers injured.
• The corruption scandal over non-existent or substandard flood works has already led to the ouster of the Senate president and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the president.
• Owners of a construction company have alleged cash payoffs to nearly 30 lawmakers and DPWH officials, while Public Works Minister Vince Dizon called a Bulacan dike a “ghost project” and said its 100 million pesos were stolen, with an engineer and two others fired.
• Financial damage estimates vary widely, with the Finance Ministry citing 118.5 billion pesos since 2023 and Greenpeace asserting a far higher total near 15.3 billion euros.