Overview
- Demonstrations led by Iglesia ni Cristo entered a second day on Monday and are scheduled to run through Tuesday, with police and military on full alert and large deployments across Manila.
- The outcry centers on revelations that thousands of flood-defense projects were substandard or never built, with testimony alleging kickbacks to lawmakers and public works officials.
- An independent commission formed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has filed graft and plunder complaints against 37 suspects, plus tax cases against 86 construction executives and nine officials.
- High-profile figures named in reports include Martin Romualdez, Chiz Escudero and Senator Bong Go, who deny wrongdoing, while a new kickback allegation against Marcos was publicly disputed by the administration.
- The scandal’s fallout includes softer third-quarter growth and weakened market sentiment, and public anger intensified after two recent typhoons killed at least 259 people.