Overview

• City officials estimated nearly 50,000 gathered at Manila’s Luneta Park with thousands more at EDSA, as largely peaceful rallies saw isolated clashes near routes to Malacañang.
• Police said 224 people were arrested and at least 131 officers were injured after groups hurled rocks, set fires and vandalised property; schools closed on Monday and a curfew for minors was imposed.
• President Ferdinand Marcos Jr earlier formed an independent commission, suspended new local flood-project bidding and oversaw freezes of hundreds of bank accounts tied to the schemes.
• The scandal has reshaped Congress leadership, with House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senate President Francis Escudero stepping down as inquiries advance.
• Alleged anomalies span 9,855 projects worth about 545 billion pesos, with the Finance Department estimating up to 118.5 billion pesos in losses as NGOs cite far higher figures and televised testimony by contractors fuels public anger.