Tens of thousands of Filipinos poured into the streets of Manila on Sunday, demanding the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as anger deepened over a widening corruption scandal involving billions of pesos allegedly siphoned from government flood-control projects.
The demonstration, organised by the People’s Movement Against Corruption (KBKK), began at Luneta National Park and surged toward the Malacañang presidential palace. Many protesters carried effigies of President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte—depicted as crocodiles—while others held placards reading “Marcos Resign” and “Hold All Corrupt Politicians Accountable”. Organisers estimated the crowd at more than 20,000 people.
Public outrage has intensified around what is now widely referred to as the “Trillion-Peso Scandal”, with politicians and contractors accused of pocketing billions meant for flood-control infrastructure that was either substandard or never built. Two deadly typhoons in recent weeks, which killed more than 250 people, have only heightened scrutiny of the alleged fraudulent spending.
Among the protesters was 21-year-old student Matt Wovi Villanueva, who said he had been arrested and beaten during a similar September protest. “They keep treating us like fools. If we want real justice, we need Marcos and Duterte to resign,” he told Al Jazeera. Vice President Duterte is separately facing allegations of mismanaging public funds.
A parallel rally, dubbed the “Trillion Peso March” and backed by the Catholic Church and mainstream opposition groups, drew about 5,000 people along EDSA Avenue. That group called primarily for Duterte’s resignation while seeking more evidence before taking a stance on Marcos.
Police deployed more than 12,000 officers across the capital and blocked all routes leading to the presidential palace with barbed wire and container vans. Protesters tore down their Marcos-Duterte effigy at the police barricades, chanting, “Jail all the corrupt!”
The scandal escalated after former lawmaker Zaldy Co—himself facing corruption allegations—claimed that Marcos received more than 50 billion pesos ($852m) in kickbacks since 2022 and instructed him to allocate an additional 100 billion pesos ($1.7bn) for “ghost projects” in the 2025 national budget. Co also alleged he delivered suitcases of cash worth 1 billion pesos ($17m) directly to the Marcos residence in 2024. Marcos has dismissed the accusations as fabricated, saying, “Anyone can go online and make all kinds of claims. For it to mean something, he should come home.”
Activist Raymond Palatino of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), one of the coalition groups behind the protest, said the president “bears undeniable responsibility”, arguing that Marcos approved and implemented the budget now under investigation. He criticised the heavy police presence as a “waste of public resources” and insisted both Marcos and Duterte must step aside to allow the nation to “heal and rebuild”.
Palatino also urged the formation of a civilian-led transition council to guide political reform after any resignation.
The presidential office, however, dismissed calls for Marcos to step down. Press officer Claire Castro described them as unconstitutional and driven by “vested interests”.
The controversy has already triggered cabinet resignations and multiple congressional investigations. Finance officials told lawmakers in September that up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2bn) may have been lost to corruption since 2023. Even Marcos’s cousin and key political ally, Martin Romualdez, has stepped down as House Speaker after being implicated, though he denies wrongdoing.
Despite forming an Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to probe the scandal, critics say the body has not shielded the president from suspicion. “The Marcos administration has been bleeding out its credibility,” said Professor Sol Iglesias of the University of the Philippines, adding that the public finds it increasingly difficult to believe the president is uninvolved. “We still haven’t seen the equivalent of a smoking gun, but it would stretch the imagination that his hands are clean,” she added.
As investigations continue, pressure on the Marcos government is growing—with tens of thousands back on the streets and many more demanding accountability for what could be one of the largest corruption scandals in Philippine history.
