Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Philippine capital on Sunday in one of the largest protests since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was elected. The demonstrators demanded his immediate resignation. The protest was organized by a coalition called Kilusang Bayan Kontra-Kurapok (KBKK). A massive crowd marched from a national park toward the presidential palace. The public is increasingly angry about a major corruption scandal involving billions of dollars for infrastructure projects. The recent impact of powerful typhoons has also fueled this anger.
This rally shows that public feeling is growing stronger. It follows a previous protest in September that ended in violent clashes with police. Organizers estimated that more than 20,000 people joined the march, representing a wide mix of society all calling for government accountability. The event was mostly peaceful but full of powerful symbols. People paraded large puppets of the president and vice president depicted as crocodiles, a clear accusation of greed. They also carried signs with direct messages calling for the leaders to be removed from power.
The protest centers on what is being called the "Trillion-Peso" scandal. The controversy involves claims that powerful politicians took large bribes to approve contracts for flood-control projects. These projects were reportedly either badly built or never finished, leaving towns unprotected. The scandal has already caused a political shock, leading to the resignation of two cabinet ministers. However, protesters say this is not enough and argue that responsibility goes all the way to the top.
A key allegation that has driven public outrage came from a former lawmaker, Zaldy Co. He has stated publicly that President Marcos personally told him to add "$1.7bn to the budget for ‘dubious public works’." The government strongly denies this claim, but it suggests the president was directly involved in misusing public money. For many citizens, this changes the story from one of general government corruption to one where the leadership itself is involved.
The recent natural disasters have made the scandal feel very real and urgent. The country was recently hit by two powerful typhoons that killed more than 250 people and caused widespread damage. Many citizens and civic groups argue that the failure of the flood-control systems, which are part of the scandal, made the destruction much worse. This has turned the alleged corruption from a financial crime into a serious matter of public safety.
For participants like 21-year-old student Matt Wovi Villanueva, the protest is a necessary stand against a broken system. The involvement of young people shows a generational unhappiness with political families and repeated corruption. The Marcos administration now faces a major challenge in managing the political damage. The government must handle not only the official investigations but also the court of public opinion, where people are losing patience. The continuing and growing public anger suggests this protest movement could be a sign of a deeper and longer political conflict ahead.