With Super Typhoon Ragasa bearing down on the country, tens of thousands of Filipinos gathered in Metro Manila on September 21 to demand integrity in public office. According to ABS-CBN News, participants began arriving at dawn along EDSA, assembling at the People Power Monument for what organisers called the Trillion Peso March. The event brought together civic organisations, faith leaders, students and neighbourhood groups who urged authorities to pursue those accused of stealing public money.

Jean Enriquez, one of the convenors, said citizens wanted urgent measures including an independent body to examine infrastructure contracts and prosecutions within six months. Protesters carried banners and shouted slogans that called for the return of stolen funds and accountability for those responsible.

Public figures also addressed the rally. Reform advocate Chel Diokno criticised schemes that drained the treasury while congressman Percy Cendana warned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr that tolerance for broken promises was running out.

Clergy members celebrated an outdoor Mass, blending prayer and protest. Flood survivor Ana Borbe described how her community in Rizal continued to face annual inundation despite large sums earmarked for protection. She said promises alone would not stop the river from spilling into their homes.

The crowd represented many generations. Senior citizens held handmade signs under the midday sun while a local cycling group arrived to show support. After lunch, demonstrators moved towards the EDSA Shrine where Baguio mayor Benjamin Magalong and senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino voiced solidarity. Nearby, a separate meeting led by retired officers and civic personalities repeated the call for reform.

Scandal over flood-control projects

The protest grew from outrage over reports of massive losses in flood-control and drainage projects.

The Associated Press said that nearly 9,900 undertakings valued at more than PHP545bn ($9.5bn) since mid-2022 are under review for irregularities. The president, who described the findings as appalling during his annual address, authorised an investigation and accepted the resignation of his public works secretary.

Anger intensified after a wealthy couple linked to construction contracts showed off dozens of imported vehicles in media interviews, including a British model reportedly costing over PHP40mn. Witnesses before a Senate inquiry claimed that some legislators and officials demanded large commissions from project budgets. Lawmakers mentioned in reports denied any involvement.

Church leaders urged calm as the scandal unfolded. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David encouraged citizens to keep their protests peaceful and to strengthen democratic institutions. Student organiser Althea Trinidad told AP that people in flood-prone Bulacan lose homes and livelihoods while others grow rich from funds meant to protect vulnerable communities.

Disturbance and detentions

Elsewhere in Manila, unrest overshadowed an otherwise calm day. Around one hundred people armed with sticks and improvised signs clashed with police near Malacañang Palace, according to AP. Authorities arrested forty-nine suspects accused of blocking streets and throwing stones, bottles and firebombs at officers guarding the area.

The confrontation injured about seventy police officers and forced nearby schools to close. Rioters scrawled graffiti on walls, toppled barriers, smashed windows and forced their way into the lobby of a budget hotel where they looted property before retreating after dark. Some carried black flags with a skull and crossbones design. Police said they were still checking if any of those detained had joined the peaceful march earlier in the day. Officials declined to say whether the president was inside the palace during the incident.

Law enforcers later used tear gas to break up the group. Manila police issued a statement saying the situation had been contained and warned that attacks on property and personnel would face firm action.

Despite the violence near the presidential compound, most demonstrators acted peacefully and concentrated on their demand for transparent spending and justice for corruption.

Calls for lasting accountability

The series of protests showed one of the largest alliances against graft in recent times. From bishops and senators to farmers, urban poor residents and hobby cyclists, participants expressed impatience with scandals draining public resources.

Their shared appeal, conveyed through speeches, prayers and music, was for rigorous oversight, prompt prosecutions and an end to impunity. How the government responds in the months ahead will determine whether the Trillion Peso March becomes a watershed moment or simply another chapter in the Philippines’ long battle to stamp out the misuse of public money.

Recent demonstrations across Asia, including in Indonesia and Nepal, reveal mounting frustration at injustice in everyday life. Corruption, cronyism and entrenched oligarchies remain deeply woven into political and social structures. These protests stand as a warning to administrations throughout the region that the people’s voice cannot be silenced.