Tens of thousands rally in Manila over corruption scandal

Agencies:

Thousands gathered Sunday for the start of a three-day rally organized by a religious group in the Philippine capital to demand accountability over a flood-control corruption scandal that has implicated powerful members of Congress and top government officials.

It’s the latest show of outrage over accusations of widespread corruption in flood-control projects in one of the world’s most typhoon-prone countries, which has erupted in recent months following the discovery that thousands of flood defense projects across the country were made from substandard materials or simply did not exist.

Construction companies were accused of giving dozens of influential politicians and officials huge kickbacks in order to win lucrative contracts and avoid accountability for anomalies in the projects.

Police estimated that 27,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, or Church of Christ, gathered in Manila’s Rizal Park before noon, many wearing white and carrying anti-corruption placards, for the afternoon demonstration. Other groups were scheduled to hold a separate anti-corruption protest later Sunday at the “People Power” monument in suburban Quezon city.