Thousands protest corruption in Philippines as Church leads calls for accountability

Manila, Philippines, Dec 5, 2025 / 10:00 am

Over 90,000 people held a second nationwide protest over a corruption scandal involving infrastructure projects worth an estimated $2 billion on Nov. 30.

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 119 rallies were organized by the Catholic Church, civil society movements, and others and were attended by bishops, priests, nuns, seminarians, catechists, and students as well as the laity and politicians.

The day coincided with the birthday of Andrés Bonifacio (1863–1897), one of the Philippines’ national heroes, known as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution” for co-founding the movement that fought for independence from Spanish colonial rule.

More than 16,000 people protested at the EDSA People Power Monument in Manila. About 17,000 police officers were deployed to maintain security, according to official sources.

The first protest — also known as the Trillion Peso March — was held on Sept. 21 and was attended by hundreds of thousands.

Protecting democracy

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, led Mass at the EDSA People Power Monument — a shrine commemorating the 1986 People Power Revolution that peacefully toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The site, located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Metro Manila, also witnessed mass protests that ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2001.

“We returned to EDSA because this place holds the memory of peaceful courage. Here, our people once stood unarmed yet unafraid, choosing moral clarity over fear,” David said.

“Today, as our country confronts wounds inflicted by greed and impunity, we come again — not to tear down, but to call our leaders and ourselves back to the path of truth. The democracy restored by the EDSA People Power Revolution may be flawed, unfinished, and fragile, yet it is the only soil where genuine change can take root. And so, we gather to protect it — not through force, but through fidelity,” he added.

Marcos Sr. was the father of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has acknowledged public distrust and anger about corruption.

The country lost 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) from 2023 to 2025 due to corruption in flood control projects, according to the Department of Finance.

David, who also serves as bishop of Kalookan, a diocese in Metro Manila, was impressed by “the sight of countless communities mirroring this gathering across the archipelago. Parishes, civic groups, families, and young people stood under their own skies, offering their own prayers and witness.”

According to him, the protest was “as though the whole nation exhaled in unison — a collective longing to heal what has been broken, a gentle but firm refusal to surrender our future to the darkness of corruption. There was no hatred in the air, only resolve. No violence, only vigilance. No despair, only the quiet bravery of those who still believe.”

The cardinal said the country remains committed to truth, to justice, to the poor, and to each other.

“EDSA is not a relic. It is a living vow. And today, once again, we renewed it,” he added.

In his homily, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao reminded Filipinos not to tolerate corruption but to hold accountable government officials who should be promoting the country’s development.

“We will not be complacent; we will not tire of calling for justice and the return of stolen funds and punishment of the guilty. We will continue to be patient and watchful and call for accountability and transparency and, eventually, justice,” he added.

Dozens of dioceses held anti-corruption protests led by the Catholic Church.

Father Flavie Villanueva, a social activist and human rights defender, said those responsible for anomalous flood control projects must be held accountable and punished for stealing public funds.

Several senators and House of Representatives members, government officials, contractors, and others have been implicated in corruption-tainted projects.

Father Robert Reyes, a priest who helped organize the Manila rally, told CNA that there could be additional protests in the coming months until the government takes responsibility for “ghost” and substandard flood control projects in the Catholic-majority nation.

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“People have the right to demand accountability and responsibility from the government,” he added.