(Bloomberg) — Rallies are set to take place across the Philippines on Sunday in protest at what organizers say is widespread corruption in government.
The demonstrations may potentially be the largest since reports in July of extensive corruption involving flood-control projects in one of the world’s most typhoon-hit countries. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said at the time that many of the projects were sources of kickbacks.
Marcos’ statement set in motion a government crackdown, and the president has created an independent body to determine how much was allegedly stolen from state coffers for flood-control projects. Earlier this month he said there’s no need to include the projects in the 2026 budget.
Hundreds of bank accounts tied to the programs have been frozen and Marcos’ cousin has stepped down as Speaker of the House of Representatives amid allegations that he may have been connected to the graft-ridden projects. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Around 30,000 are set to join a protest near the main highway, local media reported, citing its organizer. Various groups are also expected to converge on a public park in Manila and other parts of the Southeast Asian nation. The police have deployed more than 50,000 officers across the country to secure the rallies, with all personnel on full alert from Saturday.
The corruption allegations and the ensuing public uproar have not moved Philippine financial markets, which could change if the unrest intensifies or threatens the government. The peso has been largely steady against the dollar this month while Manila’s key stock index is up almost 2%.
The protests come at a time of growing unrest across the region. Demonstrations in Indonesia over perks for politicians quickly turned violent after the death of a 21-year-old delivery driver in Jakarta who was run over by a police vehicle last month. Nepal was hit by deadly protests last week, led mainly by teenagers and young adults, which forced the country’s top leadership to resign.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has called on the public to join the demonstrations, while stressing that the rule of law must prevail.
“Our purpose is not to destabilize, but to strengthen our democracy,” it said in a statement on Saturday.
The US embassy in Manila warned its citizens to avoid the Sunday demonstrations “due to the potential for violence.”
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