Philippine President Marcos Calls for Peaceful Anti-Corruption Protests

**Manila, September 15 (AP)** - On Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the public to voice their discontent over rampant corruption affecting flood-control initiatives in one of Asia's most typhoon-vulnerable nations. He insisted, however, that any demonstrations remain peaceful. **Marcos** pledged that an independent commission’s investigation would hold accountable even his allies in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Some legislators have been implicated in televised congressional hearings, accused of taking substantial kickbacks alongside government engineers and construction firms. In July, Marcos initially addressed the corruption issue in his annual state of the nation speech. Unlike the recent, tumultuous protests in Nepal and Indonesia, demonstrations in the Philippines have been smaller and more subdued. Much of the outrage has surfaced online, with expressions of indignation from Catholic church leaders, business executives, and retired generals. A significant protest is planned for September 21 at a pro-democracy monument in Manila near upscale neighborhoods, where some suspected of corruption reside in opulence. Law enforcement and military personnel have been put on alert. "If I wasn't president, I might be out in the streets with them," said Marcos in reference to the anti-corruption demonstrators. **"Of course, they are enraged, of course, they are angry, I'm angry,"** Marcos commented, urging protesters to demand accountability. ** "Let them know your sentiments, let them know how they hurt you, how they stole from you, shout at them and do everything, demonstrate, just keep it peaceful."** However, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro cautioned over the weekend against individuals with intentions to destabilize the government taking advantage of public discontent. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and military chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. issued a joint statement on Friday night, rebutting calls for the military to withdraw support from Marcos due to public outrage over the scandal. While they did not provide further details, they emphasized that the 160,000-member military remains non-partisan, professional, and committed to "abide by the constitution through the chain-of-command." During a recent rally, a speaker called on the military to withdraw support from Marcos, advocating for a non-violent "people power" uprising similar to those that unseated his late father, Ferdinand Marcos, in 1986, and Joseph Estrada in 2001. The House of Representatives and the Senate are conducting separate televised investigations into alleged substandard and non-existent flood-control projects. Several legislators, senators, construction firms, and public works engineers have been accused of illicitly pocketing funds, which funded lavish lifestyles featuring mansions, luxury European cars, and extravagant casino gambling in a country still grappling with poverty. The Philippine government has allocated approximately 545 billion pesos (USD 9.6 billion) for thousands of flood mitigation projects over the past three years. Marcos indicated these projects are under government review to ascertain which are substandard or nonexistent, based on his recent inspections in flood-prone regions like Bulacan, a densely populated province north of Manila. (AP) GRS GRS GRS

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