Jaehwa Bernardo

(From left) Andrea Brillantes, Elijah Canlas and Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma joined protests on September 21, 2025 against alleged corruption in government-funded flood control projects in Metro Manila. Photos from Brillantes' TikTok, Tindig Pilipinas (Canlas) and Barcoma's Instagram

Article (news)

Celebrities join protests vs flood control corruption

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17584279800123-Composite (2) 1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">(From left) Andrea Brillantes, Elijah Canlas and Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma joined protests on September 21, 2025 against alleged corruption in government-funded flood control projects in Metro Manila. <em>Photos from Brillantes&#x27; TikTok, Tindig Pilipinas (Canlas) and Barcoma&#x27;s Instagram</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> — Celebrities lent their star power on Sunday as they joined mass protests across the Philippine capital demanding accountability for alleged corruption in public works projects.</p><p>Thousands of demonstrators gathered at key sites, including the People Power Monument along EDSA and Rizal Park in Manila, to express outrage against perceived corruption in flood control projects.</p><p>Among them was comedy superstar Vice Ganda, who delivered a fiery, impassioned speech at the People Power Monument during the Trillion Peso March.</p><p>In a expletive-laced speech, the &quot;It&#x27;s Showtime&quot; host called for the return of the death penalty for corrupt government officials and challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to jail those behind the anomalous projects.</p><p>&quot;Tapos na ang panahon ng mabait at resilient... &#x27;Di na uubra bait-baitan. Hindi ko babaitan mensahe ko — sa katunayan, mga hayop sila. Hindi natin kakalmahan dahil deserve nila ang galit, poot, at pikon,&quot; Vice Ganda said.</p><p>(The time for being kind and merely resilient is over… pretending to be nice won&#x27;t work anymore. I won&#x27;t soften my message—in fact, they are animals. We will not stay calm because they deserve our anger and outrage.)</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758450114092AngatBuhay.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ion Perez, Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Jackie Gonzaga, Donny Pangilinan, Jasmine Curtis and Darren Espanto with officials from Angat Buhay. <em>Photo from Angat Buhay&#x27;s Facebook page</em></span></span></span></div><p>Vice Ganda attended the protest with fellow Kapamilya stars Anne Curtis, Darren Espanto, Donny Pangilinan, Ion Perez and Jackie Gonzaga, along with Anne&#x27;s sister, Jasmine Curtis. Also spotted at the Trillion Peso March were Iza Calzado, Catriona Gray and Nadine Lustre.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/9/21/vice-ganda-calls-for-death-penalty-for-corrupt-officials-1723"><strong>READ: Vice Ganda calls for death penalty for corrupt officials<br/></strong></a></div><p>Ben&amp;Ben also performed at the EDSA rally.</p><p>Early in the day, Elijah Canlas graced the Trillion Peso March, where he called those involved in the alleged misuse of public funds the &quot;best actors.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Lahat tayo kumakayod, nagtatrabaho nang disente, halos magbuwis-buhay para makapagbayad lang ng buwis, tapos lahat ng pinaghihirapan natin ano nangyayari? Binubulsa lang,&quot; he told fellow protesters.</p><p>(All of us work hard, earn an honest living, and practically risk our lives just to pay taxes, then what happens to everything we&#x27;ve worked for? It just gets pocketed.)</p><p>Meanwhile, Director Joel Lamangan attended the &quot;Baha sa Luneta&quot; protest in Manila, where he also serves as the program&#x27;s director.</p><p>&quot;This [event] is very important so that those people concerned na nangungurakot ng pera ng bayan ay malaman nila na ang tao ay hindi natutulog at nagaglit na sa kanilang ginagawa,&quot; said Lamangan, who also appears in the primetime series &quot;FPJ&#x27;s Batang Quiapo.&quot;</p><p>(This [event] is very important so that those involved in stealing the people&#x27;s money will know that the public is not asleep and is angry at what they&#x27;re doing.)</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758450179944Maris.jfif" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Maris Racal. <em>Photo courtesy of Altermidya - People&#x27;s Alternative Media Network</em></span></span></span></div><p>Actresses Angel Aquino, Jodi Sta. Maria, Tessie Tomas, Maris Racal and Andrea Brillantes, along with Miss Philippines Earth Joy Barcoma, were also spotted at the Luneta protest.</p><p>Aquino said she had been fighting corruption since her student days at the University of the Philippines in Baguio, but added that things seem to have gotten worse.</p><p>&quot;Parang mas malala pa ang nangyayari, mas in our face nila ginagawa ang pagnanakaw nila yung paglulustay nila sa sa mga pera natin,&quot; Aquino said on stage at the protest.</p><p>(It seems things are even worse, their theft and squandering of our money is even more in our face)</p><p>&quot;Mas importante na bantayan natin ang kilos nila at panagutin natin sila,&quot; she said.</p><p>(It is more important to watch their next moves and to hold them accountable)</p><p>In Makati, Dingdong Dantes, Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles were among those who joined a protest run to denounce corruption.</p><p>Meanwhile, Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11 alum Jasmine Dudley-Scales marked the first anniversary of her exit from the reality show by using the platform to call for accountability over alleged anomalies in flood control projects.</p><p>&quot;Today is the first anniversary of getting out of PBB. I mark one year by using my voice,&quot; she said. &quot;As a breadwinner, it’s frustrating to see where billions [are going]. I’m fighting for people’s rights.&quot;</p><p>Internet personality Sassa Gurl also urged protesters to fight until justice is served, and stressing that the movement does not end with the &quot;Trillion Peso March.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Hindi ito ang huli, magkikita tayo hangga’t hindi binabalik ang pera,&quot; she said. &quot;Gutom tayo—fresh sila? Hindi puwede ’yan. Magalit tayo.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS</strong></div><p>Even stars who could not physically attend the protests expressed their solidarity with the cause through posts on their social media pages.</p><p>Angel Locsin broke her social media hiatus to speak up against corruption.</p><p>Locsin shared on her Instagram Stories a message of support for Filipinos &quot;fighting corruption,&quot; writing: &quot;May God give you more strength to keep going.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/9/21/angel-locsin-breaks-social-media-hiatus-speaks-up-vs-corruption-1618"><strong>READ: Angel Locsin breaks social media hiatus, speaks up vs corruption<br/></strong></a></div><p>Sarah Geronimo also called for justice against what she described as widespread theft of public funds.</p><p>For his part, Paulo Avelino, who was unable to attend the rallies, said he fully supported the calls for accountability and clean governance.</p><p>Kim Chiu, also posted an open letter to public servants, stressing how Filipinos suffer during every &quot;storm, flood and tragedy&quot; partly due to corruption.</p><p>On her Instagram Stories, Janine Gutierrez also shared a video from Akbayan Party-list, writing that although she was out of the country, she was &quot;standing in solidarity with everyone in Luneta, EDSA, and other rallies against corruption.&quot;</p><p>Several BINI members also took to X (formerly Twitter) to show their support for the protests.</p><p>&quot;Wala man kami r&#x27;yan, sabay tayong bumubuhos ng panawagan para sa tama at makatarungan,&quot; said Jhoanna, who leads BINI.</p><p>(Even though we&#x27;re not there, we join you in pouring out our call for what is right and just.)</p><p>On X, housemates from the recent &quot;Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition&quot; also expressed their solidarity with the rallies, including Mika Salamanca, Brent Manalo, Klarisse de Guzman, Bianca de Vera and Kira Balinger.</p><p>Apart from the capital region, various protests were staged in other parts of the country. <strong>— With reports from Jaehwa Bernardo, Anna Cerezo and Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TE_tOBbqJEE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ELMQfCakAw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yleMNu4mhrk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Celebrities lent their star power on Sunday as they joined mass protests across the Philippine capital demanding accountability for alleged corruption in public works projects.</p>

Celebrities lent their star power on Sunday as they joined mass protests across the Philippine capital demanding accountability for alleged corruption in public works projects.