Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

BUSAN, South Korea — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said that he is concerned over “agitators” who may try to stir unrest during the fresh round of anti-corruption protests slated on November 30, urging troublemakers to spare peaceful demonstrations from their violence and ruckus.Marcos Jr. gave the statement in a press briefing in South Korea when asked if he is concerned that several groups are planning to protest anew against the government’s slow action against corrupt government officials and contractors.&quot;The only concern I have when we have demonstrations for whatever reason is that there are agitators who will go and try to cause trouble,” he said.<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/1/pasig-prosecutor-junks-police-rap-vs-activist-over-discaya-compound-protest-1216">Pasig prosecutor junks police rap vs activist over Discaya compound protest </a> </div>“What demonstrator goes to a demonstration with Molotov cocktails that are not intending to cause trouble or to hurt people? Those are the people that we are worried about,” he said. “Those are the people that we are watching out for. We have a good idea of who they are,” he said.Marcos Jr. called on the public to avoid violent actions during protests.“Tanggalin na ninyo sa isip ninyo yan. Manggugulo kayo. Wala namang mangyayari. May masasaktan lang. Nasasaktan pa yung mga kasama ninyo kuminsan,” he said. “‘Yung mga pulis, wala namang kinalaman yung pulis. They&#x27;re just there to control the crowd. They&#x27;re not there to hurt anyone. So that&#x27;s the only thing I worry about,” he said.<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/5/pnp-peaceful-protests-recognized-violators-will-be-arrested-1039">PNP: Peaceful protests recognized, violators will be arrested </a> </div>Rallies against the government are justified because “we know the reasons” for their dissatisfaction, the President said. “The reason is the outrage. What we have been slowly or not so slowly discovering about some of these projects that were egregious in implementation and shameless in, I don&#x27;t know what you want to call it, in dishonesty and abuse,” he said.“You know, those funds are supposed to go to people to feed people, to make their lives better? That all disappeared because they&#x27;re buying airplanes and buying big mansions kung saan saan,” he said, without naming any individual.“Of course they&#x27;ll be angry. Isipin mo, ang buhay nila ganyan, kami guto. How can you be happy?” Thousands of Filipinos trooped to streets on September 21 to call out the government over corrupt schemes surrounding flood control projects. While protests in Luneta and EDSA remained peaceful, protesters in Mendiola — a few meters away from Presidential Palace Malacañang — sparked violence with some protesters looting private establishments in the area. The police has launched a crackdown on these agitators, but were criticized for allegedly arresting and detaining random passersby to quell the unrest.<div> </div>

“What demonstrator goes to a demonstration with Molotov cocktails that are not intending to cause trouble or to hurt people? Those are the people that we are worried about,” he said.

“What demonstrator goes to a demonstration with Molotov cocktails that are not intending to cause trouble or to hurt people? Those are the people that we are worried about,” he said.

Marcos Jr. worried over ‘agitators’ during November 30 protests

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Marcos Jr. worried over ‘agitators’ during November 30 protests

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 01, 2025 11:30 PM PHT

|

Updated Nov 02, 2025 04:30 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

rally

corruption

flood control projects

demonstration

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