Jamaine Punzalan

Students and youth groups walk out of classes as part of the Black Friday protest at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on Friday, September 12, 2025, to denounce alleged corruption in government projects. Protesters also demanded a higher education budget amid massive cuts and stalled infrastructure under the Marcos Jr. administration. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

ANTI CORRUTPION PROTEST02

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175790097929020250912-up-anti-corruption-walkout-MT29.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Students and youth groups walk out of classes as part of the Black Friday protest at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on Friday, September 12, 2025, to denounce alleged corruption in government projects. Protesters also demanded a higher education budget amid massive cuts and stalled infrastructure under the Marcos Jr. administration. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><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/IgTeZerkYqk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday supported the protests against the corrupt practices surrounding billions of pesos worth of flood control projects, underscoring that he too would have joined demonstrations if he was not the Philippines’ elected head of government.</div><p>Marcos defended the public’s ill sentiments against the government, saying that calls for rallies over alleged collusion between contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, lawmakers and other government workers to siphon taxpayers’ money from flood control projects are justified.</p><p>“To show that you are enraged, to show that you are angry, to show that you are disappointed, to show that you want justice, to show that you want fairness, what’s wrong with that?” Marcos Jr. said in a press conference in Malacañang.</p><p>“I want to show there is justice. I want to show that there is fairness. I want to hold these people accountable just like they do so I don’t blame them. I don’t blame them, not one bit,” he said.</p><p>“If I am not president, I may be out in the streets with them.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/12/up-students-rage-against-government-corruption-1415">UP students rage against government corruption</a></div><p>The President underscored that he was the one who made public the list of all flood control projects since he took office in 2022.</p><p>“You have to remember, I brought this up. It is my interest that we find the solution to what has become a very egregious problem,” said the Chief Executive, who first raised the flood control issue during his fourth State of the Nation Address.</p><p>“It has now been exposed to the general public. Do you blame them for going out in the street?” he said.</p><p>“Of course they are enraged, of course they are angry. I am angry. We should all be angry because what is happening is not right,” he said.</p><p>The President explicitly encouraged Filipinos to hold accountable those involved in the flood control mess after he was asked if his administration was concerned that public outrage over substandard and missing government projects could fuel violent demonstrations, similar to what happened in <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/14/indonesia-leader-in-damage-control-installs-loyalists-after-protests-1400">Indonesia</a> and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/14/new-nepal-pm-vows-to-follow-protesters-demands-to-end-corruption-1531">Nepal</a> earlier this month.</p><p>“So you come, you make your feelings known to these people, make them answerable for the wrongdoings that they have done,” he said.</p><p>“Ipaalam ninyo ang setimyento kung paano nila kayo sinaktan… sigawan ninyo. Lahat gawin ninyo to demonstrate, just keep it peaceful,” he said, noting that the Philippine National Police will have to intervene if activities disrupt peace and order in communities.</p><p>Marcos’ pronouncement marks the first time in decades that a sitting Philippine President encouraged the public to come out to the streets to call out government officials and their cohorts over allegations of corruption.</p><p>His statements come days after he created an Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) that is authorized to investigate flood control and other infrastructure projects in the last 10 years.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/marcos-picks-ex-justice-andres-reyes-as-head-of-independent-panel-probing-flood-control-mess-0903">Marcos picks ex-Justice Andres Reyes as head of independent panel probing flood control mess</a></div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTEsVR8_jRo" title="LIVE: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holds press briefing | September 15" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday supported the protests against the corrupt practices surrounding billions of pesos worth of flood control projects, underscoring that he too would have joined demonstrations if he was not the Philippines’ elected head of government.</p><div><br/></div><p>Marcos defended the public’s ill sentiments against the government, saying that calls for rallies over alleged collusion between contractors, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, lawmakers and other government workers to siphon taxpayers’ money from flood control projects are justified.</p><div><br/></div><p>“To show that you are enraged, to show that you are angry, to show that you are disappointed, to show that you want justice, to show that you want fairness, what’s wrong with that?” Marcos Jr. said in a press conference in Malacañang.</p><div><br/></div><p>“I want to show there is justice. I want to show that there is fairness. I want to hold these people accountable just like they do so I don’t blame them. I don’t blame them, not one bit,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><p>“If I am not president, I may be out in the streets with them.”</p><div><br/></div><p>The President underscored that he was the one who made public the list of all flood control projects since he took office in 2022.</p><div><br/></div><p>“You have to remember, I brought this up. It is my interest that we find the solution to what has become a very egregious problem,” said the Chief Executive, who first raised the flood control issue during his fourth State of the Nation Address.</p><div><br/></div><p>“It has now been exposed to the general public. Do you blame them for going out in the street?” he said.</p><div><br/></div><p>“Of course they are enraged, of course they are angry. I am angry. We should all be angry because what is happening is not right,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><p>The President explicitly encouraged Filipinos to hold accountable those involved in the flood control mess after he was asked if his administration was concerned that public outrage over substandard and missing government projects could fuel violent demonstrations, similar to what happened in Indonesia and Nepal earlier this month.</p><div><br/></div><p>“So you come, you make your feelings known to these people, make them answerable for the wrongdoings that they have done,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><p>“Ipaalam ninyo ang setimyento kung paano nila kayo sinaktan… sigawan ninyo. Lahat gawin ninyo to demonstrate, just keep it peaceful,” he said, noting that the Philippine National Police will have to intervene if activities disrupt peace and order in communities.</p><div><br/></div><p>Marcos’ pronouncement marks the first time in decades that a sitting Philippine President encouraged the public to come out to the streets to call out government officials and their cohorts over allegations of corruption.</p><div><br/></div><p>His statements come days after he created an Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) that is authorized to investigate flood control and other infrastructure projects in the last 10 years.</p><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday acknowledged the public rage fueling protests against alleged corruption in government, particularly in flood control projects.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday acknowledged the public rage fueling protests against alleged corruption in government, particularly in flood control projects.

‘Show that you are enraged’: Marcos backs mass protests vs flood control mess

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‘Show that you are enraged’: Marcos backs mass protests vs flood control mess

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 15, 2025 09:50 AM PHT

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Updated Sep 15, 2025 11:12 AM PHT

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Bongbong Marcos

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