"Dubbed the Trillion Peso March, the demonstration is named after a Greenpeace estimate of $17.6bn that the environmental organisation alleges is the amount skimmed from climate-related projects in 2023. The 21 September demonstration holds symbolic historical significance, coinciding with the anniversary of the same day in 1972 when then-leader Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law. It was a massive people-power movement that ultimately toppled the decades-long reign of Marcos, who was forced to flee the country in 1989 amid widespread public discontent and allegations of rampant corruption."
"The current president, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr, the son of the former leader, has sought to placate angry Filipinos, saying that he supports the protests. Do you blame them for going out on the streets? he told reporters at a press conference this week. If I weren't president, I might be out in the streets with them. Of course, they are enraged. They are angry, I'm angry. We should all be angry, because what is happening is not right."
"Civil society and church organisations are among groups that have called for the joint demonstrations, which have parallels with outrage over alleged government corruption and privilege across the region. A gen Z-led protest movement toppled the government of Nepal this month, while a series of demonstrations also erupted in Indonesia, sparked by privileges afforded to lawmakers, which the government has since been forced to retract."
Thousands of people will join a mass protest in Manila to denounce perceived corruption in government-funded flood control and climate-related projects. Greenpeace estimates $17.6bn was skimmed from climate-related projects in 2023, prompting the 'Trillion Peso March' on 21 September. The date coincides with the 1972 declaration of martial law by Ferdinand Marcos, a historically significant anniversary tied to mass protests that toppled the regime. President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr publicly expressed sympathy for protesters and acknowledged public anger. Civil society and church groups organized the demonstrations. Regional youth-led protests over political privilege and corruption have prompted policy reversals in neighboring countries.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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