"Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos gathered Sunday in the capital in the largest rally so far to demand accountability for a flood-control corruption scandal that has implicated powerful members of Congress and top government officials. Various groups have protested in recent months following the discovery that thousands of flood defense projects across one of the world's most typhoon-prone countries were substandard, incomplete or simply did not exist."
"Government engineers, public works officials and construction company executives have testified under oath in hearings by the Senate and a fact-finding commission that members of Congress and officials at the Department of Public Works and Highways took kickbacks from construction companies to help them win lucrative contracts and avoid accountability. Most denied the allegations. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said about 320,000 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, or Church of Christ, led the start of the three-day rally in Manila's Rizal Park,"
Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos gathered in Manila for the largest rally to demand accountability over a flood-control corruption scandal implicating powerful lawmakers and top officials. Investigations revealed thousands of flood defense projects were substandard, incomplete, or nonexistent across a typhoon-prone country. Government engineers, public works officials, and construction executives testified that members of Congress and Department of Public Works and Highways officials took kickbacks to secure contracts and evade accountability; most accused denied the claims. About 320,000 Iglesia Ni Cristo members helped lead the three-day rally, while other groups, including retired generals, staged separate protests. Police and military forces were deployed amid security concerns due to prior violent clashes.
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