CIVICUS speaks about anti-corruption protests started by Generation Z students in the Philippines with Raoul Manuel from Karapatan, a Philippine-based human rights alliance.
On 21 September, 52 years after Ferdinand Marcos Sr – former dictator and father of the current president – declared martial law, thousands of Filipinos took to the streets to protest against corruption in flood control projects. Thousands of projects were either substandard or never built, with contracts awarded to firms linked to powerful elites. In a country highly exposed to floods and other natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, failure to deliver vital infrastructure puts millions at risk. Protesters demanded accountability and the return of stolen public funds. Although protests were mostly peaceful, police arrested hundreds and one person was killed.
