Thousands protests across Philippines ahead of President Marcos' national speech - Khaleej Times

Source: OFFICIAL UAE NEWS · Khaleej Times

Thousands protests across Philippines ahead of President Marcos' national speech Before the main protest in Quezon City, police swooped down as the protesters were preparing to rally

• PUBLISHED: Mon 27 Jul 2026, 12:23 PM Tens of thousands of Filipinos flooded streets of Metro Manila and major cities across the Philippines before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his State of the Nation Address on Monday. A year after Marcos inadvertedly blew open the flood control corruption scandal in his address last year, the protesters condemned the lack of accountability by his government. Only a few rival politicians and contractors had been charged while his political allies have yet to be charged, activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. "The new cases filed against some politicians implicated in the flood control scam a few days before the fifth State of the Nation Address is a reminder about the slow pace and selective corruption investigations amid the clamor for accountability." Marcos is expected to mention the filing charges against some legislators, including former House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, his cousin. Marcos is using the vast powers of his office to shield himself from being held accountable as masterminds and principal beneficiaries of the widespread infrastructure corruption and anomalous budget insertions, Bayan said. Massive arrests Before the main protest in Quezon City, however, the police swooped down as the protesters were preparing. Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said 51 were arrested. He gave no reason for the violent arrests.Bayan said the arrests were arbitrary and sets a bad, dangerous precedent. "They conducted the arrest in the middle of the protest. Even police protocols and the law prohibits it," the group said. "They call it vandalism, our youth have every right to express protest through graffiti. The reported graffiti Meralco sindikato is message that reflects public outrage. We demand immediate release of the 51 young activists."