Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The scene was once as hot as a rock music festival. However, this time, instead of glow sticks, everyone's hands were stones and bottles, and the target was not idols on the stage, but dissatisfaction with those "ghost" projects and corruption scandals. The riot police armed themselves into turtle shells with shields, but they still couldn't stop the "throwing" enthusiasm of angry youths.
Dressed in symbolic black costumes, as if they were taking part in a grand Gothic meeting, the protesters threw stones and bottles at riot police, and even set fire to a steel container truck, which reflected the bridge leading to the presidential palace. The policemen held up their shields and dodged left and right, as if they were playing a live-action version of Angry Birds. According to reports, as of 8 o'clock that night, 49 protesters (including 13 minors) had been arrested for "violent acts" and at least 70 police officers had hung up. Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartates Jr., acting national police chief, said helplessly: "We try our best to maintain order, but some people obviously regard the protest as a garbage throwing competition."
The trigger for this riot? Billion-Dollar "Ghost" Infrastructure Projects! These projects either don't exist at all, or the records are poorly recorded. The flood control budget of 545 billion pesos has been exposed to a large amount of money flowing into the pockets of corrupt officials, and even contractors "copy and paste" cost statements, which can be called "Ctrl + C masters" in the financial world. The protesters were furious: Where did the money go? What about flood control projects? As a result, Manila becomes a "water city" when it rains heavily!
President Marcos Jr. tried to turn the tide as an "anti-corruption fighter". He publicly expressed his support for peaceful protests, and even boldly said, "If I weren't the president, I might have gone to the streets!" This sounds like adding drama to himself, but considering the "corruption legend" of his father Marcos Sr. (it is said that more than 10 billion dollars have been swept away), many people suspect that this is just a "family public relations show". After all, from exile in Hawaii to comeback, the Marcos family's political influence has returned to its peak, and it can be called "the immortal bird in politics".
More dramatically, Marco’s cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualds, has been replaced for corruption scandals, and two senators have also fallen into the scandal. Public Projects Minister directly resigned, the new minister suspended all local flood prevention projects and also called for all officials to “courteously resign” – an operation that smells like “all down the water, no one wants to be self-sufficient.”
Opposition congresswoman Leila de Lima stood in front of the peaceful protesters and impassioned: "This is the biggest corruption scandal in our history! We can't let it go!" She reminded everyone that this day coincided with the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of martial law by Marcos Sr., when his dictatorship plunged the Philippines into poverty, but his family was rich. Nowadays, history seems to be "rehearsal replay". De Lima warns that if the corruption problem is not solved, the Philippines may follow in the footsteps of Indonesia and Nepal and fall into larger turmoil.
Teddy Casino, a veteran activist, poked at the pain point: "Little Marcos wants to be an anti-corruption hero? Then return the family's stolen money first!" He predicted that this anti-corruption storm may eventually just be caught by "small fish", and the bosses will continue to be free.
In order to calm the public’s anger, Marcus set up a three-person commission to investigate corruption.The problem is that public trust has been wiped out by the “ghost project.”Business and civic groups have outraged the government, and protesters have demonstrated by action that they are not just trying to scream slogans, but are looking for real-life reforms.
This protest was not only Manila's "street party", but also a turning point in Philippine politics. Can the little Marcos escape the shadow of the family, or is it just another chapter of the "Marcos family series"?
For neighboring China, this street storm in Manila is not as simple as the show. Little Marcos has repaired his relationship with the United States in recent years, removed the route of former President Duterte's family, and frequently "show muscles" to Beijing on the South China Sea issue, receiving international support to fight China. This domestic corruption scandal has made him angry, and many analysts have warned that he could use the South China Sea dispute to shift his eyes and incite nationalist emotions to calm domestic discontent. After all, waving the "patriotic flag" has always been the usual tricks for politicians in the face of internal trouble. China should be careful: Manila's streets are angry, and may spark a bigger wave in the South China Sea.