Manila, the capital of the Philippines, has just experienced a completely out-of-control "national anger". Outside the presidential palace, flames soared into the sky, and droves of protesters broke through the barricade and shouted "Recover trillions!"
And President Marcos, the leader who vowed to “make the Philippines great again,” “disappeared” at the most critical moment.In the meantime, more than 20 cities across the country were in chaos, and the whole country seemed to be in a political vacuum overnight.
This is not a movie scene, this is what really happened in the Philippines on September 21, 2025.
From Flood Prevention Project to Political Volcano: How has corruption dragged the country down?
To talk about the fuse of this storm, we have to start with a flood control project that seems to "benefit the country and the people". The original idea was to solve the headache of flooding in the typhoon season every year, but it turned out to be a gold-swallowing behemoth.
The government has allocated $18 billion, most of which is a “ghost project”: no dam is built, but the money is spent on cleaning up.
As soon as the investigation came out, the common people fried the pot. Think about it. Seeing that the front of your house is blistered every year, but the government takes taxpayers' money to buy luxury cars and build shell companies, anyone will be angry.
What's even more outrageous is that these contractors not only make up projects, but also collude with senior officials, making it seem that the state budget is their own ATM.
But it’s not just the question of “where is the money going?” the scandal completely reveals the old faults of the Philippine political system, the horizontal relationships and supervisory mechanisms are fake. President Marcos’ cousin, the chairman of the House of Representatives, has been involved and faced with investigative pressure.
And the anger of the people has long been no longer "disappointment" two words can be summarized.They are not the first time being dug, but this time, they do not want to endure anymore.
September 21: Angry memories, angry realities
The decision to initiate a national protest on September 21st is not a coincidence.This day has an iconic significance in the history of the Philippines: On this day in 1972, the old Marcos proclaimed a national struggle, which opened a prelude to the era of the Philippine dictatorship.
Now, decades later, the street where the old Marcos was overthrown, the EDSA Avenue, once again flooded. Some have highlighted the "People's Power 2.0" banner, and some have simply taken the children onto the streets, claiming "to let the next generation see what justice is."
The protests have evolved from peaceful rallies during the day to violent clashes late at night. Outdoors of the presidential palace are burning, bottles burning, stones flying, police water cannons and tear gas rolling up. 95 police officers have been wounded and civilians have been killed. Most alarming is that of the more than 200 people arrested, half are minors.
This is not an ordinary demonstration, but a cross-class, cross-generational cry of people, from students, churches, disadvantaged people to the middle class, all shouting together: Enough.
Where's the president? Crisis management is like a "broken kite"
At such a critical moment, the "disappearance" of President Marcos became the most sensitive topic in the country. Some say he has long left the presidential palace, some say he has observed the situation underground, but the official response has been ambiguous, instead of increasing the sense of distrust.
The government first announced the country's "red alert", the army cancelled holidays, and everyone was waiting. but this did not reassure the people, but instead reminded us of the history's "rule of law". Many people began to worry that Marcos would not follow in the wake of the old Marcos, turning the crisis into a tool of rule.
To calm the anger, Marcos set up the so-called “independent commission of inquiry”, handed over to former Supreme Court judge Andreas Reyes, and also froze a large number of bank accounts.
But the problem is that people have long disbelieved in "internal investigation". What they want is not a scapegoat, but an answer. Where did the money go and who should be responsible?
And the suspension of the flood prevention budget in 2026 and the shutdown of the project site, this "urgent braking" operation, although it is a gesture, the effect is limited.
An anti-corruption storm, tearing open the old wounds of the Philippines
This crisis is not a coincidence, it is a reminder of history.
Philippine politics has always had an endless "family story". From the Marcos family to the Aquinos, power passed around like a baton.
The ordinary people chose and chose, changed and changed, and the result was "change the soup without changing the medicine". so this time, it is no longer "to wait for the next election to be resolved", but to go directly to the streets to say.
This scene is almost the same as the "People's Power Revolution" in 1986. but this time, no foreign media stands on the side of applause, no "democratic freedom" slogan is on the table, only a simple cry of "return to public funds" and "shut down corrupt officers."
The international community has also begun to pay attention to the profound meaning behind this storm. China has reminded its citizens to pay attention to safety, while the US media frequently mentioned "the political instability in the Philippines".
The crisis is not only about the political future of a country, but it can also affect regional stability.The Philippines plays a delicate role in the South China Sea issue, with political turmoil and potentially affecting the nerves of the entire region.
The fire burns in the presidential palace, but it hurts in the hearts of the people.
What the Marcos government now faces is not only how to recover the residues, but also how to regain the confidence of the people.If this anti-corruption storm ends up being just “moving books, changing heads,” then the future of the Philippines will still be in the same dungeon.
The old building of the presidential palace is burning, but the real burning is a nation’s expectation of fairness, cleanliness and respect.
How to end, Marcos must give the answer. History won't wait for anyone, let alone the people.
Reference: The protests expose the failure of the Philippine government's governance and must be vigilant about its foreign affairs transfer contradictions
2025-09-24 16:24 · China Network