• Context: The multi-billion peso corruption scandal could have been used to fund healthcare facilities, education, and other basic social services. Instead of respecting people’s right to protest against corruption, the government responded with violence. 
  
• Human rights: Economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR), civil and political rights (CPR)
  
• Community impact: Failure to resolve corruption will result to further denial of people’s rights to essential services, exacerbated poverty, continuous cycle of impunity and violence, and weakening of democratic institutions.
  
• Rights-holder: Filipino people
  
• Duty-bearer: Philippine government, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Philippine National Police, Senate, Congress, Department of Public Works and Highways

An estimated P197 billion in flood control funds may have been lost annually to corruption based on the allocations from the 2023 to 2025 General Appropriations Act and a study of the Office of Senator Panfilo Lacson. Ibon Foundation reported that the funds could have been used to fund more than 56,000 hospital beds, 201,000 nurses, 63,000 doctors, and 15,000 barangay health stations. 

“Corruption under the regime of bureaucrat capitalism squanders public funds that could have gone to much-needed social services. It robs the poor of well-deserved infrastructure that could have boosted their economic activity and livelihoods,” IBON’s executive editor and research head Rosario Guzman wrote.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. initiated a website where people could report anomalous flood control projects. Only P540 billion in projects were reported over the P1.2 trillion budget for flood control during his administration.

The family of billionaire flood control couple Pacifico “Curlee” II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya bagged 345 projects worth P25.2 billion pesos, based on the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website. 

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism also revealed that representatives in the legislative chambers are linked to the contracting firms or have been accused of getting kickback. In fact, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Vice President Sara Duterte both received millions from some of the big flood control contractors in the 2022 elections. 

“Filipinos need flood control systems, as the country is already the climate-riskiest in the world due to the government’s systemic neglect,” Guzman added.

On average, more than 1,120 people die each year due to disasters in the Philippines and the annual disaster-related loss amounts to $954 million, according to the World Bank since 1980.

Beyond the flood control, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said that the failure of the Philippine government to hold the corrupt officials accountable led to degradation of quality of education and persistent classroom shortage. The Department of Education (DepEd) said that there are 165,000 classroom backlog in the country.

Due to these anomalies, the Filipino people took to the streets nationwide on September 21 to protest against the widespread corruption. In Manila alone, over 100,000 protesters participated. However, their right to express their grievances was marred with violence. Tensions escalated resulting to mass arrests, police brutality (disproportionate response), and even reports of torture, according to the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).

“Many were peaceful participants or mere bystanders. They consistently and categorically denied inflicting any violence or damage to property,” NUPL said in a statement. “Physical abuse and torture were widespread and systematic. One individual underwent surgery for a fractured jaw at Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital, while several others displayed clear signs of injury. Even children and minors were not spared, with several bearing bruises on their faces and bodies.”

At least 216 individuals were arrested, including 91 minors. Despite these, Secretary of Interior and Local Government Jonvic Remulla II said that there were no casualties and that the police followed “law and instructions” and “none of the protesters were seriously hurt, no tear gas was used by the Philippine National Police (PNP).”

However, Bulatlat’s coverage and footage showed that tear gas and water cannons were used by the PNP to disperse the protesters, aside from their violent arrest.

Amnesty International Philippines raised concerns about the response of the police, showing that they did not observe the principles of legality, necessity, and proportionality. The use of tear gas is disproportionate as it does not discriminate against its targets: civilian bystanders, protesters, and journalists are vulnerable to it.

“Victims of unlawful police use of force, including those who have been injured and family members of those who have been illegally detained and arrested, must receive full reparations from the Philippine government,” said Jepie Papa, acting director of Amnesty International Philippines

The victims of the protests have the right to communicate with their family, lawyers, and human rights organizations. Families should be given their visitation rights to the arrested individuals, especially minors. However, it has been noted by the NUPL that “families were pressured by police to coerce their children to admit to crimes they did not commit.”

Multi-sectoral formation Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said that police brutality in the anti-corruption protest is being covered up. “We demand accountability for the human rights abuses perpetrated by the police. Local and national officials should be held accountable too for  fabricating lies, imposing a news blackout, and possible tampering of evidence of police brutality.” (RTS, DAA)