Around 650,000 Filipinos rally against flood-control corruption scandal

MANILA: Around 650,000 Filipinos launched a three day anti corruption rally at a major urban park here on Sunday, calling for transparency for a bett...

MANILA: Around 650,000 Filipinos launched a three-day anti-corruption rally at a major urban park here on Sunday, calling for "transparency for a better democracy" amid investigations into alleged multibillion-peso anomalies in flood-control projects.

The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said about 650,000 people gathered at the park by Sunday afternoon.

The rally demanded a thorough and transparent probe into the alleged irregular flood-control projects and accountability for officials, legislators and contractors accused of pocketing billions of pesos from real or fictitious projects.

Protester Junmar Ybanez decried the alleged misuse of public money exposed during Senate and House hearings. "I am tired of working and paying proper taxes while these officials are stealing funds," he told local media.