Thousands in Philippines protest corruption and demand return of stolen funds from flood projects

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators including from the Roman Catholic church clergy protested in the Philippines on Sunday, calling for the swift prosecution of top legislators and officials implicated in a corruption scandal that has buffeted the Asian democracy.

Left-wing groups led a separate protest in Manila’s main park with a blunt demand for all implicated government officials to immediately resign and face prosecution.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been scrambling to quell public outrage over the massive corruption blamed for substandard, defective or non-existent flood control projects across an archipelago long prone to deadly flooding and extreme weather in tropical Asia.

More than 17,000 police officers were deployed in metropolitan Manila to secure the separate protests. The Malacanang presidential palace complex in Manila was in a security lockdown with key access roads and bridges blocked by anti-riot police forces, trucks and barbed wire railings.

In a deeply divided democracy where two presidents have been separately overthrown in the last 39 years partly over allegations of plunder, there have been isolated calls for the military to withdraw support from the Marcos administration.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has steadfastly rejected such calls and welcomed on Sunday a statement signed by at least 88 mostly retired generals, including three military chiefs of staff, who said they “strongly condemn and reject any call for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to engage in unconstitutional acts or military adventurism.”

“The unified voice of our retired and active leaders reaffirms that the Armed Forces of the Philippines remains a pillar of stability and a steadfast guardian of democracy,” the military said in a statement.

Roman Catholic churches across the country helped lead Sunday’s anti-corruption protests in their districts, with the main daylong rally being held at a pro-democracy “people power” monument along EDSA highway in the capital region. Police said about 5,000 demonstrators mostly wearing white joined before noon.

They demanded that members of Congress, officials and construction company owners behind thousands of anomalous flood control projects in recent years be imprisoned and ordered to return the government funds they stole. A protester wore a shirt with a blunt message: “No mercy for the greedy.”

“If money is stolen, that’s a crime, but if dignity and lives are taken away, these are sins against fellow human beings, against the country but, most importantly, against God,” said the Rev. Flavie Villanueva, a Catholic priest, who has helped many families of impoverished drug suspects killed under former President Rodrigo Duterte's crackdowns.

“Jail all the corrupt and jail all the killers," Villanueva told the crowd of protesters.

Since Marcos first raised alarm over the flood control anomalies in his state of the nation address before Congress in July, at least seven public works officers have been jailed for illegal use of public funds and other graft charges in one flood control project anomaly alone. Executives of Sunwest Corp., a construction firm involved in the project, were being sought.

On Friday, Henry Alcantara, a former government engineer who has acknowledged under oath in Senate inquiry hearings his involvement in the anomalies, returned 110 million pesos ($1.9 million) in kickbacks that justice officials said he stole and promised to return more in a few weeks.

About 12 billion pesos ($206 million) worth of assets of suspects in flood control anomalies have been frozen by authorities, Marcos said.

Marcos has pledged that many of at least 37 powerful senators, members of Congress and wealthy construction executives implicated in the corruption scandal would be in jail by Christmas.

Protesters in Sunday’s rallies said many more officials, including implicated senators and House of Representatives members, should be jailed sooner and ordered to return the funds they stole and used to finance fleets of private jets and luxury cars, mansions and extravagant lifestyles.

Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report.

Protesters are blocked as they tried to march towards the Malacanang presidential palace during an anti-corruption rally in Manila, Philippines on, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Protesters destroy an effigy of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during an anti-corruption rally in Manila, Philippines on, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Protesters sing the national anthem with the effigy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., seen at rear, during anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A protester wearing a crocodile mask, takes part in an anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Protesters shout slogans during an anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Protesters take part in an anti-corruption protest in front of the effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte, in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Protesters shout slogans during anti-corruption protest in Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Lens was overwhelmed by northern rival Lille 3-0 and lost ground in the Ligue 1 title race after the Derby du Nord was briefly interrupted because of discriminatory chanting on Saturday.

A day after Paris Saint-Germain increased its lead to four points by beating Toulouse 3-1, Lens endured an off night. PSG is in an ideal position to retain its league title as it has a game in hand over second-placed Lens going into the final rounds.

The game was halted in the 35th minute and the announcer at Stade Pierre-Mauroy urged the Lille fans to stop the insults hurled at their opponents. The referee threatened to take the players back to the dressing room.

After the game resumed, Matias Fernandez-Pardo delivered an assist and scored to guide his team to third place, nine points behind Lens.

Hákon Haraldsson put the host ahead just before the interval, finishing a swift move sparked by a long, precise pass from Lille captain Aïssa Mandi. Fernandez-Pardo burst down the left flank then slipped the ball between two defenders and found the unmarked Haraldsson at the far post.

An embarrassing mix-up led to Lille's second goal. Matthieu Udol's poor back pass was intercepted by Felix Correia after Nidal Celik let the ball run. The Portuguese winger was quicker to the ball than goalkeeper Robin Risser and scored in an empty net in the 50th.

Lens later was awarded a penalty after Ismaëlo Ganiou handled the ball in the box. Fernandez-Pardo wrongfooted Risser from the spot to put the Derby du Nord firmly beyond Lens.

Without its top striker, Strasbourg extended its unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 matches with a 3-1 win over Nice.

Joaquín Panichelli tore his right ACL while training with Argentina last week and underwent surgery on Thursday. He will miss the World Cup and maybe the start of next season, too. Panichelli leads the French league with 16 goals.

In his absence, winger Martial Godo and Samir El-Mourabet delighted the home fans to keep eighth-placed Strasbourg in contention for a European spot.

Godo hit the crossbar after 24 minutes and broke the deadlock soon after with another header into the far corner. They went into halftime 3-0 ahead after scores from midfielders Julio Enciso and El-Mourabet, the latter striking a beautiful half-volley from outside the box.

After dribbling past the Nice goalkeeper to make it 2-0, Enciso put on a jersey emblazoned with the name Panichelli before celebrating his goal in front of the Strasbourg fans.

More good news for Strasbourg was the sight of captain Emanuel Emegha, who will join Chelsea next season, returning from a four-month injury layoff when he went on in the 77th.

Defender Antoine Mendy pulled one back in the 82nd for Nice, which slumped to a 15th defeat. Strasbourg and Nice will face off again in the French Cup semifinals on April 22.

Rennes won a spectacular encounter at Brest 4-3. Esteban Lepaul scored twice from the penalty spot including the winner.

The visitors came from behind after Junior Dina Ebimbe also had a brace for Brest.

Lepaul netted the winner from the spot in the 74th. Goalkeeper Grégoire Coudert dived the right way but couldn't get enough touch to stop the strike.

Rennes rose to sixth place, just three points behind Lille.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Lens' Adrien Thomasson, left, and Lille's Aissa Mandi, down, challenge for the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Lille's Felix Correia celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi, left, and Lens' Jonathan Gradit challenge for the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Lille's Olivier Giroud celebrates at the end of the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Lille's Matias Fernandez-Pardo celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)