Black Friday protests held over 'corruption' in flood control projects

Students walked out of classrooms while activist groups mounted rallies on Metro Manila streets as part of mass actions dubbed as Black Friday protests condemning alleged corruption in anomalous flood control projects.

At the gate of the Senate in Pasay City, protesters hurled eggs at tarpaulin images of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, both of whom have been linked by a former Public Works engineer to the controversy. Both senators have denied the allegations.

Separate protest actions have been staged at the Diliman and Manila campuses of state-run University of the Philippines (UP), with students walking out of their classrooms in different colleges.

Student marchers threw mud at tarpaulin images of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who has formed an independent commission to investigate the flood control anomalies.

At the UP Manila campus, protesters marched beside a construction site of a college building and gathered in front of the Oblation statute to show their collective indignation.

The student protesters in both the Diliman and Manila campuses demanded accountability over the flood control controversy, while calling for additional funding for state education.

In a statement, the University of the Philippines expressed support for protest actions against alleged anomalies in flood control projects, saying the corruption issue has become a matter of "gravest concern" to the country.

"The University views with gravest concern the revelation of deep-seated and massive corruption plaguing the flood control projects in the country. We cannot stay neutral," UP President Angelo "Jijil" Jimenez said in the statement.

Earlier in the day, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was "fully prepared" to provide security for the Black Friday protests with over 2,000 cops ready to be deployed.

PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has said security plans were set in case protests hit major government establishments like what happened in Nepal and Indonesia. — VDV, GMA Integrated News