The September 21 rallies

Filipinos took to the streets on Sunday, September 21, to protest the widespread corruption in government, in particular the theft and mismanagement of possibly trillions of pesos for flood control projects, many of which have either failed to materialize or resulted in subpar structures that did little to stop deadly deluges across the country for years.

The two main rallies for the day were held in Manila and on EDSA in Quezon City.

The former, called the Baha sa Luneta: Aksyon Laban sa Korapsyon event, coalesced at Rizal Park in Manila and marched to Mendiola.

The latter, named The Trillion Peso March, gathered at the EDSA Shrine on the corner of Ortigas Avenue and EDSA in Quezon City and marched to the EDSA People Power Monument.

While the EDSA march was a peaceful one, violence erupted at Mendiola, where masked youths in black hurled stones and reportedly even Molotov cocktails at anti-riot policemen at the Ayala and Mendiola areas near Malacañang. Among those hurt by the projectiles were Super Radyo dzBB correspondent Manny Vargas and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) president Renato Reyes.

Heavy rain also hit the protests, but the demonstrators were undeterred, as umbrellas and raincoats came out though many also allowed themselves to be drenched in the downpour. 

The protests are the result of the controversies surrounding the flood control projects in which DPWH officials, contractors, and lawmakers have been implicated over the last several weeks. The investigations into the matter are ongoing. — BM, GMA Integrated News