Malacañang on Thursday called for sobriety after flood victims and various groups staged a protest outside the Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction in Pasig City, throwing mud and spray-painting the word “magnanakaw” (thief) on the property’s gate in apparent retaliation to alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto likewise called for calm saying that he understands the anger and frustration of the people. “But let’s not resort to violence or acts that could potentially lead to violence or injuries,” he said.
Meanwhile, members of militant youth groups Anakbayan and Kabataan marched to the head office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Manila to air their grievances against rampant corruption involving the embattled agency.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not want public anger to escalate into unrest similar to protests in Indonesia that led to looting.
“The President is following due process. The ongoing investigations into flood control projects are being carried out for the benefit of the people,” Castro said in a press briefing.
“He does not want unrest to happen because of misinformation being used to inflame the anger of Filipinos,” she added.
Castro also said Marcos has directed concerned government agencies and law enforcement authorities to ensure that protests remain peaceful and do not spiral into violence.
“We don’t want to have chaos just because there is misinformation. Because this is allegedly being used to further inflame the anger of Filipinos. That is not what the President wants,” Castro stressed.
“It is not the corrupt people who will be hurt once the gate gives in or hit by the rocks. I worry about the security guards, the workers, and the rallyists themselves,” Sotto stated in his social media post.
The mayor also said the public should not feel hopeless as “the momentum (of justice) is on the right side now.”
The protesters, including young activists from the University of Santo Tomas, demanded accountability from everyone who conspired to plunder government funds intended for infrastructure projects and public services.
One activist said they were holding the demonstration to express anger against impunity of corruption which allowed greedy construction companies to corner multibillion -peso contracts only to deliver ‘ghost’ or substandard flood control projects that the Filipino people do not deserve.
The DPWH found itself at the center of one of the worst corruption scandals in Philippine history after President Marcos exposed 15 construction companies cornered several flood control projects, but did not deliver the desired results. Pot Chavez and Itchie Cabayan
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Palace urges calm after protest at Discaya compound in Pasig”
