9 h. ago ‘Chilling’ corruption over flood projects in Philippines fuels campus activism

A growing wave of anger in the Philippines over corruption-tainted flood control projects is spurring activism among university students and other Filipinos that observers say evokes the spirit of past political uprisings. At the University of the Philippines’ main campus in Quezon City, over 3,000 students and lecturers left their classrooms to rally on Friday against what they described as systemic corruption. The university has long been a cradle of student activism and political dissent. Its...

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34 h. ago Philippine defence, military chiefs slam call to dump Marcos as scandal flares

The Philippine defence and military chiefs rejected a call for the country’s armed forces to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to public outrage over allegations of massive corruption in flood control projects that have implicated several congressmen and public works officials and sparked pockets of street protests. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and military chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr issued a joint statement late on Friday expressing their...

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6 d. ago ‘Drowning in money’: Filipinos seethe over ‘stolen’ flood control funds

Mud splattered across gates. Walls daubed with “thief” and “corrupt”. In the Philippines, anger over the misuse of funds set aside for flood control projects has found its target: the properties of contractors accused of siphoning off billions and the offices of government agencies. After rallying outside the Department of Public Works and Highways and pelting it with waste water-filled balloons and rotten fruit on Thursday, protesters descended on the House of Representatives the day afterwards...

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1 week ago In too deep? Filipino couple under scrutiny in flood control scandal

As public furore mounts over the revelation of widespread corruption in flood control projects in the Philippines, few names have captured public attention more than Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and her husband Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya. The couple, once virtually unknown, emerged in the spotlight after Sarah Discaya ran against popular Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto in the May midterm elections – only to lose by a landslide. Her biography has since become a lightning rod for scrutiny. Born in London in...

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1 week ago Sinking fund: Philippines lost up to US$2 billion in 2 years to flood corruption

The Philippines loses up to 70 per cent of government funds for flood-control projects to corruption, with losses as much as US$2 billion crimping economic growth in the past two years, according to a top official. Average economic losses from corruption in flood control projects under the Public Works Department reached about 42.3 billion pesos (US$738 million) to 118.5 billion pesos from 2023 to 2025, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said at a Senate budget hearing on Tuesday. The estimate was...

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1 week ago Flood of anger: why Filipinos are turning to social media to expose corruption

As public scrutiny intensifies over anomalous flood control projects in the Philippines, Filipinos have turned to social media spaces such as Reddit to expose the lavish lifestyles of the children of the contractors and public officials linked to the ongoing investigations. Social media accounts and online communities have emerged over the past week, reuploading and collecting videos and posts of certain individuals flaunting their lavish lifestyles, from riding private jets and expensive...

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1 week ago Flood of anger: why Filipinos turn to social media to expose ‘nepo babies’

As public scrutiny intensifies over anomalous flood control projects in the Philippines, Filipinos have turned to social media spaces such as Reddit to expose the lavish lifestyles of the children of the contractors and public officials linked to the ongoing investigations. Social media accounts and online communities have emerged over the past week, reuploading and collecting videos and posts of certain individuals flaunting their lavish lifestyles, from riding private jets and expensive...

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2 w. ago Will lifestyle checks on Philippine agencies stem flood corruption?

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has ordered lifestyle checks on government officials as part of a sweeping review of flood control projects mired in allegations of corruption, but analysts warn the move risks being more symbolic than systemic. Presidential press officer Claire Castro confirmed the directive at a briefing on Wednesday, saying the checks would cover the entire executive branch, starting with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which oversees...

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3 w. ago Philippine president fumes over flood corruption, ‘economic sabotage’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has expressed anger over failed flood-control projects in the Philippines, as he warned of “economic sabotage” charges against “big” offenders to stem entrenched corruption in the infrastructure sector. “I’m not disappointed, I’m angry,” Marcos told local media after inspecting a barren site in Bulacan where a 55 million-peso (US$964,000) river wall was supposed to have been built. “They didn’t work for even a single day. Even if you see it for yourself, you won’t...

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