Philippine protests: finger-pointing over violence, as hackers, political rivals blamed
The protests in Manila and across the Philippines on Sunday were triggered by anger over corruption linked to flood control projects
During demonstrations that stretched from Luneta Park in Manila to the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City, violent outbursts emerged in pockets of the capital, such as on the Ayala Bridge and Mendiola, where masked individuals torched a truck, set motorcycles on fire and pelted rocks and other improvised weapons in clashes with law enforcement officers.
Nearly 90,000 were estimated to have marched in nationwide protests on Sunday, as Filipinos expressed outrage at the trillions of pesos spent on “ghost” flood control projects and widespread corruption among contractors and public officials.
Along Recto Avenue in Manila, a motel lobby was ransacked after gunshots were heard, with protesters chasing after an allegedly armed man who had gone inside.
At the nearby Malacanang Palace, security tightened following reports of alleged plans to set fire to the compound that hosts the seat of government.
Over 200 people were arrested in the riots, with many of them minors.