Mon Sep 22 08:06:23 UTC 2025: ## Manila Reels After Violent Clashes Erupt at Anti-Corruption Protests

**Manila, Philippines** – Manila is grappling with the aftermath of violent clashes that erupted on Sunday during anti-corruption protests, leaving over 200 people arrested and more than 130 police officers injured. Thousands of Filipinos had taken to the streets to express their outrage over a corruption scandal involving “ghost” flood control projects, estimated to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

While a significant portion of the demonstrations, with over 33,000 participants gathering at a historic park and democracy monument, remained peaceful, confrontations broke out in other areas of the city. Police reported that protesters in the Ayala Bridge and Mendiola areas turned violent, assaulting officers with stones and other projectiles, setting motorcycles ablaze, and vandalizing a business establishment.

“Protesters turned mobs assaulted police officers with stones and anything they could get their hands on…violent protesters set motorcycles on fire, vandalised and ransacked a business establishment,” a police statement read.

Regional police confirmed the arrest of 224 suspects, some of whom are minors, and reported that at least 131 officers sustained injuries, some serious, requiring medical treatment. Police also stated that tear gas was deployed to disperse groups vandalizing property, including spraying graffiti, toppling steel posts, and ransacking the lobby of a budget inn.

Major Hazel Asilo, regional police spokesperson, told AFP that those arrested have not yet revealed their motivations or affiliations. “As soon as we know their affiliations, we can know if they were part of the protesters or if they were just causing trouble,” Asilo added.

The protests come amid growing anger over alleged corruption in the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself uncovered the “ghost” flood control projects, sparking further public outrage. The Department of Finance estimates the Philippine economy will lose up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) between 2023 and 2025 due to corruption in these projects.

“I feel bad that we wallow in poverty and we lose our homes, our lives and our future while they rake in a big fortune from our taxes that pay for their luxury cars, foreign trips and bigger corporate transactions,” student activist Althea Trinidad told The Associated Press.

Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo, reporting from Manila, noted a heavier police presence in the city, with schools closed and a curfew imposed for minors. Further protests are expected, and their potential for violence remains uncertain.

The unrest in Manila mirrors similar protests in other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Nepal, highlighting a broader trend of public discontent over government conduct and corruption in the region.

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