More than 200 individuals have been detained after clashes broke out between police and protesters during an anticorruption demonstration in Manila, Philippines.
On Monday, regional police released a statement detailing the unrest that occurred at Ayala Bridge and Mendiola, noting that while the previous day’s protests had been largely peaceful, the event escalated rapidly and unexpectedly, reports Al Jazeera.
“Protesters turned mobs assaulted police officers with stones and anything they could get their hands on. Not satisfied with harming police officers in uniform, violent protesters set motorcycles on fire, vandalised and ransacked a business establishment,” the statement reported.
It added that 224 people were arrested, including several minors.
At least 131 police officers were injured during the violence, with some sustaining severe injuries. These officers are currently receiving medical care.
Barnaby Lo said while Manila appeared calm on Monday morning, a heavier-than-usual police presence remained.
He also mentioned that schools were shut, a curfew was imposed on minors, and investigations into the alleged corruption surrounding flood control projects continue.
More protests are expected, but their nature remains unpredictable.
On Sunday, thousands gathered in Manila to protest a corruption scandal involving phantom flood control projects, which allegedly cost the country billions of dollars.
While the majority of the rally was peaceful, attracting over 33,000 people to a historic park and a democracy monument, some protesters took a more aggressive approach.
The police used tear gas to disperse those who were defacing walls, toppling steel posts, breaking glass panels, and looting the lobby of a budget inn along a major thoroughfare.
Major Hazel Asilo said that none of the detainees had revealed their motivations or whether they were paid to incite violence. “As soon as we know their affiliations, we can know if they were part of the protesters or if they were just causing trouble,” she added.
Recent weeks have seen protests erupt in other parts of Asia, such as Indonesia and Nepal, with widespread frustration over government corruption and misconduct.
In the Philippines, public discontent has been building since July, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr revealed the existence of the ghost infrastructure projects during his state-of-the-nation address.
“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,” said student activist Althea Trinidad.
The Department of Finance has estimated that the Philippine economy lost as much as 118.5 billion pesos ($2bn) between 2023 and 2025 due to corruption within the flood control projects.
