“Hong Kong fire” and Philippine floods prompt thousands to come out against “corruption and those involved”

In simultaneous movements, thousands came out in both the Philippine capital, Manila, and Hong Kong, demanding that officials accused of corruption be held accountable, as part of two events that left hundreds of victims in the Philippines and Hong Kong.

In Manila, thousands came out to demand the imprisonment of dozens of officials, representatives, and owners of construction companies, accused of stealing millions of dollars in projects said to be fake to control floods that destroyed entire towns, while Hong Kong residents began movements to demand accountability for those responsible for a fire that killed 146 people.

Philippines floods

In the Philippine capital, Manila, thousands marched yesterday to demand the imprisonment of dozens of officials, representatives, and construction company owners, accused of stealing millions of dollars from taxpayers’ money, as part of a widespread corruption scandal.

Anger is rising over what are said to be fictitious flood control projects in the Philippines, which has a population of 116 million, where the waters that accompanied powerful hurricanes recently submerged entire towns, and the scandal affected the opponents of the Philippine President, Ferdinand Marcos, and those close to him alike, including a member of Congress, who is a relative of his, since his speech, last July, focused on the issue of widespread fraud.

Yesterday, the demonstrators, who were prevented by barbed wire from reaching the presidential palace, chanted, “The police are the protectors of corruption,” while riot police responded by banging on their shields.

The protesters, who gathered earlier in Bonita Park in Manila, carried a large model showing Marcos and his most prominent political rival, Vice President Sarah Duterte, as if they were two-headed crocodiles representing corruption.

About 10 kilometers away, another group of demonstrators called for the “immediate imprisonment” of corrupt officials.

According to official estimates of the size of the crowd, less than 10,000 people participated in the demonstrations, while more than 17,000 police were deployed.

Mervin Toquera (54 years old) from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines expressed his dissatisfaction, telling Agence France-Presse in Luneta: “Corruption cannot have occurred without the knowledge of higher-level officials. They should also be held accountable.”

In turn, Jessie Wanalovmi (20 years old) pointed out that “there are people who died because of corruption.”

Hong Kong fire

In Hong Kong, demands began to hold those responsible for the fire that killed 146 people accountable. Student Mills Kwan raised his voice in a crowded train station, demanding that those responsible be held accountable, but the police quickly arrived at the scene and stopped him.

A few days ago, journalists from Agence France-Presse met the 24-year-old while he was distributing leaflets calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the fire.

Mills Kwan said at the time: “We are upset that Hong Kong has reached this level, and we want things to improve,” describing the system as “full of loopholes.”

Mills thus adds his voice to the voices of more than 10,000 people who signed an electronic petition in this regard in one day, but Mills’ voice was quickly silenced, as local media reported that the police arrested him on charges of incitement, and the petition was deleted from the Internet.

In turn, the police refused to confirm the matter, but merely said that they would take their measures “based on the facts and in accordance with the law.” Before talking about the student’s arrest, the Chinese authorities in Beijing denounced what they called “anti-Chinese forces,” and accused them of “encouraging social division and inciting hatred against the authorities.”

Mills Cowan said on Friday, in response to a question about the possibility of his arrest, that he was only asking for “very basic” matters, and added: “If these ideas are considered inflammatory or exceed the limits, then I think that I will not be able to anticipate the consequences of anything. I can only do what I believe in.”

This young man and his companions demand four things: the government assuming its responsibilities, opening an independent investigation into the possibility of corruption, placing those affected in their homes in decent places, and reconsidering the standards for monitoring construction work. Mills stressed that the fire is not just an accident, but rather a disaster caused by humans.