Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla observes protest actions along Recto Avenue in Manila on Sunday (Nov. 30, 2025), noting that the demonstrations stayed orderly and peaceful. (PNA photo by Benjamin Pulta)
MANILA — Several thousand demonstrators gathered at Rizal Park on Sunday, November 30, 2025, for the “Baha sa Luneta 2.0” rally, calling for swift government action on the widening flood-control corruption investigations. While organizers framed the event as a push for accountability and transparency, some participating groups went further and publicly urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte to resign, with a proposed “transition council” raised by certain blocs during the march.
Some groups push for a transition council; organizers do not endorse the call
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers secretary general Ephraim Cortez spoke to reporters at Luneta and acknowledged that discussions about a transition council circulated among some protesters. Cortez noted that the 1987 Constitution does not include such a mechanism but said proponents view it as an expression of political will.
“The Constitution begins with ‘We, the sovereign Filipino people,’” Cortez said. “It means the people set the Constitution, and it is also the people who will set the kind of government who will govern them. If the people want that, that is sovereign will.”
Event organizers did not endorse resignation calls or extra-constitutional proposals. Their stated focus remained the need for action on alleged procurement irregularities identified by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Police shorten Luneta program; protesters march to Mendiola
Police restricted the use of sound systems and staging at Luneta due to permit limitations, prompting organizers to shorten the formal program. Protesters then marched from Rizal Park toward Recto Avenue and eventually to the Mendiola area near Malacañang, where they continued speeches and mobilization efforts.
Participants carried placards demanding the government “jail the big fish before Christmas,” echoing public frustration over alleged ghost and substandard flood-control projects. Protest leaders repeated calls for full disclosure of project lists, suspension of implicated contractors, and strengthened whistleblower protections.
Diokno: Leaders ‘owe good governance’ to the public
In a separate protest action held the same day, human-rights lawyer and House lawmaker Chel Diokno told demonstrators that national leaders “owe good governance” to the Filipino people. He urged the administration to prosecute officials who may have misused public funds and argued that accountability reinforces rather than destabilizes institutions.
Diokno did not endorse any specific resignation timeline but said public trust depends on firm action backed by evidence.
Malacañang: Marcos will not resign; due process remains central
Malacañang issued a response as the march reached Mendiola. Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said the administration recognizes public anger and impatience but stressed that President Marcos will not step down.
“We feel the people’s anger. We also feel their impatience,” Gomez said in a televised interview. “We feel you, we hear you, and we will not disappoint you. We need to observe due process in all of this.”
Gomez said Marcos directed the DOJ, DPWH, and ICI to expedite case-building without compromising the integrity of investigations. He reaffirmed earlier statements that the administration expects further actions “before Christmas,” while emphasizing that all individuals named in sworn statements or administrative filings must receive due process.
Vice President Duterte has not issued a formal statement in response to the calls for her resignation. She has previously denied any involvement in corruption schemes.
Investigations continue as pressure grows
The ICI continues gathering documents, conducting field validations, and holding public briefings on alleged anomalies in flood-control projects. DPWH has filed administrative and criminal complaints against 22 officials and contractors, while the DOJ and National Bureau of Investigation are preparing further referrals. The Anti-Money Laundering Council is reviewing requests to freeze assets of individuals linked to witness testimony submitted to authorities.
Those named in complaints have denied wrongdoing. No court has convicted any public official in connection with the flood-control scandal as of November 30, 2025.
Protest movement expected to continue into December
Baha sa Luneta 2.0 forms part of a broader protest wave that began in September and has since expanded across Metro Manila, provincial cities, campuses, and church-based networks. Groups plan to continue mobilizations in December, along with community teach-ins on the national budget, procurement rules, and oversight mechanisms.
Organizers said their focus remains accountability, transparency, and institutional reforms—goals they intend to pursue regardless of political shifts.
