MANILA: Thousands of Filipinos rallied across main Philippine cities on Sunday to protest a growing scandal over fake flood-control projects believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Over the past few weeks, investigators have uncovered massive corruption in flood prevention and mitigation projects. An audit ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. found last month that out of the 545 billion pesos ($9.54 billion) allocated to the projects since 2022, thousands of projects were found to be substandard, lacking proper documentation, or nonexistent.

Sunday’s demonstration in Manila to coincide with anniversary of 1972 martial law declaration as president backs rally in bid to placate anger

PLARIDEL, Philippines: The dike meant to protect the Philippine town cost taxpayers nearly $2 million, but when a minister visited this month he found little more than dirt…