What to know: September 21 anti-corruption rallies at Luneta, EDSA
MANILA, Philippines — Thousands are expected to troop to Luneta and the EDSA People Power Monument on Sunday, September 21, for two separate rallies denouncing corruption in flood control projects.
The demonstrations fall on September 21, the 53rd anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s declaration of martial law in 1972 — a date that activists have long used to remember the dictatorship’s abuses and to rally against authoritarian rule.
The anniversary carries added weight this year amid mounting anger over corruption in infrastructure projects.
For organizers of the "Baha Sa Luneta" rally at Luneta — which include students and activist groups, including the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law — the protest is a call not only to condemn today’s corruption scandals, but also to "ensure that the same deception, abuses, and plunder are never repeated."
At the same time, organizers of the “Trillion Peso March” at EDSA frame the rally as part of the broader legacy of people’s unity against Marcos Sr.'s dictatorship and corruption. By holding their action at the People Power Monument, Catholic and Protestant leaders say they aim to channel the spirit of the 1986 revolution in calling for accountability.
Where and when are the rallies?
Luneta / Rizal Park, Manila
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Rally name: “Baha sa Luneta: Aksyon na Laban sa Korapsyon,” also referred to in some announcements as the “Billion People March"
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Time: 9:00 a.m.
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Organized by university students and activist groups
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People Power Monument (EDSA corner White Plains Avenue, Quezon City)
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Rally name: “Trillion Peso March"
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Time: 2:00 p.m.
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Organized by: Catholic and Protestant leaders under the Church Leaders Council for National Transformation (CLCNT), 1Sambayan and other civil society organizations
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Assembly location: EDSA People Power Monument
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Who are the organizers?
The Luneta rally in the morning is primarily convened by student networks and activist coalitions, including: Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (a network of schools along Taft Avenue), Panatang Luntian Coalition (youth environmentalists), and student councils from various universities.
The rally’s Facebook coordination page, Kontra Baha, Kontra Kurakot Sep. 21, is calling on the public to “flood Luneta” with protests.
University of the Philippines student regent Dexter Clemente said the mass action aims to pressure and call out “politicians and contractors who wear different colors but worship the color of money.”
Meanwhile, the EDSA rally in the afternoon is led by the CLCNT, which brings together members of the Catholic and Protestant denominations. Key groups joining include Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan (ANIM) and its chapters, Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines and its partner schools (including Miriam College, Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, and MAPSA), Tindig Pilipinas and affiliates such as Alyansa Tigil Mina, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, SENTRO, Every Woman, and Mamamayang Liberal, among others.
Why are they protesting?
At the center of the protests are allegations of massive irregularities and anomalies in flood control projects, with data pointing to some P1.9 trillion spent over the past 15 years, over half of which has been allegedly lost to corruption.
Recent weeks have seen smaller protests held in various parts of Metro Manila as the public continues to be bombarded with news of ghost projects, substandard works, and possible collusion within government. All this while floodwaters continue to choke several major thoroughfares and streets during heavy rains.
"The mobilization seeks to demonstrate the power of the people against massive corruption in flood control projects—a scandal faith leaders have denounced as economic sabotage and a moral abomination paid for by the poor," Caritas Philippines said in a Facebook post announcing the EDSA rally.
“We call on fellow young people and our elders to gather at Luneta on September 21. Let us call out and condemn the politicians and contractors who wear different colors but worship the color of money, who steal our people’s money,” said University of the Philippines student regent Dexter Clemente on the Luneta rally.
What to expect on Sunday
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Organizers of the EDSA rally are urging participants to wear white shirts as a symbol of unity and hope. There is no known dress code for participants of the Luneta rally in the morning.
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Heavy congestion is likely around Luneta in the morning and along EDSA near White Plains in the afternoon. The MMDA and police are expected to enforce rerouting near the protest sites.
Why the protests matter now
The rallies also evoke past mass actions, with names like “Trillion Peso March” and “Bilyon People March” recalling the 2013 Million People March against the pork barrel scam, described as the Philippines’ first social media-driven protest.
For church leaders such as Bishop Efraim Tendero, the planned demonstrations are not just a protest against flood control anomalies, but also a call for unity across faith and political lines against corruption.
“We call on every Filipino—regardless of faith, political color, or social standing—to unite in the spirit of EDSA. This is about reclaiming our future from the grip of corruption and impunity," Tendero said in a statement.
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