MANILA: Thousands of people including activists and clergy gathered at the Philippine capital’s main park yesterday in a rally to denounce the “Priority Development and Assistance Fund” system which they blame for spreading corruption.
Organisers said almost 20,000 people joined the rally but observers said the crowd was much smaller, with police putting it at about 5,000 at its peak.
The crowd, which included nuns, priests and lawyers, was significantly smaller than a similar rally over the same issue last year which observers said drew at least 250,000.
That rally, called through a vigorous social media campaign, had captured the outrage following reports of a scam involving tens of millions of dollars from the PDAF of congressmen.
Such allocations are supposed to pay for the pet projects of legislators but large amounts were allegedly siphoned off.
Three powerful senators have already been jailed over the controversy.
Influential Manila archbishop Cardinal Luis Tagle praised those taking part in the “march against PDAF” in a statement posted on a church social media site.
“I extend my greetings and solidarity. Thank you for making democracy alive and active. Thank you for advancing decency in public life,” the senior church leader said.
Peachy Bretana, an anti-PDAF official, which was one of the organisers, told ABS-CBN television the issue was non-partisan.
“This is not about parties. This definitely is not anti-administration. This is pro-people,” she said.
But many of the protesters at the rally used the issue to attack President Benigno Aquino, whom they accused of abetting the PDAF system and of seeking a second term despite being limited by law to only one term.
AFP
