Massive anti-corruption protests erupt in Manila, the Philippine capital on November 30, 2025, local time, with thousands of people calling for the prosecution of top legislators and officials implicated in a corruption scandal involving multi-billion-dollar flood-control projects. Photo: IC

As massive anti-corruption protests erupted in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday, with thousands calling for prosecution of top legislators and officials implicated in a flood-control project corruption scandal, the Chinese embassy and consulates in the Philippines urged Chinese nationals in the country to strengthen security precautions. 

Thousands massed in Manila on Sunday demanding accountability over a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure scandal that has seen scores of officials, lawmakers and construction company owners accused of corruption, according to Philippines Star. 

Demonstrators called for corrupt officials to be "put in jail now" as they walked along the thoroughfare known as EDSA, according to AFP. 

Demonstrators in the capital's Luneta Park, a short distance from the presidential palace, were seen holding signs calling for an end to systemic corruption, Deutsche Welle reported.

More than 17,000 police officers were deployed to manage the protests, according to official crowd-size estimates cited by AFP. 

The Chinese embassy and consulates in the Philippines urged Chinese citizens in the country to strengthen security precautions and avoid going out unless necessary. Those who have to go outside should plan their routes carefully, avoid protest areas, stay away from crowded places and zones under traffic control, always carry valid identification, and ensure their personal safety, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement on its WeChat account. 

In recent months, corruption related to the Philippines' flood-control projects has drawn widespread public attention, with thousands of supposed flood-prevention projects exposed as "ghost projects" or as having suffered from shoddy construction, the Straits Times reported. 

On September 21, large-scale protests broke out in Manila and other cities, with around 100,000 participants. Police arrested 216 people, and at least one person died during the demonstrations. Since then, anti-corruption protests have been held almost every week in Manila and elsewhere. 

Global Times