MANILA: Police in the Philippine capital arrested more than 200 people during clashes with masked protesters that erupted on a day of largely peaceful anti-corruption demonstrations, a spokesperson said Monday (Sep 22).
At least 88 minors were among the initial count of 216 taken into custody Sunday as police deployed water cannons and deafening sirens against crowds of mostly young, rock-throwing protesters.
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno said a 12-year-old boy was the youngest detained.
Thousands of Filipinos rallied in Manila on Sunday to vent their anger over a ballooning scandal involving bogus flood-control projects believed to have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
The scandal has seen numerous lawmakers implicated and the leaders of both houses of Congress step down from their positions during an investigation.
But Sunday’s street battles, which saw multiple police vehicles set ablaze and the windows of a precinct headquarters shattered, threatened to overshadow demonstrations that had been filled with families, activists, clergy and politicians.
“So far, none of them are saying the reasons behind their actions or if somebody paid them to do it,” regional police spokesperson Major Hazel Asilo told AFP.
“As soon as we know their affiliations, we can know if they were part of the protesters or if they were just causing trouble,” she added.
Source: CNA
