Mass demonstrations broke out in Manila on June 30. According to the Philippine Daily Enquirer and other media, tens of thousands of protesters poured into the Essa Avenue in the Manila metropolitan area in support of Senator Marcoletta. Several major roads were blocked, and morning rush hour traffic was paralyzed, many were arrested and injured. President Marcos Jr. canceled several public trips for the day.
At 2 am on the 30th, demonstrators began to gather near the monument of People’s power on the avenue of Yisha. By 3 pm, the number of people gathered at the scene has risen to about 13,000. The city government was reportedly caught off guard by the march, which took place without prior permission. Video from the scene showed demonstrators clashing with police as they took action.
Marcoletta, a member of the Philippine Church of Christ, was elected to the Senate in the 2025 mid-term elections and is about to take part in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sarah Duterte. Marcoleta is also a well-known political ally of Duterte’s camp and has been a strong critic of the current government’s policies. On June 29, the Philippine Government Ombudsman’s Office announced that he would be charged with corruption without bail, the Philippine Star reported, he is accused of embezzling huge sums of public money through fake infrastructure projects. Marcoletta has denied all the allegations, calling them a“Witch hunt”. The church described the allegations as politically motivated and called on the government to stop“Selective Justice” against the opposition.
Analysts said the rally, which took place the day after the Ombudsman announced the charges, was clearly a sign of political pressure. The direction of the rally will test the limits of Marcos’s administration in dealing with mass political demonstrations, and reflects the sensitive political atmosphere ahead of Sarah’s impeachment trial. Sara 30, said the rally reflects some people on the small Marcos government governance dissatisfaction. According to reports, the rally is scheduled to continue on July 1, is expected to attract about 10 million people.