Tension rose outside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office on Thursday as demonstrators condemned what they called massive corruption in projects meant to ease flooding in the province.
About 30 students and members of advocacy groups gathered at the agency’s main entrance along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Tikay. Carrying placards that read “Mas makapal pa ang mukha ninyo kaysa sa bakal ng dike” and “Panagutin ang mga walanghiya,” they staged a nearly two-hour protest demanding accountability over billions of pesos in alleged misused funds.
Bulacan Police Director Col. Angel Garcillano confirmed that the rally, held from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., remained peaceful. Roughly 145 police officers were stationed at the compound to secure the area, though protesters voluntarily dispersed after their program.
“We did not have to disperse them. They were cooperative and peacefully ended their activity,” Garcillano told the Inquirer. He assured residents that “the Bulacan Provincial Police Office is on top of the situation and ready to respond to maintain peace and order at all times.”
Although the protest was not covered by a city permit, authorities allowed it to proceed as long as it remained orderly. No incidents of violence were reported.
Organizers of the demonstration have yet to be identified, but authorities expect similar actions to continue in the coming days.
