Luneta at EDSA: How Filipinos Reinvent September’s Historical Relevancy

As early as 8AM on September 21, 2025, reports of 10,000 rallyists from different political, religious, and institutional communities began to arrive at the heart of Luneta Park. With the purpose of protesting the continued corruption within the nation’s system, the group began marching towards White Plains, Quezon City. Baha sa Luneta, as the protest’s campaign rallied, was born from the exposure of the excessive profiteering surrounding government-funded flood control projects. As the threat of severe weather conditions care of Typhoon Nando nears, numerous Filipinos are enraged with the continued ghost infrastructures, affecting daily necessities such as safety, transportation, work, and even food supplies.

Despite President Marcos’ establishment of a third-party investigation of the 9,866 flood-control projects, the rally reflects the urgency and distrust many citizens have over the current government’s ability to lead in a time of sociopolitical unrest. This turnout revealed more than anger over flood projects––it was a clear sign of how fragile public trust in the government has become. Such wariness is not unfounded. As highlighted by former SC Justice Antonio Carpio in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo, “The house and the senate inserted ₱450,000,000,000 in Public Works’ Fund. Ngayon, the president vetoed only twenty-nine billion. This is just window-dressing. Otherwise, the president approved the insertion of about ₱420,000,000,000 billion. Napakalaki niyan.”

As the morning progressed, the Luneta Group ventured further into Manila where the initially peaceful march turned violent. Beginning from Ayala Bridge; sources such as PhilStar reported that a handful of youth began to hurl rocks and other debris at stationed police, leading to a vicious rebuttal on the other end, causing the alleged arrest of 51 individuals.

The fight was initially dispersed but other encounters continued in Mendiola where unidentified rioters began to target officers with home-made firecrackers and projectiles. In an effort to garner whether the information was factual, INK invited protestors to recount their involvement and one Enderun Titan shared their first-hand experience of the march, stating, “I was at Luneta from 8AM to 1:30PM, then from there, we walked to Mendiola until 3PM. All throughout, many were standing and cheering along Rizal Avenue and Recto. Despite not joining us in the march, many bikers and private car owners were beeping to show solidarity.” The witness notes that by 3:30PM, they heard a loud boom along Recto, which was later confirmed to be tear-gas being hurled towards the crowds. From a distance, they also recalled seeing water canons and heard urges from other protestors to turn back.. They described that while the riot was instigated by rowdy youth, the sheer brutality the police inflicted in retaliation unnecessarily escalated the situation. By 4:00PM, they had left the site and caught wind of fellow rallyists getting apprehended despite not being the perpetrators.

While the Mendiola group demanded accountability through aggressive street action, the Trillion Million March rally stationed at the People Power Monument, Quezon City, approached the demand for responsibility in a different manner. Here, multiple star personalities such as Anne Curtis, Vice Ganda, Donny Pangilinan, and Gabby Garcia were seen actively participating and joining the crowds. In her viral speech, Vice Ganda stated, “Tapos na ang mga panahon ng mababait at mga resilient…Hindi na uubra sa atin ang bait-baitan, kimi-kimian, tahimik-tahimikan…Deserve nila ang galit, ang pikon at puot ng mga nanakawang Pilipino.”
(The time for kindness and resiliency has ended. It no longer works for us to be kind, to be timid, to be quiet…They deserve the anger, the frustration, and the hatred of those they have stolen from.)

Evidently, many attendees resonated with Vice Ganda’s message including Mr. Carlos Constantino, a sophomore BSBA Technology Management student from Enderun Colleges, was asked what message he’d like to share with his fellow Titans, he said , “It is time that these corrupt government officials learn that pointing fingers and trials do not solve corruption. You only need to steal one centavo to be considered a thief. The people should cite them for contempt for crippling bureaucracy.” His words reflect a sentiment heard throughout both protests: accountability must be real, not performative.

With over 100,000 attendees (GMA Network, 2025), both rallies monumentally coincided with the declaration of Martial Law under the Senior Marcos. Not arbitrarily done, this decision highlights the rebirth of September 21, a day that previously symbolized the start of democratic oppression and inequitable power. Now, this September honors the lives of those who resisted authoritarian rule and those who call for the modification of national political structures. For many, this convergence of history and protest shows that September 21 remains a living reminder of resistance.

The Philippines has fought for reformation time and time again. In February 1986, Filipinos from all walks of life gathered together at Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to abdicate the two-decade long dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos. Then in 1987, farmers and activists took to the streets for agrarian reform, which ended with at least 12 deaths caused by Marcos cronies, creating the Mendiola Massacre. By January 2001, Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin called for the Filipino people to assemble at EDSA once more, this time for the impeachment of former President Joseph Estrada, leading to People Power II. As prolific historian Ambeth Ocampo writes, “History does not repeat itself, it is we who repeat it.”

The nation’s past is one undeniably mired with repetition and this month, our endurance is once again being tested. The same historical landmarks, the same familiar surnames––such recurrence leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of the impoverished; acid in the stomachs of the satiated. When interviewing a mix of attendees, many expressed joy at the collaboration of varying communities but also at revulsion at the need to, once more, march for their future. As stressed by Mr. Constantino, “The people are really tired of this. I rode my truck with my friends and circled the Capital — BGC, Ortigas, EDSA, C5, Parañaque, and Marikina. My friends and I were shouting using the built-in microphone speaker on my truck and nothing we said is new under the sun. The way that they (politicians) treat the police is how they treat the law. Today, we can clearly see how the law is manipulated and paid for at the expense of the tax payer.” The exhaustion in the voices mirrors the larger fatigue of a nation that has marched this road too many times

As another September 21 ends, the demand for accountability can move in two directions: one where justice is served, and another where all is swept under the rug to join the debris of decades past. As reported by Peso Weekly, “the corruption script is so predictable, it is almost insulting…the President acts shocked, the Senate and the Congress call hearings, the media covers it like a teleserye…they act, we watch, justice never arrives.” History supposedly begets change, but until we learn to read the telltale signs, prevent the ousting of representatives for another set of amoral ones, and stand as a country––aiming for systematic transformation instead of promotion of individual leaders––only then, can we be free from the derision of Corruption. History can only drive change if Filipinos demand systemic reform— not just new faces in power. Until then, as one protestor’s perfectly summarized signage: Ang Korapsyon ay ang tunay na Kalamidad.

References:
Gasgonia, D. (2025, September 21). Manila Police: 72 arrested due to violent acts during Sept. 21 protests | ABS-CBN News. ABS-CBN. https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/21/manila-police-72-arrested-due-to-violent-acts-during-sept-21-protests-2230

Jazeera, A. (2025, September 21). Clashes, arrests as tens of thousands protest corruption in Philippines. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/21/thousands-rally-in-philippines-at-anticorruption-protests-in-manila

Rappler. (2025, September 22). HIGHLIGHTS: September 21 protests vs flood control corruption. RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/updates-flood-control-corruption-protests-september-21-2025/

Tupas, E. (2025, September 21). Violence erupts in Mendiola; masked youths attack cops. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/09/22/2474560/violence-erupts-mendiola-masked-youths-attack-cops