A surprise protest along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) on Tuesday snarled traffic and forced President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to cancel public engagements, according to BusinessWorld. The demonstration erupted after the Ombudsman announced a nonbailable plunder case against a sitting senator.
Supporters of Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta gathered on the major thoroughfare to protest the plunder charges. The Ombudsman’s move has intensified political tensions just days before Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial.
The traffic disruption prompted President Marcos to scrap scheduled events as authorities worked to clear the area. The incident underscores the volatile political climate in the country as high-profile cases and trials loom.