Aquino faces 1st major protest

Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Manila and key cities in the Philippines and abroad held protest rallies against the pork barrel system on National Heroes’ Day on August 26. An initiative that began on Facebook, the anti-pork campaign led to ground mobilization by professions, students, activists and organized groups. By 9 am, police estimated the number of protesters in Luneta at 600,000. In New York, Filipinos staged a protest on Manhattan Avenue, saying they were dissatisfied with President Aquino’s decision to merely reform the pork barrel system and not scrap it.

Check our live blog of the nationwide protests here.