MANILA: Hundreds of activists demanded Thursday that Philippine President Benigno Aquino III prosecute all officials, including some of his own allies, who allegedly stole from state funds intended to help the poor.

Carrying kerosene torches, the protesters marched to the presidential palace but were stopped by riot police who barricaded the road.

Three senators and several associates have been charged with plunder for allegedly receiving hundreds of millions of pesos (millions of dollars) in kickbacks from a businesswoman who skimmed the money from government allocations for the poor.

The protesters say all three senators belong to the opposition, and that any Aquino allies linked to the scam should also be charged.

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. have denied any role in the scam. Plunder carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and is non-bailable. The anti-graft court hasn’t issued arrest warrants.

“It is not enough for them to charge the three because they are all opponents of the president, they belong to the opposition,” said former left-wing Congressman Teddy Casino. “What we want is to hold everyone involved accountable.”