Protesters vow ‘flood of cases’ vs corrupt
Flexing the might of “people power” in rallies held at Rizal Park in Manila and at the People Power Monument in Quezon City on Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters demanded that all those involved in billions of pesos worth of government flood control projects that turned out to be nonexistent or substandard be held accountable.
“Let us flood them with mobilizations, cases until they are all sent to jail, all of them behind this scam. The biggest corruption scandal ever in Philippine history!” Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima told the crowd at the “Baha sa Luneta: Aksyon Laban sa Korapsyon” rally in Luneta.
She likened the controversy to the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam in 2013, which she investigated as justice secretary under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño also reminded the crowd at Luneta to remain vigilant and to remember “the power we as people hold.”
“We will not stop until we get all of them,” he said. “Everyone who is on top of this ‘tatsulok’ (triangle), we will replace them with the flooded ones.”
“The solution is within us. It’s not in the Senate nor in the House, but it is with the Filipino people,” Casiño said.
Shortly before the Luneta program that started at 9 a.m., chants of “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot (Jail the corrupt)” broke out among the protesters who filled the stretch of Roxas Boulevard from Kalaw Avenue to Katigbak Drive.
Others carried cardboard cutouts of a toothy crocodile and smirking pig—a reference to greedy politicians who pocket taxes—as well as a luxury car to throw shade at contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya, who had bragged about owning 40 imported vehicles before they were linked to billions of pesos worth of ghost and substandard government flood control projects.
Present at the rally were veteran activists former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, Makabayan Coalition president Liza Maza, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chair Danilo Ramos and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan president Renato Reyes Jr., among others.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, for his part, quoted Psalms 12:5: “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise.”
“We believe that the Church should be here with everyone, along with the youth and the elderly, all other sectors in pushing for justice and accountability,” he said.
Call for repentance
Some of the protesters then went to the People Power Monument in the afternoon for the Trillion Peso March protest.
The mass action led by civil society group Akbayan echoed the calls for accountability made at Rizal Park. Among the attendees were Senators Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, former Rep. Erin Tañada, and show biz personalities including Angel Aquino and Jodi Sta. Maria. (See related story on this page.)
In his speech, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Caloocan reiterated his earlier call for those involved in corruption to repent.
“To those who enriched themselves with the people’s money, there is still a chance to return to the good side. It is never too late to be converted; return what is not yours,” said David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Palace monitoring
Malacañang said President Marcos monitored the protests conducted in many areas nationwide, adding that despite calls for his resignation, he is confident of completing his term.
“The President is not afraid that these protests will snowball into his ouster, because he was the one who encouraged the people to go ahead and take their calls out on the streets. He was the one who called on Filipinos to express their anger against all the people involved in the systemic corruption in the government,” Palace press officer Claire Castro told dzMM.
