CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 13 September) — At least 80 students and employees of Xavier University (XU) staged a noise barrage outside the campus on Saturday to denounce corruption in the national government and demand justice and accountability.
The participants chanted “Ipang priso ang mga kurakot! (Jail the corrupt)” as passersby in Divisoria Plaza fronting the campus looked on.
Students carried placards with statements such as “Drowning in Corruption” and “Pera ng bayan, ingatan (Safeguard the people’s money).”
“Unta naa gyuy resulta ang mga imbestigasyon nga nasugdan karon sa atong gobyerno (I hope the investigations that the government has started would really bear results),” XU Central Student Government president Phillip Talaba told MindaNews.
He lamented that despite years of corruption-related controversies, “no big names have been imprisoned.”
“Walay partido nga gidapigan, walay pamilya nga gidapigan. Kung kurakot, kurakot (We’re not supporting any party, we’re not supporting any family. If you’re corrupt, you’re corrupt),” Talaba added. “To pursue justice is to disturb the peace.”
Although the activity was voluntary and student-led, XU officials expressed support.
University president Fr. Mars Tan said he was glad to see the youth taking action.
“I’m happy that our students are the ones leading this,” Tan said. “The whole university is behind the students. This is issue-based. This is not political.”
The program concluded with a short reflection and prayer led by Fr. Tony Moreno.
Earlier, the university released a statement on its official Facebook page, stressing that corruption is a betrayal of the people: “Public funds allocated for safeguarding communities against disasters must never be misappropriated for personal gain or political ambition.”
Calls to hold protest actions against corruption in government were triggered by allegations that billions of pesos from the national budget went to flood control projects that were either nonexistent, overpriced or defective. (Henniequel Shayne Acobo/MindaNews)
