DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 30 November) – An alliance of anti-corruption protesters here staged a rally Sunday condemning the “massive corruption” under the Marcos-Duterte administration, calling the former allies as “king and queen of corruption.”
Leo XL Fuentes, spokesperson of Stop Corruption Alliance, described the protesters as “pagpamatuod nga dili tanan Dabawenyo uto-uto” (proof that not all Dabawenyos are gullible), emphasizing that the current and previous administrations – Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — are “shameful.”
Fuentes described the country’s massive corruption as “deeply entrenched to the bones,” lamenting that only the pockets of government officials were “developed” instead of projects that could have helped the citizens.
He cited the protest area at Roxas Avenue as a “witness” to the “failed” flood-control projects implemented here.
“Ang proyekto bilyon-bilyon apan matag karon ug unya ang baha og mismo kining karsada sa Roxas witness kung unsa kapalpak ang mga flood control projects,” (The projects are worth billions and billions of pesos and Roxas Avenue is a witness to how failed the flood-control projects are), he said.
“Gamay na ulan, dagko na baha dinhi sa Davao City!” (A little amount of rain produces huge floods in Davao City) he said.
Fuentes emphasized that the protest, held on the 162nd commemoration of the birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, is a form of furthering the stand of the national hero who “dreamt of a society who cares for its people.”
“The people placed them there. In return, they should manage us properly!” he said in Cebuano.
“Magdemanda kita’g accountability. Idemand nato ang transparency sa atong pondo” (Let us demand accountability. Let us demand transparency in the spending of taxpayers’ money), she said.
Rauf Sissay of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Mindanao said all corrupt government officials must be punished.
“Dapat silotan ang tanang mga korakot, ilabina ang hari og rayna sa korapsyon!” (The corrupt should be punished especially the king and queen of corruption), Sissay said, pointing to president Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and vice president Duterte.
The protest, he said, is a demonstration that the people despise the worsening corruption under the leadership of Marcos Jr.
Sissay cited the involvement of the current administration on corruption through budget insertions, confidential and intelligence funds, and “ayuda,” which could have been allocated for public service including education, health, agriculture, and industrialization.
Protesters did not spare the previous administration, referring to the six-year term of long-time Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte who served as President from 2016 to 2022. Duterte is presently detained in The Hague, the Netherlands where he is facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). His daughter, Sara Duterte is Vice President and was running mate of Marcos Jr. under the “UniTeam” in the 2022 Presidential elections.
The Vice President was impeached earlier this year for alleged anomalous use of confidential and intelligence funds but the Supreme Court on July 25 declared the Articles of Impeachment unconstitutional, noting that it is barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violates the right to due process enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The Court said it was not absolving Vice President Duterte from any of the charges against her but any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.
Sissay said a “National Transition Council” must be established when corrupt government officials are removed from office.
He said the council should be composed of representatives from anti-corruption and pro-democracy forces to implement political and socio economic reforms for agrarian and national industrialization. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)
