DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 December) — An independent, non-partisan Catholic lay movement recently established by members of the Catholic church in Davao City called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “make the supreme act of sacrifice” by resigning from office amid a massive corruption scandal plaguing his administration.

During the launch of “Bayanihang Layko for Accountability, Reform, and Upright Governance” (BARUG Layko) at the San Pedro Cathedral auditorium on Wednesday, lead convenor Dennis Mabayao said they believe President Marcos Jr. has lost the moral ascendancy to lead the government due to the unresolved allegations of drug abuse and his involvement in the anomalous insertions in the national budget of 2025.

The BARUG Layko, he said, was established after the “Archdiocesan Penitential Walk and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,” held on October 25, to call out systemic government corruption, which drew overwhelming support from the Catholic faithful in the city.

The launch was followed by a Eucharistic Mass and a candle-lighting ceremony at the compound of San Pedro Cathedral, attended by some 200 participants from various parishes within the Archdiocese of Davao.

The archdiocese, Mabayao said, also echoes their movement’s call for the President to resign.

“It was the lay members who initiated the call for BBM’s resignation. However, this does not mean that the priests and clergy are not supporting our call,” he said in Cebuano.

He added that the creation of this movement was their response, as members of the archdiocese, to the pastoral letter of Archbishop Romulo Valles, issued on November 29, which called for “prayer and action of the faithful in the Archdiocese of Davao and of all people striving for the common good in this time of national crisis.”

Valles, in his letter, raised issues that he said “put the country at a disadvantage and left people with an uncertain future,” and posed concerning the controversies involving flood control projects; budget insertions in the General Appropriations Act of 2025; allegations of drug addiction by Marcos and his continued refusal to subject himself to a hair follicle test; the President’s competence and moral ascendancy of leadership; and the lack of a genuine, impartial, and unbiased investigation. 

In case of vacancy, the prelate asked whether there are valid grounds for the fears expressed by some should Vice President Sara Duterte assume the presidency.

“Is there any valid basis for the fear of some regarding a possible succession by the Vice President should the President resign or vacate his office?” Valles asked.

“The stand it conveys is clear,” Mabayao said of the pastoral letter. “We, the lay faithful, have voices in the Church. We are given the opportunity to take the lead in this initiative. We are not separated from the Church. We remain united with it. This time, it is not the clergy who are leading, but the lay faithful. We simply clarify that this is the stand of the lay people, though guided by the Church.”

The entire program centered on the call for the President’s resignation, with two tarpaulins stating “PBBM resign!” displayed on the stage, but none about Duterte.

MindaNews asked Mabayao why their call focused on Marcos while disregarding Duterte, who was facing corruption allegations as well.

Mabayao maintained that the movement is non-partisan and was not organized to support Duterte and her family, who are now at odds with the incumbent President. 

“I am not DDS, I am not a loyalist, I am not a pinklawan. I am a Filipino citizen, I am a taxpayer, and a registered voter. I am for good governance and not a member of any political party or family dynasty,” he said.

The Duterte family is the most influential political dynasty in Davao, having held various local elective posts for nearly 40 years.

“Personally, regardless of who is the Vice President, in our current situation, we must call for ‘BBM to resign.’ It just so happens that our Vice President is also from Davao,” he said.

The movement’s manifesto read in part: “In our communal discernment, we believe that moral ascendancy is essential for governance. Given the grave controversies confronting the highest office, and the erosion of public trust, we therefore call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to do the supreme act of sacrifice by stepping down peacefully for the good of the nation and in fidelity to constitutional order.”

The group stated that their call is not “born of partisan politics or hostility,” emphasizing that they seek “not upheaval but stability; not power, but integrity; not division, but healing rooted in truth.”

Jesus Quitain, a retired judge of the Regional Trial Court of Davao and one of the convenors, said the objective of BARUG Layko is to appeal to the conscience of the people through the teachings of the Church.

“At the time when corruption scandals run deep, public trust erodes rapidly, and democratic institutions weaken, we stand together as concerned Christian citizens — not as political actors, but as Pilipinong Kristiyano (Filipino Christians) bound by conscience and guided by the social teachings of the Church,” Quitain said, reading the statement of the movement.

Mabayao maintained that the members of BARUG Layko are not “defenders and lawyers” of the Duterte family and that they welcome the investigation into the controversy involving the misuse of public funds by the Vice President.

“Some of our people in Davao would be glad if the investigation continues. First, we would know who our leaders are here in Davao. Second, if we discover they are hiding something, we will still be glad because at least we know who our true leaders are in Davao,” he said.

In a series of videos uploaded on his Facebook account, former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co alleged that Marcos was involved in ₱100 billion worth of budget insertions in the 2025 national budget, along with former Speaker Martin G. Romualdez.

Meanwhile, Duterte was accused of misusing confidential funds of the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary, as well as those of the Office of the Vice President. She resigned as DepEd secretary on June 19, 2024, amid a growing conflict with President Marcos Jr.

In a press release, BARUG Layko noted that the country “currently confronts a convergence of challenges — unprecedented corruption scandals surrounding national leadership; a rapid collapse of institutional checks and balances; erosion of moral credibility in the highest office; entrenched political dynasties and manipulation of the party-list system; and severe economic hardship, soaring debt, and worsening poverty, among others.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)