Manila, 80,000 protest against corruption. Bishops: “The people's patience has run out”
A large crowd took part in the ‘Trillion Peso March’, united by churches, civil organisations and students to denounce the scandal of flood control funds allegedly involving some 30 parliamentarians and officials. The Church Leaders Council for National Transformation presented five urgent demands, from the return of stolen money to the end of political dynasties.
Manila (AsiaNews) - Tens of thousands of Filipinos filled the streets of Manila and other cities across the country yesterday to denounce the corruption scandal linked to flood control projects, which according to official estimates have caused losses of over billion in two years.
The main demonstration took place yesterday, 21 September, at the People Power Monument on EDSA, a symbolic location of the 1986 uprising against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., dictator and father of the current president. Yesterday marked the 53rd anniversary of the proclamation of martial law by Marcos Senior.
The rally, renamed the ‘Trillion Peso March,’ was attended by over 80,000 people, brought together by civil organisations, religious communities, students, parliamentarians and former public officials. Catholic bishops and other Christian churches stood alongside citizens, at the forefront of the demand for truth, justice and transparency.
The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Cardinal Virgilio Pablo David, said that corruption ‘is not just stealing public money, but stealing the future when homes are submerged, when nature is destroyed and our children's opportunities vanish’. For this reason, he has launched an urgent appeal to Parliament, the judiciary and regulatory agencies to ‘speed up investigations and trials, bringing those responsible to justice’.
According to Cardinal David, the Church's response is clear: the solution to corruption is not an increase in executions, but a more profound reform of the judicial system — a system that protects the weak and holds the powerful truly accountable.
‘The people are rising up in anger. The Church is with them and shares their pain, their frustration and their indignation. The Church cannot remain silent, because the Lord himself rejects worship that is not united with justice,’ said Monsignor Patricio Abella Buzon of Bacolod.
“The people have spoken loud and clear: no more impunity. We demand justice, we demand accountability,” said Bishop Gerardo Alimane Alminaza of San Carlos City.
“Corruption is not just a political issue: it is a profound spiritual and moral crisis. At its root, corruption is the rotten fruit of greed, the embodiment of the seven deadly sins,‘ said Monsignor Louie Patalinghug Galbines of Kabankalan.
Monsignor Elias Ayuban Jr. of Cubao added that the protest is ’a call for unity among the people and their constant struggle for justice and change."
The protest took place in several locations: in addition to EDSA, about 49,000 people gathered peacefully in Luneta Park, while in Baguio City, a march of 5,000 participants was attended by religious congregations and a veteran of the ‘EDSA Revolution,’ Sister Imaya Calingayan, a 62-year-old Benedictine nun. ‘I see the same corrupt dictatorship today,’ said the nun, who distributed food to protesters in 1986.
There were moments of tension in Manila: at least 113 people were arrested for throwing stones, damaging property and burning tyres, while 93 officers were injured.
A lorry was set on fire after being used as a road barricade. Riot police formed a defensive line with their shields while hooded men threw stones and other objects. Subsequently, the police charged the crowd and arrested several people, some of whom were forced to lie face down on the ground.
However, the vast majority of the protests were peaceful, with demonstrators displaying banners demanding “Give us back our stolen money” and “The guilty must pay”.
The wave of outrage erupted after it was revealed that nearly 30 parliamentarians and officials had received billions in bribes from infrastructure projects.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced an independent investigation and cancelled his trip to the UN General Assembly to monitor the domestic crisis.
This morning, the organisers of the movement, gathered in the Church Leaders Council for National Transformation (CLCNT), thanked the participants and made five demands to the government: swift trials and the return of stolen funds; publication of the incomes and assets of officials, including the president; abolition of political dynasties and discretionary funds; greater transparency in the drafting of the budget; moral integrity as a binding criterion for public officials.
Monsignor Robbie Gaa of Novaliches, co-convener of the CLCNT, added: "We thank the thousands of people who prayed and protested together, shoulder to shoulder. But our work does not end with a march. Now we challenge President Marcos Jr. to act decisively, protecting no one, but bringing out the truth. He must prove that no official, no matter how powerful, is untouchable."
‘The patience of the Filipino people has run out,’ said Monsignor Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines. ‘What we saw on EDSA was not anger for its own sake, but righteous indignation: the voice of the poor, the young, and families demanding an end to impunity.’
The bishops also appealed to the younger generation: "Young people, your voices are powerful. Be warriors of truth in the digital space. Use your platforms to challenge lies, expose corruption and defend the common good,‘ added Monsignor Bagaforo.
’We are losing our hopes, our lives and our future, while they amass enormous fortunes from our taxes," lamented a flood victim, student and activist.
The movement, concluded Father Antonio Labiao, coordinator of the CLCNT, ‘does not stop here: the Trillion Peso March is only the beginning of a journey for truth and justice. We will continue to vigil until corruption is eradicated and the government returns to serving the poor and the most vulnerable.’
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