MANILA, Philippines — Two months after an anti-corruption protest dubbed as “Baha sa Luneta” was held at the Luneta Park in Manila, another rally will be held in the same location on November 30 due to the lack of accountability from the perpetrators of corruption in the government.
This was announced on Wednesday during a press conference by Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK), a campaign platform for protest coordination. The KBKK said that it “salutes Filipino people whose sustained protests since the flood control scandal erupted have forced the Marcos government to act on the people’s demands for truth and accountability.”
Teddy Casiño, chairperson of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said that as long as no one is jailed due to the issues of corruption, then President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement that those involved in the flood control scandal will be jailed before Christmas.
Numerous protests have been held in different parts of the country to condemn the corruption in the government, which implicated several government officials and employees. Since then, Congress launched investigations into the fiasco of government infrastructure projects and cases have been filed against those who allegedly got kickbacks from them.
David San Juan, convenor of Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance, said that the program for the “Baha sa Luneta 2.0” rally will start at 9 a.m. and may end around 12 p.m. San Juan said that groups from different sectors will march to Luneta Park before the start of the event.
Casiño added that anti-corruption protests will also be simultaneously held across the country. No details have been provided on the demonstrations set in other locations.
On the other hand, organizers of the Trillion Peso March will be holding another rally at the People Power Monument in Quezon City on November 30, which falls on the birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio.
What pushed for another anti-corruption protest
For Danilo Ramos, chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, as long as no one is held accountable for corruption, protests will continue to be held in different parts of the country.
“The people are determined that as long as no one is held accountable, no one is resigning, and the system is not yet changed, we will continue with our demonstrations,” Ramos said in the same press conference.
Joaquin Buenaflor, chairperson of the University of the Philippines Diliman Student Council, said that the KBKK will conduct another rally due to the worsening corruption in the country.
“It is important to commemorate the significance of November 30, where Andres Bonifacio wanted to free the country from Spaniards before and now, the people and the youth are united to free the country from the rotten system of corruption,” Buenaflor said in the same press conference.
These statements were echoed by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co, who said that the lack of accountability from kickbacks in the government projects deprives taxpayers’ money of genuine public service.
Contingencies for hostilities
When asked what the KBKK’s plans are to prevent possible threats or hostilities, Casiño said that they conducted marshalling to those involved in a riot in the Mendiola area in Manila that broke out on the day of the anti-corruption rallies last September 21.
“First, we conducted marshalling and discussion among those involved in the September 21 [riot]. We told them to avoid any kind of violent acts,” Casiño said.
Casiño added that he sees no recurrence of the violence in the upcoming rally.
