Nov 30: Flood the Streets, Storm the Streets, Protest Against Corruption

By E. Maestro

The scandals are not over. The floods have not stopped. The rains will  continue to come. The storms will continue to run havoc across our land. The Filipino people will continue to suffer but they will continue to rise up.

“Ikulong na iyan, mga kurakot! “ Until now, have there been NO high-ranking officials charged, hauled off to prison, or ordered to return the millions and billions they stole from the people. Demands for accountability still remain on the table. The people will not stop in raising those demands, shouting those demands on the streets, and marching (for as long as needed, in as many places as needed in the Philippines and overseas), and organizing, launching campaigns, building the broadest people’s mass movement for the benefit of the people’s common good, for the people’s interests.

The hearings, the exposes, the stories of budget insertions, budget approvals all point  to Marcos Jr. himself, aka the Commander-in-Theft. Ibabalik ko ang sinabi niya noong July 2025 na “mahiya naman kayo” sa mga korap na opisyal at mga kontraktor. “Mr. Presidente, mahiya ka naman,” dahil si Presidente Marcos Jr. ang puno’t dulo sa paggamit sa budget para manakaw ang mga bilyon-bilyong pera para sa kanilang mga bulsa. Wala namang nangyayari na hindi dumaraan sa Presidente, wala namang mailalabas na pera kung wala siyang pahintulot.

Sara Duterte is no different. She has embezzled millions of pesos during her term as Davao City Mayor and continued to do so as Vice President and when she was Secretary of Education.

Kung mga magnanakaw din sila, katulad ng mga nilantad na mga mambabatas, mga opisyal sa mga ahensiya ng gobyerno, mga kontraktor, mga opisyal sa mga siyudad at mga probinsya, at mga negosyante, atbp. ay akma lamang na kasama sila sa mga kailangang paalisin, imbestigahan, ikulong at patawan ng parusa. Kaya tama lang ang sinisigaw na “Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot. Marcos, Duterte, patalsikin.”

There should be no sacred cows in this national scandal of corruption and plunder that is so embedded in the structures of government and in the political and economic elite that benefits from the system. Patalsikin, paalisin, magbitiw o mag-resign. Pwede ba iyon? Bakit naman hindi? When the people in government do not serve its citizens, when people have lost their faith and trust in their elected officials and demand they step down, the people have the right to defend themselves against these thieves or bureaucrat capitalists.

Ang tanong ng marami ay “Sino ang ipapalit?” Marahil, ang mas tamang tanong natin ay “Ano ang ipapalit? “

Malakas ang ugong na hindi sapat na makontento ang taumbayan sa mga cosmetic changes. Nag-iisip rin naman ang taumbayan. Hindi naman maaring patalsikin ang isang kriminal at korap sa gobyerno at pagkatapos ay palitan ng isang korap at kriminal rin! To keep the status quo is to invite more discontent, more anger, and more action.

I say, trust the people. I believe the call of progressive organizations, grassroots groups like the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan is for the establishment of a “broad-based, civilian-led National Transition Council – a temporary, inclusive, transparent governance mechanism to guide the country from this crisis toward meaningful democratic renewal.”

Matagal na nating hangad ang isang gobyerno para sa tao, na binubuo ng mga kinatawan ng mga sektor sa lipunan. Not a military junta, and certainly not what the Philippines has now. A vision such as a national transition council will have civilian sectoral representatives from farmers, youth and students, women, workers, urban poor, indigenous communities, church people, civil society, health workers, progressive business people, lawyers, artists, anti-corruption NGOs, human rights defenders, and others.

To dismiss this idea is to dismiss the power of the people. It is a step moving forward. Taking action for hope and accountability and justice.

Sa Nobyembre 30, sa Araw ng mga Bayani, babaha muli sa Luneta. Para ito sa Protestang Bayan, Kontra Kurakot sa Pilipinas. Storm the Streets, Flood the Streets will also happen overseas because OFWs and the broad Filipino community, including 2nd and 3rd generation Filipinos, will not remain silent.

At the Global Day of Action Against Corruption, listen well. Baka marinig ninyo ang sigaw ng bayani nating si Andres Bonifacio, “Panahon na!” 

Magkita po tayo sa Protestang Bayan, November 30, sa Metrotown Skytrain Station, 1:00 pm. 

Pic 1: Top: Protests in Manila. Bottom: Migrante BC Poster for Nov 30 Metrotown Station, 1pm  Photo credit: BAYAN FB

PIC 2: Protests in Manila. Photo credit: BAYAN FB