KAUSWAGAN, Lanao del Norte — Hundreds of residents of all ages gathered for a prayer rally at the municipal grounds yesterday evening, September 21, to protest government corruption, particularly in flood control projects.
The prayer rally, held at 6 pm, centered on what organizers called a “call for transparency, accountability and justice.”
Attendees, dressed in black, lit candles and held white balloons as they prayed the Holy Rosary, which was led by the Assumption sisters and students of St. Vincent Academy.
Participants held posters with messages such as “the youth demands your accountability” and “Hindi kayo elected para yumaman kundi para maglingkod sa bayan.”
Bejie Piodos, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, cried out “end corruption now, for it is only the corrupt who've enrich themselves, while the people's daily needs remains unheard.”
He noted that he sees elderly people “struggling so hard selling goods or still working even when their age no longer allows them.”
Town Councilor Alikhan Asum said the problem lies in a justice system that is biased to the rich and powerful.
“For example: when a poor man steals groceries because his child has no milk, he is quickly jailed. But when politicians steal billions, many of them are never imprisoned — that is the real problem,” Asum said.
Asum called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has exposed the anomalies, to “give a lesson, whether a person is a relative or not,” to prove his sincerity in his governance and leadership.
