KAGAY-ANONS are preparing to join other major cities across the country in a protest action against corruption this coming Sunday, September 21.
The event, dubbed “End the Cycle: Stop Corruption,” will begin with a caravan. Participants are asked to assemble at 2:30 pm at the Rodelsa Rotonda, with a planned departure at 3:10 pm. The caravan will lead to a main rally at the amphitheater at 5 pm. The event is organized by Free Duterte Now.
Organizers are encouraging attendees to wear black shirts and to bring their own placards or tarps. Participants are also advised to bring an umbrella and a raincoat.
In a related development, students and workers of the Jesuit-owned Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan held a noise barrage last Saturday, September 13, on Corrales Street in front of the main campus to oppose corruption.
Carrying placards that read “Korapsyon makapatay” and “Pondo gamitin sa wasto,” students banged drums and other materials to create noise.
The university issued a statement last Friday condemning alleged corruption in flood control projects across the country.
“While floods are a natural occurrence, the suffering and loss of life resulting from inadequate and substandard infrastructure stem directly from corruption, negligence, and a betrayal of public trust,” the statement read in part.
XU Central Student Government president Phillip Talaba said he hopes the ongoing investigations into the flood control projects would be successful.
Xavier University President Father Mars Tan said he was glad to see students leading the call for government accountability.
“The whole university is behind the students,” Tan said, adding that the cause was not political but issue-based.
Lourde Pedimonte, a Typhoon Sendong survivor who stood at the sidelines of the protest, welcomed the call to action.
“Angay na gyud nato singilon ang gobyerno kay dili tiaw ang mabahaan,” she said.
The university’s statement urged government officials, public agencies, and private contractors to “safeguard lives rather than personal interests, and to ensure that every peso of public funds is devoted to the common good.”
“We call upon our fellow Ateneans: remain vigilant, demand accountability, and stand united against corruption. Together, let us strive to build a nation where integrity prevails, justice is served, and the dignity of every Filipino is protected,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the “Duterte Panagutin Campaign Week,” a five-day series of coordinated actions calling for accountability for extrajudicial killings committed under the Duterte administration, is set to kick off in The Hague, organizers announced.
The campaign is organized by the Duterte Panagutin Network Europe and will be attended by Respond and Break the Silence Against the Killings (Resbak), Karapatan, families of victims, and lawyer Kristina Conti.
The campaign will feature a press conference, an indoor conference, and public protests. Organizers said the events are designed to amplify the call for justice and to support international efforts, particularly with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Spokespersons, victims' families, and legal experts will be available for interviews throughout the campaign week.
