REJECTING armed revolution in favor of “organic reform,” the Kagayanon Kontra Korapsyon (KKK) coalition gathered at Gaston Park Saturday to demand accountability for the nation’s cycle of corruption.
The rally was held in solidarity with the nationwide “Trillion Peso March” scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 30.
Nestor M. Banuag Jr., director of the Social Involvement and Advocacy Program at Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, described the gathering as a “solution-seeking engagement.” The group, alongside the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, is pushing for non-radical approaches to hold government officials accountable.
“We already have access to information; however, we seem to be paralyzed because we can’t do anything about this,” Banuag said. “We won’t resort to violence, but we can’t just do nothing.”
Maximizing democratic spaces
Edward Miguel Sunga of Youth Against Kurakot (YAK) said the youth sector advocates for using existing democratic channels rather than radical destabilization.
“As much as possible, we want to maximize the democratic spaces that we still have, although gamay nalang gyud siya (it has become very small),” Sunga said. “We still want to maximize that space in forwarding the reform that we want to see in our society.”
Bong Florendo, coordinator for the Social Action Center of the Archdiocese, warned that corruption often persists by simply changing its systematic approach. He noted that despite the 2013 exposure of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam — masterminded by Janet Lim Napoles — similar issues plague the government today.
“This is a call for safeguards to be installed in our governments so that transparency and accountability are seriously deliberated,” Florendo said.
Lessons from history
The coalition emphasized that peaceful rallies remain vital instruments for social transformation, drawing inspiration from the 1986 People Power Revolution. Just as millions of Filipinos on EDSA ended authoritarian rule through non-violent resistance, the KKK believes moral unity can still delegitimize oppressive structures today.
However, the challenge remains keeping the public engaged.
Banuag noted that the movement isn’t about social media metrics, but about combating public apathy. The coalition fears that with the next presidential election three years away, the cycle of outrage will fade.
Banuag expressed concern that the public treats corruption scandals like a television series: watched intently for a moment, then forgotten until the next episode airs.
“People have had enough,” Banuag said.
