CHURCH leaders and civil society groups have launched a nationwide appeal to the public to go out and join the protest rallies against widespread corruption in the Catholic-majority Philippines slated on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
“The poor are the first to drown in corruption. We cannot remain silent while our people wade through floods that could have been prevented if public funds were used honestly. To steal what belongs to the poor is not only a crime against the nation, but a grave sin against God,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Catholic charity group Caritas Philippines.
The nationwide march coincides with the 53rd commemoration of the declaration of Martial Law, reminding the country “of the enduring power of people’s unity against abuse, dictatorship, and corruption.”
“We call on every Filipino — regardless of faith, political color, or social standing — to set aside differences and unite in the spirit of EDSA. This is not just about one scandal. It is about reclaiming our future from the grip of corruption and impunity,” said Bishop Efraim Tendero, former national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.
On Friday, September 19, rally organizer Church Leaders Council for National Transformation (CLCNT), in collaboration with a broad coalition of civil society organizations, urged participants “to come in white shirts as a symbol of unity and hope.”
“The mobilization seeks to demonstrate the power of the people against massive corruption in flood control projects — a scandal faith leaders have denounced as ‘economic sabotage’ and a moral abomination paid for by the poor,” it said.
The “Trillion Peso March” on Sunday will take place at the Edsa People Power Monument, while another protest action will be at the Luneta Park in Manila, organized by Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (Tama Na) and Kontra Baha, Kontra Kurakot Network.
“We expect people to come out to Luneta and other places…All politicians starting with both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte must disclose their links and relations with contractors, sign bank waivers, and release their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth,” Tonyo Cruz, Luneta rally supporter, told SunStar Philippines.
Various advocacy groups earlier warned that “billions of pesos intended for flood protection were lost to ghost projects, substandard works, and political favoritism — leaving only 40 percent of the funds to benefit the people.”
A report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said that between July 2022 and May 2025, the first three years of the Marcos presidency, the government funded 9,855 flood control projects worth over P545 billion.
Renato Reyes Jr., president of progressive group Bayan, also maintained that while it’s “too early to compare” with the anti-corruption protests in Nepal and Indonesia, “they [government leaders] should never underestimate the people’s anger.”
“So long as lawmakers receive ‘entitlements’ or ‘allocations, so long as they can ‘identify’ or ‘propose’ infrastructure projects, they will always be able to influence the implementation of the project. This is where corruption starts,” Reyes said in a separate statement on Friday.
“Last week, during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, lawmakers were openly discussing that they get as at least 170 million pesos in allocations for their pet projects. Congress leaders and senators likely get more than this especially with their congressional insertions,” he added.
As alleged corruption issues surrounding certain infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been exposed involving lawmakers and the Marcos administration, this prompted House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, cousin of the president, to resign from his post on September 17.
“With a full heart and a clear conscience, I tender my resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives. I do this so that the Independent Commission on Infrastructure may pursue its mandate freely and fully — without doubt, without interference, and without undue influence,” said Romualdez, who led the country’s over 300 lawmakers. (Ronald O. Reyes/SunStar Philippines)
