Dubbed as the Trillion Peso March in protest over the trillions of pesos that were siphoned off from taxpayers’ money to the pockets of corrupt public officials through ghost and substandard infrastructure projects, Filipinos across four generations – Baby boomers, GenX, GenY,GenZ – gathered at the Luneta in the morning and EDSA Shrine in the afternoon to demand accountability from those who stole their hard-earned money.
The common message expressed through their shouts and placards: Panagutin lahat na korap.
The outrage that brought concerned Filipinos back to the streets, reminiscent of the 1980’s pre-People Power days that ended the Marcos dictatorship and the anti-PDAF (Priority Assistance Fund) rally in the 1990s(PDAF), was both inspiring and frightening.
Inspiring because it means the people have once again found their voice and courage to tell those they have elected that they felt betrayed. They demand punishment.
Artist-activist Mae Paner said we are witnessing a “Rebolusyon ng Kamalayan (revolution of the consciousness).”
Will the ongoing investigations lead to punishment of those found guilty?
Paner said: “Dapat may makulong.”
Dr. Darcy Santiago, an opthalmologist at the Philippine General Hospital and was in Luneta with his group, the Concerned Eye Doctors, said it would not be easy for those involved to get away unpunished. There are the people who have been awakened. And social media.
“Malas lang nila,tuwing uulan, may baha, maala-ala ng tao ang kanilang mga kinurakot habang sila ay lumulusong sa baha. Kaya tuloy-tuloy ito.”
That’s what the members of the Katipunan ng mga Litratista laban sa Korapsyun (KLIK) resolve to do. Mel Cortes said, they will continue to expose corruption through their camera. “Every image will be a reminder to the nation: enough is enough,” he said.
Photos by Bullit Marquez for VERA Files
