Various groups in Cebu set protests vs corruption

CEBU, Philippines — Different groups in Cebu are preparing to take to the streets on November 30, Bonifacio Day, to protest corruption in government, each with its own tone and message but united in indignation over what they describe as abuse of public trust.

The national holiday commemorates the birth of Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution, whose legacy of resistance against tyranny lends symbolic weight to the protests.

This time, Church leaders, militant groups, and political allies are preparing separate but overlapping assemblies.

Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy has called on parish communities, schools, civic organizations, and families to join SuPaKK (Sugboanong Pakigbisog Kontra Korupsyon), a prayerful gathering beginning with a Holy Mass at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño at 2:30 p.m on that day.

The faithful will then march to Fuente Osmeña Circle for a short program of prayers and testimonies.

In a note posted over his page Maymay sa Magbalantay, the Archbishop described corruption as “a moral disease, a spiritual crisis, and a grave sin against God and neighbor,” stressing that the rally is not partisan but a collective moral stand.

Earlier in the day, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan–Central Visayas will stage its own protest rally at Fuente Osmeña starting at 9 a.m.

The group urged Cebuanos to show righteous anger against what it called systemic failures in flood control, wages, housing, education, and state repression.

The group said corruption is only a symptom of a deeper decay in governance, and Bonifacio Day is a reminder of the people’s revolutionary duty to resist.

Former Cebu City mayor Mike Rama and Hugpong Katawhang Sugboanon (HUKAS) add another dimension to the day’s protests.

Last Friday, they held an indignation rally at Fuente Osmeña, coinciding with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Cebu, chanting “BBM Resign!” and accusing the administration of corrupt practices.

Rama told The Freeman that he and the other groups are open to joining the November 30 actions, but only if they do not include calls for Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation, reflecting his alliance with the Duterte family even as he positions against Marcos.

With faith-based, militant, and factional groups all converging on Bonifacio Day, Cebu’s streets are set to echo diverse voices united by a common demand: integrity in public service.

The symbolic weight of Bonifacio’s legacy underscores the protests, reminding citizens that the struggle for justice and accountability remains unfinished.

Bam urges co to return

Meanwhile, Senator Bam Aquino has urged former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co to return to the Philippines and place his explosive allegations under oath, saying the public deserves full accountability and transparency in the wake of the alleged P100-billion budget insertions linked to anomalous flood control projects.

Aquino issued the call after Co released a three-part online “exposé” accusing top government officials—including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez—of allegedly receiving kickbacks from massive infrastructure allocations in the 2025 national budget.

The allegations have stirred political tension nationwide and prompted calls for formal investigations.

“I echo the appeal of the Church and many sectors: he should come home,” Aquino said. “Come home, face the DOJ, face the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Be under oath and tell all.”

Aquino stressed that Co’s claims cannot remain as mere online allegations, noting that the gravity of the accusations requires sworn testimony backed by documents and personal appearance before investigating bodies.

Call for accountability

The senator said it is crucial to establish who benefited from the anomalous flood control projects, which he estimates to have cost taxpayers “around a trillion pesos” over the past several years.

“Those involved must be jailed. We cannot allow this to simply pass,” Aquino said. “The government must also make a serious attempt to recover the stolen money. That is public money—pera ng taong-bayan.”

He warned that the country risks seeing the same irregularities repeated annually unless systemic safeguards are introduced. “Kung pababayaan natin ito, after a year, ganito na naman. Masisingitan na naman tayo. We have to break that cycle,” said the senator.

Blockchain budget proposal

Aquino renewed his call for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1506, or the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act—also referred to as the “Blockchain the Budget Act.”

The proposed bill, he authored, seeks to require all government agencies to upload detailed budget documents to a unified Digital Budget Platform, allowing the public to easily verify how funds are allocated and spent.

These documents would include project contracts, bills of materials, procurement details, and real-time disbursement updates—records that are often difficult for citizens and watchdog groups to access under existing systems.

“We have to change the system,” Aquino said. “Pass the CADENA Act, have a better, more transparent budget, and get people more involved in tracking where their money goes.”

Under the proposed measure, failure of an agency to upload required documents within seven days would constitute an administrative offense; failure to do so after 30 days would escalate to a criminal violation.

“May pangil ang CADENA Act,” Aquino explained in his sponsorship speech. “If false or misleading budget information is uploaded, the responsible individual will face imprisonment. Walang takas dito. We cannot allow a ‘garbage in, garbage out’ system.”

Broader implication

The senator emphasized that the controversy surrounding Co’s allegations is more than a political issue—it is a matter of public trust and major fiscal integrity.

“If we want people to continue believing in our institutions, we must fix the system and hold wrongdoers accountable,” he added. — (FREEMAN)