The Buttress

21/09/2025

110 CORDILLERA YOUTH AND STUDENT ORGS SIGN YOUTH MANIFESTO AGAINST CORRUPTION!

MANININGIL ANG MGA KABATAAN, MANININGIL ANG BAYAN!

Tama na! Sobra na!

Nakikiisa ang mamamayan ng Baguio-Benguet at ng buong Kordilyera sa dumadagundong na panawagan ng mamamayang Pilino laban malawakan at garapalang korupsyon sa pondo ng bayan.

Hindi kami mananahimik. Nakahanda nang maningil ang taumbayan!

Hindi na ito bago ang “DPWH exposè”, lalong hindi nakakagulat. Malalim na nakaugat na sistema ng korapsyon sa ating gobyerno at mga kasapakat nito. Ngunit hindi ibig-sabihin ay mananahimik na lamang ang mamamayan. Habang milyong-milyong Pilipino ang lubog sa matinding kahirapan at inhustisya, nagpapasasa ang iilan sa pera ng bayan ang iilan. Habang kami’y patuloy na nalulunod, sila nama’y masayang nagtatampisaw sa buwis ng mamamayan.

Ngayong Sept 21, sabay ng ika-53 anibersaryo ng Batas Militar ng dating diktador, magbabangon ang bayan at tayo mismo ang bahang di mapipigilan ng mga korap at pahirap! Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot!

Ang aming mga panawagan:
1. Alisin sa pwesto, panagutin at ikulong ang LAHAT ng sangkot sa maanomalyang flood control projects at iba pang pangungurakot mula kay Duterte hanggang kay Marcos. Imbestigahan at panagutin ang mga sangkot sa maanomalyang mga proyekto sa Benguet at buong Kordilyera!

2. Ibalik ang ninakaw na pera ng bayan! Bawiin ang mga luxury cars, mamahaling relo, signature bag at designer clothes ng mga korap na kontraktor, opisyal at pulitiko. Ang yamang binawi, ilaan sa kalusugan, edukasyon, pabahay, kompensasyon sa mga nabah!

3. Buksan ang Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN) ng LAHAT ng government officials at papirmahin ng waiver para masilip ang kanilang mga bank account at ari-arian. Hindi sila dapat covered ng Bank Secrecy Law.

4. Ilabas ang lista at i-ban ang mga kontraktor at supplier na sangkot sa katiwalian at may kaugnayan sa mga mambabatas at opisyal ng gobyerno!

5. Buwagin ang "small group" sa Kongreso at ibukas sa publiko ang buong records ng mga budget hearing at bicameral conference committee!

6. Tutulan ang 1.3B budget cut sa mga State Universities and Colleges (SUC) sa Cordillera at sa buong bansa! Ilaan ang pondo ng bayan para sa edukasyon, kalusugan, pabahay at iba pang serbisyong panlipunan!

7. I-abolish ang lahat ng pork barrel funds at sikretong confidential and intelligence funds! Wakasan ang paghahari ng mga political dynasty at korap na sistema sa gobyerno!

Bahain ng protesta ang korap na sistema!
8:30 AM | Baguio Convention Center

21/09/2025

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞

𝐴 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡.

Fifty-three years ago, then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. shackled the Philippines under Martial Law. On September 21, 1972, he signed Proclamation 1081, dissolved democratic institutions, and placed the nation under military rule. What was a promise of discipline was in truth a reign of terror: over 70,000 imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and more than 3,000 killed. Journalists silenced, newspapers shut down, and anyone who contradicted the rule vanished. Families lived in fear of midnight arrest, while other communities, especially in Mindanao, suffered massacres under martial law.

While people suffered under fear and repression, the nation's coffers were stolen. The Marcos family and their allies plundered an estimated $10 billion through hidden accounts and ghost corporations that drowned the country in debt. Tall buildings masked the deepening poverty, while Filipinos bore the burden of paying stolen loans to fund greed. Contrary to what they say, Martial Law was not an order but a betrayal written in every cell, every co**se, and every stolen peso.

That darkness should have been a warning forever burned into memory. Yet today, another Marcos rules, and the echoes are impossible to ignore. The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged billions lost to ghost projects and ballooning confidential funds. Disaster relief operations remain inadequate while floods submerge the nation because corruption drains the resources meant to protect people. From overpriced infrastructure to unaccounted government spending, the shadow of plunder is no longer a history but a pattern repeating itself before our eyes.

Because the parallel is undeniable, before, lies justified tyranny; now, silence excuses corruption. Then, the nation was forced into submission by fear, and now, the same last name presides over scandals and chooses complicity rather than accountability. The blood and suffering of Martial Law were not supposed to be lessons but warnings of what could happen if history repeats itself.

Martial Law is not just history but a mirror. And what the country sees in the mirror today is a Marcos administration that cannot and will not confront corruption within its own ranks. Silence, in this matter, is not weakness but consent. And consent to corruption and betrayal guarantees that history will be learned and felt deeply.

Some might argue that "𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑛." But history is not about familial linkages but their choices and their choices today reveal that this is not a break from the past, but perhaps a continuation. The fabric of corruption, impunity, and betrayal is the same—cut from the same cloth and stitched with the same thread.

Fifty-three years after Martial Law, the lesson is as urgent as ever: brutality, betrayal, and plunder are never relics of the past when those who inherit power choose to repeat them. If we don't want history to repeat itself, we must fight against impunity and remember that it is up to us to decide and build a better world for the next generation.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.

By Cora
Illustration by Sayechi

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The Buttress Publication commemorates the dark years of martial law by standing with its victims and survivors while condemning the persisting corruption and impunity. It also reminds the nation that to forget is to allow history to repeat itself.

21/09/2025

𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 | Mayor Benjie Magalong suspended classes on ALL LEVELS tomorrow, September 22, due to inclement weather brought by Super Typhoon Nando.

21/09/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | Fifty-three years since the Philippines was jailed by its own president, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, and now, his son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., upholds the duties of the nation, but does he?

September 21 marks the declaration of martial law. In commemoration of that dark era, several students and organizations gathered to portray the voice of the Filipino people seeking action on the proliferating issues of the nation, such as corruption.

Photos by Posang Gala

21/09/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | Echoes of defiance rise in Baguio as students and organizations flood the streets for the Baguio-Benguet March Against Corruption.

From Baguio Convention Center to Session Road and Malcolm Square, the march amplifies the call to end corruption and demand accountability from those in power.

Photos by Emarson Pagador

20/09/2025

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | In protest of the current situation within the government sectors, the Lousian community initiated a walkout protest at Saint Louis University (SLU) 's main gate, with hundreds of students participating.

This walkout protest serves as a call to action on the pressing matters of corruption and how the government is failing its people: accessible health care, quality education, sustainable livelihood, and genuine public service.

Photos by Natasha Leonardo

18/09/2025

𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝘆𝗼𝘂!

After a jarring succesion of screening, Master Buttlog congratulates the new set of Freshmeats of The Buttress Publication.

18/09/2025

𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 | This year’s SEA Sound Spectrum (SSS) struck a joyful chord as the BIBO community gathered for a night of music, purpose, and solidarity.

With every performance, students and faculty showcased not only their talents but also their commitment to helping as they transformed the stage into a platform for charity in support of Saint Louis College (SLC) in San Fernando, La Union, which was severely damaged by Typhoon Emong.

Performances resonated with hope and generosity, proving that music can unite communities and spark change. Relive the highlights of this unforgettable night where every beat carried a message of compassion.

by Khryztine Manzano
Videographers: TBP PJ Department
Video Editors: Billy Balallo and Seth Amando Lacerna

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Musics used: Liwanag sa Dilim by Pablo of SB19, Gento by SB19, Walang Humpay by 19th Street, and Salamin by BINI
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. The music used in this video belongs to its rightful owner.

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17/09/2025