22/09/2025
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐
Itโs happening again. The streets are filled with Filipinos, not for a festival, but for something much more seriousโ a fight for our lives against a government that seems to have forgotten who itโs supposed to serve. The streets are roaring, Filipinos are risking everything, not for a handout, but for our basic right to a country that is rotting from the inside out. This is not just about protesting, it is the urgent, painful call of a nation suffocated by corruption, demanding a reckoning that has long been denied. They have been failing us for so long, and it is time we make them listen. This is a declaration that the Filipino people will no longer sit back and tolerate the systemic rot that has hollowed out every foundation of their society.
For too long, the narrative has always been about those in power. It feels like our government has been putting on a show, talking about progress and all the good things happening. But for anyone paying attention, it seems like a thin veil over the festering wounds of graft and deceit. Billions of pesos are allocated for public projects that appear to be only true on paper. It is not a secret, studies from Transparency International in 2023 showed that our country ranked 115th out of 180 countries for how corrupt people think our government is. Thatโs a terrible score, and itโs not just a number on a piece of paper. It is why our schools lack books, why our hospitals are under-equipped, and why so many families canโt afford what they need to live. The widespread abuse of public funds for personal enrichment is a direct assault on the dignity and future of every Filipino.
If you think these rallies are just people holding signs, youโre missing the whole picture. Beneath the surface of televised protests and social media posts lies a brutal, often unseen, truth. While news reports might show a peaceful march, the real story is a tense face-off. The โunseen clashโ is not always violent in the overt sense of rubber bullets and water cannons, though these are tragically not uncommon. It is in the psychological warfare, the intimidation tactics, and the subtle but pervasive efforts to put rallies to an end. Filipinos are out there just trying to be heard, and sometimes, the government responds with intimidation and force. It is a sad reality that when people ask for something as simple as accountability, the governmentโs first reaction is to try and silence them.
Some people, like those who are not on the streets, might argue that these rallies are just a huge hassle. They might say that rallies are disruptive, that they hinder economic activity, or that reforms take time and cannot be rushed by street action. However, this argument willfully ignores decades of trying to beg the government using the โslow, more deliberate approach.โ The legal and political systems that are supposed to protect us are the very same ones that are broken. They are chocked by a network of powerful people and old-school bureaucracy that makes it nearly impossible to hold anyone powerful accountable. The reason why Filipinos are in the streets is because the governmentโs own system failed to give us justice. So, to label the anger and pain of Filipinos as โimpatienceโ is just an excuse to let the problem continue. Our peaceful protests are the last resort when all other options have been exhausted.
This systemic failure demands more than just being angry on social media. It is our right to ensure that the government serves the people, not the powerful. Every case of corruption must be pursued relentlessly, with zero tolerance for political immunity. The law must become a sword of justice, not a shield for the corrupt. Let us empower institutions that are designed to protect us, let us force transparency on our government. We must pull back the curtain on every financial transaction and every public record. Remember, every centavo stolen is a piece of our future taken away. This is the fight of our generation, so that the next one may inherit a nation of integrity, not a legacy of betrayal.
This call for accountability is not a whisper, it is a thundering roar that echoes from every corner of this archipelago. It is a desperate plea from people who are tired of promises being broken and trust being betrayed. This is the moment for every Filipino to recognize that their silence is complicity, and their inaction is surrender. We, the people, hold the ultimate power. We are done with being taken for granted. Demand better. Act now. For the soul of our nation, for the future of our children, let the deafening silence of the government meet with the undeniable, unwavering voice of united Filipino people.
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Written by Crystal Green
Layout by Nazarene Espenocilla
