13/09/2025
#๐๐ง๐ค๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ | ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฎ๐-๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ
When a community is fed up, hesitation is not an option, what they need is accountability. This is the case for the recent exposure of ghost flood control projects. Due to the revelation of the unfairly allocated funds, the people are enraged. This led to countless social media backlash, eye-openers, and voices that were held back. Catholic and protest leaders called on Filipinos to join what is supposed to be a massive protest at the People Power Monument to denounce corruption involving billions of pesos in the flood control projects. Hence, the EDSA โTrillion Peso Marchโ was called to set for September 21.
The once difficult to talk about politically sensitive topic, now became a hot topic because of a โblessingโ brought upon by the heavens. Corruption became too used to the higher platform, that flood arrived to reveal the fake foundation politics has instilled in our eyes. And this now became a big stepping stone for the Filipinos to gather the courage to fight against the helpless systemโthis time with leverage.
As ironic as it is, flood, a natural disaster, brings nothing but dismay to those with knees drenched and flood-filled homes. Yet, this became the reason corruption is exposed and brought to light for investigation. This is not just the issue of the missing financial transparency at hand, this is the betrayal of the nationโs trust itself. Every peso risks a life, and around P1.9 Trillion was spent on flood control projects for the past 15 years. For 15 years, a fairly long time, Filipinos have been tricked and fooled into thinking the tax they work so hard everyday to pay went directly to government projects, instead it remains missing. All those years, a fair number of citizens also suffered proportional damage to their assets as well as their health. Every corrupt deal became a series of flash floods that submerges a nation slowly but surely.
Protest enters the room. Voices start to resonate. The date of the march, September 21, is symbolic because it marks the 53rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law under dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, the incumbent presidentโs father. The location of the protest memorializes the 1986 People Power Revolution that ousted the Marcos family. Furthermore, they urged the participants to wear white shirts during the march to symbolize unity and hope. While this is a commendable spirit of those joining the protest, this only reminds us that one can not keep on protesting against the government without change in the system. Numerous times the system has failed the country, public fallacy and yet no action. Would the flood control contractors be truly arrested, or would this be another issue that will be swept aside once again?
The Filipinos must not allow the collusion of contractors, district engineers, and high officials to rob themselves blind. Let all those involved in corruption be held to account. Because while one is seeking for unity and hope, this will just be swayed over floods once again. Corruption, already embedded in the system, stains the once pure desire for unity and hopeโturning it into mud-stained white shirts.
To prevent this, hesitation and silence should be the ones swept aside in times like these. While the people wade through floods courageously, this courage will not go on forever. This could be prevented if only public funds were used properly. Remember, only the flood control projects have started to uncover, how about the healthcare system? The education system? Corruption and impunity is prevalent that much in the nation that with little inference, one can imagine how much more funds are put to waste rather than being properly allocated in the improvement of the economic and holistic progress of the country.
The rally is a call to unite people against corruption and abuse. Through proper reform and accountability from the government, unity and hope will always be one handโs reach, even if it goes through ruthless flash floodsโthat is how much the country needs that white shirt.
