Advocates call on youth to lead Sept. 21 anti-corruption rally in CDO
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 20 September) — Lawyers, priests, and civil society groups urged young people to take the lead in the fight against corruption as they gathered Friday at the Capitol Grounds for a protest ahead of the September 21 nationwide rally.
“Biktima ta sa baha, baha sa tubig ug baha sa korapsyon” (We are victims of floods — floods of water and floods of corruption), said Atty. Beverly Musni, of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM).
Members of the UPLM, the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), and the Kabataan Partylist joined the protest, wearing black as they marched from Plaza Divisoria to the Capitol Grounds.
Lawyer Beverly Musni of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) speaks to the media as groups gather in Cagayan de Oro City to denounce corruption on Friday, September 19, 2025 at the Magsaysay Park. (MindaNews photo by HENNIEQUEL SHAYNE ACOBO)
Musni, UPLM’s Secretary General, stressed the need for young people to take part in the struggle. “The fight for accountability and the fight for truth and good governance, amo nang ipaabot sa kabataan” (we are entrusting this fight for accountability, truth, and good governance to the youth), she said, adding that tolerating corruption would send the wrong message.
“It’s going to be a practice nga ‘okay ra diay mangawat’” (It will make stealing seem acceptable), Musni said at the program held at the Capitol grounds.
She reminded participants of the billions of pesos pocketed by politicians. “Dili nato kalimtan nga ang kwarta nga ilang gikawat, mao unta’y para sa ospital, para sa eskwelahan, ug para sa kaluwasan nato”(We must not forget that the money they stole should have been for hospitals, for schools, and for our welfare), she said.
Rev. Jefferson Palasan of the PCPR echoed the call, saying the Church would always stand with the people. “Ang tao, ang bayan, kauban ang simbahan” (The people, the nation, together with the Church), he said as the crowd chanted in the streets.
Palasan urged fellow citizens to again take to the streets on September 21. “Atong bahaon ang mga kadalanan ug paninglon ang tanan nga mga traydor nga rampant ug corruption sa atong katalingban” (Let us flood the streets and drive out all traitors who bring rampant corruption into our society), he said.
Cagayan de Oro is set to join the “Trillion Peso March,” a nationwide protest against corruption, on September 21. Organizers expect thousands will attend the march that will begin at the St. Augustine Cathedral after the 8 a.m. mass and end at the Vicente de Lara Park. (Henniequel Shayne Acobo / MindaNews)
No comments:
Post a Comment