Notre Dame students hold Black Friday Protest vs. corruption
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 27 September) – Notre Dame students and members of the public gathered here Friday evening to collectively express their continuing indignation over the corruption scandal rocking the nation.
Chants of “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot! Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot!” (Jail the corrupt) reverberated along the main street of Alunan Avenue as the students staged the protest rally outside the South Cotabato Sports Complex.
Dubbed “Students in Solidarity: An Indignation Rally Against Corruption,” the protest action was spearheaded by students belonging to the Political Science Society of the Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU).
Adrian Pete Pregonir, a young NDMU instructor, lauded the students for taking to the streets to express their outrage and indignation at the large scale corruption over flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) involving private contractors and government officials, including incumbent and former members of Congress.
“Ang kailangan lamang nating gawin ay makisali. Dahil ang sino mang pipi … ang hindi sumasali sa ganitong isyu ay walang silbi sa ating lipunan. Kaya sapat na dapat magsalita tayo. Walang puwang ang manahimik” (What we all need to do is to join and not be silent. If you don’t speak up against this issue, you’re no good to our society. It is just right to speak out. Silence is not an option),he told the students.
Pregonir urged the youth to continue the fight against corruption until the big corrupt individuals are put behind bars.
Sr. Susana Bravante, O.P., principal of Notre Dame – Siena School of Marbel, also hailed the youth for loudly speaking out their minds against the corruption scandal at the DPWH.
“I thanked our youth for being aware of the malfeasances happening in our country,” she said in Filipino, referring to the flood control mess.
One of the student speakers stressed that government officials should be the servants of the people and not their masters.
“Our interests, needs and aspirations should be a top priority and are not something to be asked for (from government officials),” she said in her speech.
The protesters ended the peaceful rally with prayers and lighting of candles.
The off-campus Black Friday Protest led by the NDMU students came on the heels of another indignation protest on Thursday evening inside the university premises dubbed “Night of Reflection, Prayer, and Candle Lighting for the Filipino Nation.”
“We say no to corruption and yes to a better nation. Ang kilos na ito ay para sa bayan, para sa mga estudyante na nagnanais ng magandang kinabukasan, para sa mga tao na naghahanap-buhay at lumalaban ng patas,” (This is for the country, for students who want a better future, for people who work and fight fairly), campus journalist Mary Nathalie Cordero said during the rally.
Based on the testimonies of resource persons at the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon investigation in aid of legislation, billions of pesos from ghost or substandard flood control projects were pocketed by several corrupt officials of the DPWH in cahoots with private contractors.
Incumbent Senators Chiz Escudero (former Senate president), Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva and former Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, and Representatives Martin Romualdez (former House Speaker), Zaldy Co (Ako Bicol party-list), and Eric Yap (Benguet) also allegedly took kickbacks from the latest corruption scandal rocking the country.
They denied the accusations.
Last September 21, massive protest actions were mounted in Metro Manila and other key cities across the country to condemn the enormous corruption in flood control projects. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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