Anti-plunder group says more young Dabawenyos joining protests vs corruption
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 November) – A growing number of young Dabawenyos are joining protest actions against corruption in government to demand accountability from public officials, according to Rauf Sissay, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Southern Mindanao secretariat member.
During the launch Friday of “Stand Opposition to Plunder (Stop) Corruption Alliance at the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Juna Subdivision, this city, Sissay said there has been a “change” among younger Dabawenyos in terms of demanding accountability for stolen public funds.
He noted that student-led mass protests were staged in schools after the expose on defective and nonexistent flood control projects, implicating lawmakers and officials from various government agencies, particularly the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“As early as September, there have been successive protest actions and activities led by the youth sector, showing change, especially among the younger generation. We witnessed walkouts and mass actions—testaments that here in Davao, there is a shift in public opinion,” he said in Cebuano.
Sissay added that despite the city being dominated by supporters of the Duterte family, collectively called “Diehard Duterte Supporters” or DDS, they remain hopeful that more Dabawenyos will join the alliance to demand accountability from Vice President Sara Duterte and even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Stop Corruption Alliance comprises various civil society organizations, including Bayan-Southern Mindanao, Panalipdan Mindanao, Gabriela, Masipag Inc., and student organizations in Davao.
Sissay said the Filipino people suffer because officials steal government resources intended for infrastructure programs and public services like education and healthcare.
In a series of videos uploaded on his Facebook account, former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Zaldy Co alleged that Marcos was involved in P100 billion worth of budget insertions in the 2025 national budget, along with Leyte Representative and former House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez.
Co is also being investigated for his role as House appropriations committee chair at the time the alleged insertions were made.
Eleven aircraft worth P4.7 billion have been found registered under the names of companies connected to Co, who fled abroad after the outbreak of the scandal over anomalous flood control projects that implicated him and several other lawmakers and officials.
Co’s 11 air assets are registered in his companies: Misibis Aviation & Development Corp., Hi Tone Construction Development Corp. and QM Builders.
Meanwhile, Duterte was accused of misusing confidential funds of the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as secretary, as well as those of the Office of the Vice President. She resigned as DepEd secretary on 19 June 2024 amid a growing conflict with Marcos.
Leo XL Y. Fuentes Jr., regional coordinator of farmers group Masipag Inc., said the alliance is a non-partisan group that aims to expose and resist systemic corruption at every level of government, and amplify the people’s voice demanding transparency, accountability, and justice.
He said it also aims to mobilize collective action through protests and forums as well as digital campaigns and community initiatives that will pressure institutions to uphold integrity and good governance, and foster solidarity among citizens who believe that public office is a public trust.
He said the alliance will work to educate Dabawenyos about the worsening corruption problem.
“In the Stop Corruption Alliance, efforts are being made to raise awareness. There is a consensus that Davao is prone to flooding, which is why flood control projects are being implemented,” he said.
“Flood control projects should prevent flooding, yet the fact that floods still occur raises serious questions,” he said.
Fuentes acknowledged that “messaging remains challenging, especially given Davao’s polarized political landscape,” but said the alliance will strive to “break the myth that the city is homogenous” and ruled by a single dominant force, referring to the Dutertes.
Jean Lindo, co-chair of Panalipdan! Mindanao, said the Dutertes don’t have concrete actions to stop corruption.
“Personally, I waited for them to take concrete action against the sources of corruption. Have we seen any? None. They only fought with their rivals. It is as if there is one prey, and two dinosaurs are fighting over it,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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