Parishioners of the Diocese of Kabankalan refused to sit back on Sunday, November 30, during the Trillion Peso March 2.0 in Kabankalan City, as they confronted what they described as rampant corruption that has spread across government and worsened through the years.
Kabankalon lawyer and Kontra Dynastiya founder Alex Lacson, who attended the rally, told reporters that systemic corruption continues to deepen, and he pushed for reforms in the Philippine Constitution.
“The culture of corruption is not only present in isolated government agencies—it has reached every layer of government,” Lacson said, pointing to reports from Manila that “a waste collector will not collect garbage unless money is offered.”
Reverend father Ivan D. Cantor, director of Social Action for the diocese, likewise agreed that corruption in the country has worsened. He said the country is no longer facing merely a “political crisis but a moral crisis” that has already affected the internal values of individuals.
While some protesters called for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, Cantor distanced himself from the call.
He said the country must first “evaluate” its current situation, noting that a resignation could bring further negative consequences. For now, he added, it is crucial to make leaders “responsible” for their actions.
Meanwhile, Lacson said he rejects the pace and scope of the government’s investigation into anomalous flood-control projects.
The lawyer also said that he wants investigators to uncover the truth behind the alleged involvement of the First Family, as earlier revealed by former DPWH engineer Henry Alcantara, Dizacaya, and former congressman Zaldy Co.
He noted that Co did not assume the chairmanship of the House appropriations committee by chance.
“Zaldy Co did not put himself in that post. He was elected—with the blessing of the Speaker and the President,” Lacson said. “Before they quarreled, they were together. So he knows the involvement of every person.”
“I want to know who was the mastermind, who benefited, and who the big people behind this were. But more than that, I want to see the system reformed,” he added.
Lacson also called for corrupt officials to be held “accountable” and sent “behind bars”.
Generally peaceful
The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region reported that anti-corruption protests across Negros on November 30 remained generally peaceful, with no untoward incidents.
Police deployed 869 personnel across the region, supported by other law enforcement agencies and volunteers, to secure rally participants and the public.
PRO-NIR director Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay praised rally organizers, participants, and the community for following safety protocols, and he commended PNP personnel for their professionalism and diligence.
He said their coordinated work with partner agencies and the public ensured effective security operations during the protests.
Before the rally began, former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela urged citizens to engage government directly to stop corruption.
He said people should not limit themselves to complaining from the outside and that joining rallies alone will not suffice.
Coscolluela called on the public to pursue accountability, prevent continuing corruption, and demand transparency. He also urged government to recover additional stolen public funds, citing the recent turnover of P110 million by Alcantara to the Department of Justice as restitution in the flood-control scandal.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.