Pampanga residents demand accountability

Braving the midday heat and tight security, hundreds of protesters from across Luzon gathered near the gates of Malacañang on Sunday to denounce alleged government corruption and demand transparency in public spending — particularly in connection with a controversial P2.3-billion flood control project.

The march, which drew farmers, students, workers, and civil society advocates, transformed sections of Luneta Park, Liwasang Bonifacio and Mendiola into pockets of dissent, echoing decades-old chants of reform in the shadow of the presidential palace.

“We came here not to fight, but to be heard,” said Ana Tolentino, a farmer from Pampanga whose community remains flooded from recent rains. “This project was supposed to protect us — instead, it left us more vulnerable. This isn’t just about one barangay. This is about all of us.”

Protesters carried banners calling for accountability and held short programs where they took turns speaking out against what they described as a pattern of misused public funds and unfulfilled infrastructure promises. Many pointed to the flood control project — marred by reports of substandard construction and questionable disbursements — as a symbol of deeper, systemic issues.

“Every peso wasted on corruption is food taken from a family’s table,” said Leandro Manalo, a university student from Bulacan. “We’re not here for chaos. We’re here because silence is no longer an option.”

The protest unfolded peacefully under a significant police presence. Units from Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) were deployed to support National Capital Region Police Office personnel along key rally routes. While no major disturbances were reported, authorities expressed concern over possible disruptions from “infiltrators.”

PBGEN Ponce Rogelio I. Peñones Jr., director of PRO3, reiterated the police’s commitment to upholding the right to peaceful assembly while also emphasizing the need for public cooperation to prevent potential provocations.

“We fully respect the public’s right to protest,” Peñones said. “But we also urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report any attempts to incite violence. This is a shared responsibility.”

Peñones added that PRO3 officers underwent updated training in human rights and de-escalation techniques prior to deployment, noting that collaboration — not confrontation — was the guiding principle of their security approach.

Still, it was the demonstrators who took center stage on Sunday — their voices amplified not only by megaphones, but by the shared frustration of communities that feel left behind by policies made in air-conditioned rooms.