Trillion Peso March targets corruption, not Marcos

Organizers of the second Trillion Peso March, scheduled for 30 November at the EDSA Shrine and People Power Monument, clarified that their protest is not a call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign. The focus, they said, is on ending corruption and dismantling political dynasties.

“The advocacy of the Trillion Peso March is not to topple the current administration. We are not calling for the resignation of our country’s leaders. Our only call is to expose and to hold accountable those who have committed wrongdoing to return the money stolen from our nation,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Caritas Manila, in a press conference at the Archdiocese of Manila in Intramuros on Monday.

Bagaforo emphasized the group does not support a military takeover or junta.

“We are also not supporting groups that seek to establish a military junta, revolutionary government, or any effort to replace our current government. Our stand is guided by the Constitution, and we are pushing for a democratic process,” the CBCP leader said.

To the Trillion Peso March Movement, corruption and political dynasties are twin heads of the same monster.

“To liberate ourselves from its tight grip, we must confront both and their insidious link. On one side, systemic corruption has crippled the country’s development, siphoning the nation’s coffers from the poor. On the other side are political families who rule together and plunder together. Decisions affecting the public welfare are made in private spaces, and public funds become their private bank accounts,” the group said in a statement.

They added that, for some, protecting the family name and reputation seems to take priority over accountability.

“This dynastic politics has resulted in a culture of chronic impunity, where corruption and abuse become the norm. In the face of this deepening culture of impunity, we should not be trapped between false choices. No Marcos, definitely no Duterte, nor an unelected junta can represent our anger and hope. President Marcos Jr. needs to answer for the level of corruption that has ballooned under his administration,” they said.

They also stressed that the Dutertes must never be allowed to hijack their movement and wash their blood-stained hands.

“We also warn against undemocratic calls for military intervention to install an unelected junta or revolutionary government. The people, united by our pursuit of radical change in the face of this crisis, must push forward a path that deepens our democracy and strengthens the rule of law. This path should not dethrone one family over another nor install an unelected junta. Instead, this path must drastically advance our peaceful exercise of people power in institutions of governance,” they said.

Praise the Lord

Meanwhile, Bagaforo extolled the government for having arrested at least one personality involved in the flood control controversy.

“Praise the Lord! This is a positive step forward. But it is not enough. We understand and we have seen the level of corruption in the hearings. This should be just the start and many more should be made to answer, especially those at the top,” he said in English and Filipino.

In a video message on Monday, President Marcos Jr. disclosed that seven persons have been arrested out of the 16 who were issued warrants of arrest for the flood control projects cases.

The President said the seven are now in custody. One suspect was arrested by the NBI, while the other six turned themselves in to the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Two other accused have reportedly indicated they will turn themselves in to the authorities.

Marcos urged the remaining accused to surrender, warning that anyone sheltering them will also face charges.