“Jail the corrupt, return what was stolen,” about 3,000 Negrenses chanted at the Trillion Peso March 2.0 in Bacolod City Sunday afternoon, Nov. 30.
The protestors who marched to the replica of the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) at the Bacolod Public Plaza carried a streamer that read “Tama na, sobra na, lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot (Enough is enough. Everyone involved must be held accountable)”.
Speakers at the protest called on Negrenses to take an active part in seeing to the prosecution of the corrupt who stole from the coffers of government at the expense of the people.
It is not enough to just join rallies, the Filipino people need to stay vigilant to prevent corruption in government and to help see to the prosecution and jailing of the culprits, former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela said.
“If we don’t wake up and change, the Philippines will become a banana republic,” he warned.
He also stressed the need for civil society to keep a close watch on flood control projects implemented by government to ensure that they are above board and address flooding.
“Each and everyone of us must be involved,” he also said, in the watch versus the illegal dumping of garbage and the construction of illegal structures that block waterways.
Cesar Beloria Jr. of the Council of Concerned Citizens, which has been investigating alleged anomalous flood control projects in Bacolod, called on the public to participate in the filing of cases against the culprits.
Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon, whose speech was read for him by Fr. Marvin Labasan, chancellor of the Diocese of Bacolod, said the perpetrators must be held accountable.
The substandard government projects, ghost projects, and excessive theft have caused great damage to the livelihoods and lives of the people, he said.
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Louise Manda Co said the youth are angry and are fighting back against corruption.
The Kabataan Partylist and the Makabayan bloc are doing their share to ensure that the corrupt are jailed, she also said.
The messages on the streamers and placards at the rally said “Break the chain, stop the corruption”, “Stop robbing the poor” “Jail the corrupt”, “It will be December tomorrow, no one has been jailed”, “Marcos-Duterte, useless, no different”, “All must be held answerable, whether its Marcos or Duterte”.
Bacolod police director, Col. Joeresty Cronica, estimated those who marched to the BCGC replica for the Bacolod rally at about 3,000.
A Trillion Peso March 2.0 rally was also held in Kabankalan City led by Bishop Louie Galbines Sunday afternoon.*
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