“The people have spoken against corruption. It is now our turn in Congress to do our part and ensure transparency and real reforms in the budget,” Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Sunday, Sept. 21.
He said the rallies on Sunday and in previous days show the people’s deep and growing frustration with corruption. The people have made a loud call for honesty, accountability, and reform, Benitez said.
As Congress begins deliberations on the national budget on Monday, they must take the people’s message to heart, he said.
“As an independent voice of the House, I will continue to scrutinize this budget with a critical eye. We cannot allow insertions and questionable projects to pass unnoticed,” he said.
“We must make sure that what the House approves will serve the public good, not private interests,” he added.
The people have done their part by taking to the parliament of streets, “now it is our turn to do our part inside the halls of Congress,” Benitez said.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said “we have shown time and again that peaceful mass action is a powerful force for change”.
He said the rallies on Sunday more than a show of conviction were “also a call for accountability, that those guilty of corruption be brought to justice”.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya convened a coordination meeting with key city departments Sunday to ensure peace and order ahead of the rally in the afternoon.*