𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐂𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐂𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐗 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐒?‎‎

𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐂𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐂𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐗 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐒?

‎On November 30, 2025, the nation will fill their streets again with unrest. Students, civic group members, and ordinary citizens from all walks of life who demand justice for their taxes will all come together once more for what is expected to be the follow-up rally to the September 21 trillion peso march. It is to once again demand justice for the 545 billion peso worth of stolen money from the national treasury that went not to flood projects, roads, bridges, and classrooms, but to elite vipers' luxury cars, mansion gardens, and beach resthouses.

‎But looking back, the September 21 rallies left a scar that shows a flaw in the system. The streets of Manila once echoed with chants of “tama na, sobra na.” Thousands of Filipinos — students, workers, activists, even children — marched under the scorching sun, demanding accountability for the billions allegedly lost in flood-control projects. Yet when the dust settled and the placards were gone, one bitter truth remained: more than 200 protesters were arrested that day, yet not a single corrupt politician has been put behind bars.

‎𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗, 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦

‎According to Al Jazeera, at least 224 individuals were detained during the anti-corruption protests. Police claimed the arrests were for “violent acts,” yet reports from Amnesty International Philippines revealed that some of those detained were minors as young as nine, who were simply caught in the chaos of the rally.

‎Meanwhile, the reason behind the outrage — the ₱545-billion flood-control project scandal, continues to drag through Senate hearings and investigations. Reuters and South China Morning Post confirmed that several politicians and contractors are being probed for pocketing public funds, but as of now, not one of them has been jailed.

‎How is it that justice moves so swiftly against unarmed citizens with cardboard signs, but so slowly against those who sign billion-peso contracts in air-conditioned offices?

‎

‎𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

‎The protest took place on September 21, the same date Martial Law was declared 53 years ago. Perhaps it’s no coincidence. History seems to be repeating itself: when the people rise to speak, those in power respond with handcuffs instead of answers.

‎The youth, who have grown up learning about dictatorship and democracy, can see the irony too clearly. We were taught that the right to protest is part of freedom. Yet in 2025, exercising that right can land you in a police van. This isn’t just about the flood-control projects. This is about the dangerous message being sent that power still shields the powerful, and that those who question them must be silenced.

‎

‎𝗔 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦

‎For a nation that faces floods every year, corruption in infrastructure isn’t just an economic issue, it’s a life-and-death matter. Every peso stolen from public projects means a community unprotected, a family displaced, a child swept away. When flood-control projects become flood-causing scandals, the people have every right to rage. To arrest them for demanding accountability is not only unjust — it is cruel.

‎‎

‎𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬

‎If the government truly wishes to prove it stands for justice, it must act on both sides of the law. The government must hold the corrupt accountable, no matter how powerful they are, and protect the people’s right to protest — especially the youth whose voices shape the nation’s future. It is their duty to make investigations transparent, and end the culture of “inquiry without consequence.” Arresting protesters is easy. Arresting politicians requires courage, and it’s courage our justice system seems to lack.

‎The sight of handcuffed protesters and free officials tells us everything about where power still lies. And so, the question remains — who really deserves the jail cell: the citizen who demanded honesty, or the official who betrayed it?

‎On the November 30 rallies, the oppressions that happened on September 21 should never happen again. Police must publicly commit to a “no mass arrest” policy for peaceful demonstrators, and officers must wear visible body cameras to ensure accountability. The Commission on Human Rights must also station human rights observers in every major protest site, while media organizations should be guaranteed unrestricted coverage without intimidation. 

‎Above all, the government must redirect its energy from silencing dissent to prosecuting the corrupt. The right to protest is not a crime — it is the last defense of a democracy that still dares to call itself free. Let this time be different. Let this time be just.

‎Until the answer changes, the youth will keep marching. Suppressing people's voices is also suppressing the change that this country needs.

‎P.S.The Northwestern Visayan Colleges upholds the right of its students and organizations to free expression in all accordance with the Constitution and school policies. However, the views expressed by NVC The Forum publication are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the institution.

‎✍🏻: Princess Cauilan, Feature Writer

‎🖼: Patrick James Ureta, Editorial Cartoonist

‎