📷: Alliance of Concerned Teachers – Philippines | FB
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) criticized the administration’s double standard: swift in suppressing protests, yet seemingly paralyzed when it comes to punishing corruption that continues to claim lives and destroy livelihoods.
“Isang daang araw na ang lumipas mula nang mangako si Marcos Jr. na pananagutin ang mga tiwali—ngunit hanggang ngayon, ni isa wala pang nakulong. Samantala, 277 katao ang agad inaresto matapos magprotesta laban sa korapsyon noong Setyembre 21. Malinaw kung sino ang tunay na kinakatakutan at pinaparusahan ng gobyerno—hindi ang mga kurakot, kundi ang mamamayang lumalaban,” said ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo.
“Habang tinatakot ang mga nagpoprotesta, patuloy namang nilulustay ng mga nasa poder ang kaban ng bayan. Ito ang tunay na larawan ng burukrata kapitalismo—kung saan ang batas ay sandata laban sa mamamayan, at kalasag ng mga makapangyarihan,” Bernardo added.
The alliance joined a multisectoral protest in front of the Office of the Ombudsman today, demanding accountability for the anomalous infrastructure projects that squandered billions in public funds while no one has been held to account more than a hundred days since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to do so.
The group noted that the failure to hold corrupt officials accountable has deadly consequences. Typhoon Tino recently left more than a hundred dead in Cebu, exposing the criminal neglect behind substandard flood-control projects and delayed infrastructure works.
Another potentially catastrophic typhoon is now approaching the country.
“Habang patuloy ang pag-aaksaya at pandarambong, mamamayan ang nagdurusa sa kapabayaan—sa pagbaha, pagkasira ng kabuhayan, at pagkamatay ng mga inosenteng sibilyan. Dugo at pawis ng bayan ang kapalit ng kanilang kasinungalingan at katiwalian,” Bernardo said.
ACT called on the Office of the Ombudsman to pursue decisive investigations and file charges against all officials and contractors involved in the infrastructure anomalies.
The group also urged the public to remain vigilant and organized amid the government’s attempts to silence critics and whitewash accountability.
“Walang hustisya kung walang paniningil. Ang pananahimik ay pakikisangkot. Kaya’t habang nananatiling malaya ang mga mandarambong at inuusig ang mamamayan, patuloy tayong lalaban,” Bernardo concluded. (ZIA LUNA)
