The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM), joined by Tindig Pilipinas and other civil society groups, staged another “Walk for Justice” along Ayala Avenue on Sunday, pressing for accountability over alleged corruption and urging the Senate to move forward with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The march coincided with Makati’s weekly Carless Sunday, beginning at Ayala Triangle Gardens and ending at the Ninoy Aquino Monument, where participants held a short program of speeches, prayers, and the singing of “Bayan Ko.”
Organizers said the protest is part of the continuing “ROAR! Against Corruption” campaign, aimed at sustaining public calls for justice over alleged anomalies, including flood control projects.
ATOM president Voltaire Bohol reminded the crowd of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2025 SONA pledge to prosecute major corruption cases:
“Tuloy-tuloy ang panawagan natin na ‘Mahiya naman kayo!’ dahil mag-iisang taon na po yung pangako na may mga makukulong na malalaking isda.”
Bohol also urged the Senate to begin impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte without delay.
The groups further argued that Senate President Francis Escudero should not preside over the trial, citing his earlier role in delaying proceedings before the Supreme Court voided Duterte’s impeachment as unconstitutional.
“His disregard of ‘forthwith’ led us to this day, and the catastrophic dramatics of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, Sen. Robin Padilla, and the other members of their bloc would never have happened,” the statement read.
Members of the Senate majority bloc have hinted at Escudero’s possible return as presiding officer in the upcoming trial. # (ZIA LUNA)
