📷: Kilusang Mayo Uno | FB
Despite the rain, the anger of workers and citizens poured harder as hundreds gathered outside the House of Representatives to denounce what they called “brazen theft” of public funds during the budget hearing of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Led by labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), the protest highlighted alleged corruption in flood control projects, which demonstrators claimed were used as conduits for kickbacks and ghost spending.
The groups accused lawmakers and their contractor allies of siphoning billions through fake infrastructure programs, demanding accountability and transparency in the 2025 national budget deliberations.
Protesters also directed their ire at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., branding him “kurakot-in-chief” and condemning the use of confidential funds and pork barrel allocations. They argued that these mechanisms enable unchecked spending and deepen systemic corruption.
The mobilization called for an end to what KMU described as “burukrata-kapitalismo,”a term used to critique the entrenchment of bureaucratic privilege and capitalist exploitation in Philippine governance.
The group urged broader participation in upcoming mass actions, particularly on September 21, the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, which has become a symbolic date for resistance against authoritarianism and corruption.
This mobilization echoes a rising tide of resistance from progressive movements, already rallying against deep cuts to education and vital cash assistance for vulnerable communities.
KMU and allied groups vowed to escalate their campaign in the coming weeks, demanding structural reforms and the abolition of discretionary funds. (ZIA LUNA)
