by Renato Reyes Jr. | President, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
Progressive groups aligned with Bayan and Makabayan unite with the broad call “Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot” and “Ikulong ang mga kurakot.” This has been the broadest unity and minimum call for accountability that has mobilized tens of thousands in the anti-corruption protests.
While such minimum demands exist, various groups believe that accountability must reach the highest positions in government, all the way to the President and Vice President, the cabinet secretaries and other officials embroiled in corruption allegations. The kind of accountability being demanded also extends to the entire corrupt ruling system that made possible the wholesale plunder of public funds. The mode of accountability includes legal processes and the more important mode of mass mobilization.
Holding the President and Vice President accountable, which includes their prosecution and removal from office, does not contradict and is in fact consistent with the minimum demand (lahat ng sangkot) and is the logical conclusion of the recent revelations on corruption. It is a cause that we intend to pursue even as the broad demands continue to gain ground. We continue to unite on the minimum calls but this should not preclude groups from pursuing more fundamental demands including changes in the current system and holding the highest officials accountable. Immediate and long-term alternatives to the Marcos and Duterte regime as well as alternatives to the rotten ruling system should be discussed in the context of waging the anti corruption struggle.
Differences often arise if in any mass action, groups are required to adhere only to a minimum set of demands and exclude other demands that are not even contradictory to the minimum calls. Of course demands to defend Marcos Jr or install Sara Duterte as president should be excluded because these are not consistent with anti corruption demands for accountability. But calls assailing Marcos and Duterte and calls pushing for greater reforms do not go against the minimum demands and in fact serve to broaden the discussion on the roots of corruption – a necessity given the very deeply rooted and systemic nature of the crisis. These are not by any means “dangerous” and “unconstitutional”.
On November 30, we will unite and mobilize based on the broadest demand to hold all the corrupt accountable. At the same time, activist groups will make that demand as concrete as possible by identifying the corrupt officials occupying the higehst positions in government and by offering an alternative that goes beyond the current dispensation or one that simply waits for the next elections. Let us not be afraid to engage in such a discussion. Let’s trust in the people’s ability to discern and act based on our shared interests.
