FRESH VIEWPOINTS: A NEW PERSPECTIVE
By Brian James Lu
The Filipino public is growing increasingly outraged as more reports surface of ghost projects and incomplete, substandard flood control initiatives across the country. Citizens from various sectors have expressed alarm over the depth and persistence of corruption. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has emerged as a symbol of this problem, with some employees reportedly feeling ashamed to wear their uniforms amid mounting public anger.
The recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sparked a stir in a nation long numbed by corruption. His sharp words – “Mahiya naman kayo (Shame on you)” – have stirred Filipinos to take action, reporting ghost projects, incomplete works, and substandard flood control structures through the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website. In just days, the list of complaints has grown, forming a map of alleged irregularities that netizens now pore over with vigilance.
All sectors are now raising their voices against corruption, particularly the scale of anomalies linked to the DPWH. This broad outrage is a positive sign, as civil society organizations, the Church, youth, business, academe, and concerned citizens are uniting to protest. Many have even remarked that past scandals, including the Napoles plunder case, pale in comparison to the magnitude of corruption now being uncovered.
A broad coalition of civil society organizations is voicing its anger and disgust, preparing for a massive rally at EDSA and Luneta on Sept. 21. Similar protest actions are also taking shape in major cities and provinces across the country. Widespread corruption, long tolerated by a weary public, has now become the force uniting the nation in collective outrage.
Concerned citizens are even finding creative ways to show their disgust over corruption. In Quezon City, senior citizens turned their weekend Zumba routine into a protest dance. In Marikina, more than 500 runners joined the “Takbo Laban sa Korapsyon,” while over 150 cycling groups staged the #KontrakTOUR Bike Protest from Quezon City Hall to Luneta Park. The most dramatic, however, was the walkout of thousands of University of the Philippines students, which spread widely across social media. Similar protests have also erupted in universities and major cities, especially across the National Capital Region.
Thirty business groups have condemned what they describe as the “shameful, unabated, continuing, and excessive acts” of corruption. Their demand goes beyond simply curbing greed within the DPWH – they are calling for an end to these practices and jail time for those involved. Even the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business association, has urged the government to act swiftly, warning that corruption in flood control projects could erode investor confidence and alarm neighboring countries. The business sector stressed its concern, noting that it is among the country’s biggest sources of tax revenues.
The President is just as outraged at the scale of corruption in the DPWH. He even said that if he were not President, he might be out there marching on Sept. 21. In his words, “We should all be frustrated. You can demonstrate, but keep it peaceful.” With that, he gave voice to the very sentiments now rumbling across the nation.
What struck me most was the way he drove the point home: “To show that you are enraged. Demonstrating your anger is crucial. Demonstrate your disappointment. Demonstrating your desire for justice is crucial. It is important to demonstrate your desire for justice and fairness. What’s wrong with that?” Indeed, what is wrong with anger when faced with corruption this brazen and this deep? Who in their right mind would not be furious? And day after day, as more ghost projects and substandard works are exposed, the reasons for outrage only multiply.
Currently, Bulacan holds the dubious distinction of having the most corrupt flood control project in the country. Fittingly, it was the first case filed by the new DPWH secretary – a sweeping charge against 20 personnel from the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office and four private contractors accused of massive corruption. The public has made it clear that the guilty should face jail time. The outrage is palpable. The people are angry. And yes, even the President is outraged.
Some fear that this outrage could spiral into chaos, like what happened in Nepal and Indonesia where frustrated mobs turned violent. The police are already on red alert as preparations intensify for the Sept. 21 rally. There are even whispers that this could become another EDSA III. But I disagree. The two EDSAs toppled presidents. What we are witnessing now is different – a national outrage sparked not against the sitting leader, but by him. This time, it is the president himself exposing corruption and taking it head-on.
As the President put it, “I want to show that there is justice. I want to show that there is fairness. I want to hold these people accountable.” Those are not just words; they are a challenge – to the corrupt, to the complicit, and to the complacent.
In the end, this is no longer just about ghost projects or flood control scams – it is about a nation finally refusing to be ghosted by corruption itself. The anger is real, the outrage is raw, and the momentum is building. Sept. 21 will not be remembered as a day of chaos but as a day when Filipinos stood up to say: enough. With Marcos keeping his word and the people sustaining their fury, the event could mark the beginning of a reckoning – not only for the DPWH, but for every public official who still believes corruption is business as usual.
