Turning public outrage into lasting change

Filipinos flooding the streets of Metro Manila and provinces last Sunday to protest corruption and demand accountability could very well be the tipping point to vanquish a pervasive menace that has survived every past administration.

- 

The timing of the Sept. 21 protest rallies is uncanny. That date commemorates martial law imposed by Marcos Sr., which silenced protests. Now, however, it is President Marcos Jr. who, instead of crushing protests, has encouraged them.

In defending the people's outrage against the looting of billions from flood control projects, the President had declared: "Do you blame them for going out into the streets? Of course, they are enraged... I'm angry. We should all be angry. Because what's happening is not right."

Indeed, who can blame the people? The flood control scandal is exposing how politicians, contractors, and DPWH personnel siphoned off billions meant to prevent disastrous floods. What they left behind are substandard dikes, ghost projects, and neighborhoods that go underwater with every storm. People are not just soaked; they are drowning in betrayal.

The political aftershocks have been swift. The DPWH has a new head, many of its personnel are facing charges, and both the Senate and House changed leaders within days of each other. The public anger is so visceral that some people even demand the restoration of capital punishment for those involved.

To his credit, Marcos Jr. has not treated the public outrage as a threat to his rule. He created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to get to the bottom of the scandal. With subpoena powers and a promise of independence, the commission is tasked to unearth the anatomy of corruption and ferret out the culprits.