49,000 flood ‘Baha sa Luneta’ youth-led rally vs corruption

Around 49,000 individuals flocked to Rizal Park in Manila on Sunday, Sept. 21, for the massive “Baha sa Luneta: Aksyon Laban sa Korapsyon” protest, led by youth groups and joined by various sectoral and church organizations, to demand accountability for government corruption and anomalies in flood-control projects

From the early hours, student activists and young professionals led the march toward Luneta, carrying placards that read “Kabataan laban sa kurapsyon” and “No to flood of corruption.”

The pedestrian crossing in front of the Rizal Monument was filled by 9 a.m., as sectoral groups, church leaders, and first-time rallyists joined the throng.

Labor leader Ka Leody de Guzman, who addressed the crowd, said the rally proved that Filipinos had grown weary of systemic corruption.

“Binabati ko kayong lahat dahil kayong lahat ay tutol sa korupsyon at gusto niyo nang wakasan ang korupsyon,” de Guzman said. “Sa mga magnanakaw sa ating gobyerno, dapat kayong sakdal, dapat kayong managot, dapat kayong lahat ay ipakulong at dapat bawiin ang inyong mga ninakaw. Yan ang dapat sa inyo.”

He added that corruption could only be fully eradicated if the political system that enables it is dismantled.

“Pero higit sa lahat, para matapos na ang walang tigil na pabalik-balik na korupsyon sa Pilipinas, dapat tapusin na ang sistema ang pinagmumulaan ng korupsyon, ang sistema ng ating politika, ang political dynasty,” he said.

The rally, which opened with the singing of the national anthem, featured performances and speeches from student leaders, religious groups, and cultural workers. Among the early participants were members of Gabriela, Health Alliance for Democracy, and Karapatan, alongside ordinary citizens who braved the morning heat to join.

Protesters demanded the disclosure of government officials’ statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs), the signing of bank secrecy waivers, and accountability for officials implicated in irregularities surrounding flood-control projects.