By Henry Empeño with Jena Rajni Caroline A. Empeño / Photos by TTL

OLONGAPO CITY (Sept. 21, 2025) — Protesters in Olongapo City ripped into shreds “contracts” for ghost flood-control projects to show their disgust with alleged corruption in the government and plunder of public funds during a rally at the Rizal Triangle Park here on Sunday morning.

Calling for “clean and honest governance that truly serves the people,” speakers from various youth, women, civil society, environment, and indigenous people’s groups pressed for the return of stolen public funds, transparency in government contracts, and imprisonment of those guilty of plunder.

The multi-sectoral rally was organized by the People Against Corruption-Olongapo (PACO) in solidarity with nationwide protests Sunday that demanded accountability for anomalous public works projects.

While the protest here only drew less than 200 participants, the messages were boldly writ and resonated among residents.

Youth representative Jiro Cepeda stressed in the rally that without transparency, public funds could be easily abused by a few. He said that ghost projects mean more floods, less classrooms, no irrigation for farmers, and no medicines for hospitals.

“That’s why we continue to drown in floods and corruption,” Cepeda pointed out. “When public money is stolen, our future is also stolen.”

Mikaela Denise, representing women and youth professionals, meanwhile, called for the abolition of political dynasties, describing it as social cancer. She stressed that when power is concentrated in a few, checks and balances dissolve, and favoritism, nepotism, corruption, and impunity instead thrive.

“No family in power would drop their own,” Denise said. “They would continue to protect themselves and cover up their corruption and the riches the stole from public funds.”

To fight the systemic social problem, the speakers pressed for the disqualification of corrupt contractors, abolition of confidential funds, prosecution and imprisonment of those found guilty of plunder, and the passage of the freedom of information (FOI) bill.

Joshua Magno, representing Kaya Natin Youth, said that aside from demanding the return of stolen funds, the government should also freeze the bank accounts of those found guilty, and sequester their assets, including luxury cars.

Weng Quejada, vice president of the Batang Gapo People’s Organization, Inc. and also a local broadcaster, said the people’s fight against corruption should also be strengthened with the fight for constitutional rights, especially the right to access public documents.

“The powerful hide in bank secrecy law and data privacy act,” Quejada said. “The only thing that can shatter this shield is the passage of FOI,” she added.

Following the two-hour rally, some of the participants left to join similar protest actions in Pampanga, Bulacan, and Manila. 