WHILE the process of holding corrupt officials accountable has been too slow to bear, Malacañang insinuates that protesting against corruption is a crime.
Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said, “Hindi po lisensya ang pagiging kabataan para po gumawa ng isang krimen […]. Ang batas po ay walang tinitingnan. Kabataan na nasa tamang edad. Senior citizen may edad. Kapag gumawa ng krimen at lumabag sa batas, dapat lamang po managot.”
The Palace defends the police that issued subpoenas to student and youth leaders who successfully mobilized their constituents to demand accountability for rampant corruption in government.
Malacañang even claims that the current justice system exempts no one regardless of age. This hypocritical remark of Malacañang, which is being used against young anti-corruption advocates, comes at a time when Sandiganbayan released its decision acquitting former senator and now presidential legal adviser Juan Ponce Enrile from his graft cases related to the 2013 pork barrel scam.
Kahublagan Kontra Kurapsyon, together with all Ilonggos fighting for an end to systemic corruption, believes that recent developments underscore the double standards of the people in power. They brazenly go after young Filipinos who work towards getting rid of systems institutionalizing corruption, while they protect personalities who have become symbols of impunity.
These are lessons for us to learn from: as long as we tolerate systemic corruption to continue in whatever form, and if we do not uphold our right to express and to protest against social ills, the greedy politicians and their partners will go on to devise more corruption scams that will rock the country sometime in the future.
Thus, we in KKK-Iloilo demand that all those involved in corruption, past or present, must face full accountability for their crimes against the Filipino people. We also stand together to defend the right to protest against theft of public funds and the slow pace of the justice system that shields the few and powerful. – KAHUBLAGAN KONTRA KURAPSYON <kahublagankontrakurapsyon@gmail.com>
