A series of Black Friday protests erupted across Metro Manila on Friday, September 19, as militant groups mobilized against widespread corruption and blunders amid flood control controversies under the Marcos Jr. administration.
From Welcome Rotonda, Quezon City Hall, Anda Circle, Pasig Market, Marikina Bonanza, Pasay Rotonda, Monumento to Zabarte Road, various organizations held their protest action led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – National Capital Region (BAYAN-NCR) bearing placards and streamers highlighting their call “Lusob! Galit kami sa Korap! Lahat ng Sangkot, Dapat Managot!”.
According to BAYAN NCR regional coordinator Alwen Santos, Friday’s protest is only the beginning as bigger demonstrations are expected in the coming days leading up to the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law on September 21, dubbed as “Last Quarter Storm” of this generation.
“Just as the youth stood at the forefront during the First Quarter Storm, today’s generation will spearhead a Last Quarter Storm following a wave of mass protests uniting organizations to hold Marcos, Duterte, and all government officials involved in corruption accountable,” Santos said.
“Beyond September 21, progressive organizations will continue launching sustained actions until the bureaucrat-capitalist system is dismantled,” he added.
From First Quarter Storm to Last Quarter Storm
The term “Last Quarter Storm” draws inspiration from the First Quarter Storm of 1970 when thousands of youth and citizens stormed the streets against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
According to Alyansa ng Kabataan Kontra Korapsyon (AKSYON) spokesperson Ruben Gabas, the youth in today’s generation are once again seen as torchbearers of change against the looming state fascism, corruption, and bureaucrat capitalism.
“This isn’t just about a few corrupt officials. We are confronting one of the very roots of the ills of society called bureaucrat capitalism. It is where those in power, particularly the cronies of Marcos Jr., openly use their positions to plunder the people’s money and turn government into a machine of enrichment for a handful of families and oligarchs,” said Gabas.
He emphasized that bureaucrat capitalism is not simply about removing a few corrupt officials but dismantling a rotten order where government is run like a business.
For veteran professor Dean Tony La Viña, the “Last Quarter Storm” is both metaphorical and literal. He explained that it refers not only to the season of natural storms but also to the storm of corruption and impunity battering the people.
“The crisis we face is not only about corrupt officials stealing from disaster funds. It is also about the political system that allows such abuses to thrive,” La Viña said.
From Marcos Sr. to Marcos Jr.
Beyond condemning anomalies, protest leaders slammed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for saying that if he were not president, he would join the protests.
“The history of the Marcos family is a history of grand theft from the people,” Santos stressed. “When it comes to corruption, the number one culprit is him and his family. His statement is nothing but posturing to cover up their plunder, for which they have yet to be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, Kalayaan Kontra Korapsyon (KKK) organizer Aldrin Kitsune also denounced Marcos Jr.’s pronouncements.
“It’s utterly absurd if it weren’t meant to be downplaying or gaslighting the public. If Metro Manila had not been flooded, would he have highlighted these issues? Would he expose all those involved? He’s only posturing to avoid blame. He’s exactly like his father, Marcos Sr.,” Kitsune said.
Based on Ricardo Manapat’s book Some Are Smarter Than Others and Masaki Yokoyama’s article Marcos’ Yen for Corruption, dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., father of Marcos Jr., pocketed an estimated $47.7 million from Japanese loans, including funds for flood control projects and the controversial San Juanico Bridge.
The elder Marcos was infamously dubbed “Mr. 15 Percent” after revelations that Japanese firms were required to pay kickbacks to secure contracts during Martial Law. Such documents, seized upon the Marcoses’ exile in Hawaii, were later made public by the US Congress in 1986.
Former PCGG commissioner Ruben Carranza even confirmed that flood prevention projects in Manila were among those riddled with “rebates” of at least 15 percent.
Flood the streets with protest on September 21!
According to People Act Now (PAN), a whopping P52.66 billion was allocated for flood control projects this year in Metro Manila, on top of a $415.2 million loan for the Metro Manila Flood Management Project. Despite this, flooding, lack of livelihood, and insecurity among the poor remain rampant.
On September 21, major protests will erupt in the “Billion People March” or Baha sa Luneta in the morning, followed by the “Trillion Peso March” at the EDSA People Power Monument in the afternoon.
“The Last Quarter Storm is not just a protest, but a new chapter of mass struggle. It is emphasizing the people’s demand to hold both past and present administrations accountable and to end the cycle of corruption and political dynasties,” Gabas affirmed.
