The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) joined the sea of Filipinos who gathered at Luneta to denounce rampant corruption and anomalous flood control projects that continue to drain public funds while leaving communities vulnerable to disaster. For PAHRA, corruption is not just a governance issue. It is a direct attack on human rights.


Billions lost to corruption could have been invested in health care, education, housing, and disaster preparedness. Instead, these resources are funneled into questionable projects and pocketed by officials who betray the very people they swore to serve. The result is a cycle of poverty, inequality, and preventable suffering that robs Filipinos of their most basic rights and dignity.


“Ang pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan ay pagnanakaw sa karapatan ng mamamayan,” said Edgar “Egay” Cabalitan, PAHRA Secretary-General. “Every peso stolen means fewer classrooms for children, fewer medicines in hospitals, fewer homes for the poor. Corruption is not victimless. It kills opportunities and destroys lives.”


PAHRA stresses that corruption and human rights are inseparable. When government fails to protect public funds, it fails to protect the people. The alliance calls for accountability, transparency, and decisive action to ensure that public resources truly serve the common good.


“The fight against corruption is a fight for survival,” Cabalitan declared. “Kung hindi titigil ang pandarambong, hindi rin titigil ang mamamayan. We will not be silenced, and we will not stop until every plunderer is unmasked and justice is won.”