Anti-corruption watchdog Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran has denounced pervasive government corruption, citing the recent Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) controversy as evidence of schemes that have stolen “billions from the Filipino people’s future.”
The group warned that the entire political system has “devolved into a systematized looting protocol” and called for immediate public vigilance and accountability.
Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran said the DPWH scandal, which it alleges is just one of many “ghost projects” popping up across different government agencies, reflects a decades-long pattern of abusing public funds without accountability.
The organization cited notorious past controversies including the PEA-Amari deal, the NBN-ZTE deal, the fertilizer fund scam, and the Napoles pork barrel scam as historical examples of this deep-seated issue.
The group also criticized political dynasties, arguing that power struggles among elites have transformed public office into a battleground for self-interest. The organization invoked national history, paraphrasing national hero José Rizal, who described Spanish colonial rule as a cancer.
“127 years after the liberation, the cancer is still there, but even more insidious in that it is our own political elite plundering the people,” Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran said.
Despite the Philippines being rich in natural resources, the organization said the people remain poor due to misgovernance, crumbling infrastructure and underfunded social services. The group lamented that many skilled Filipinos continue to seek opportunities abroad while those remaining at home are “asleep” to the corruption that plagues the country.
Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran concluded its statement by urging Filipinos of all backgrounds to unite in demanding integrity in government, calling for transparency and personal accountability in public service.
