Bayan demands resignation of Marcos, Duterte

By Marjuice Destinado
Bulatlat.com

CEBU – Citing the urgent need for “genuine accountability and justice,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) demanded the immediate resignation of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, whom it accuses of orchestrating “large-scale and systematic corruption.”

In a statement, Bayan said that Marcos Jr and Duterte should be replaced by a civilian-led transition government mandated to investigate corruption “without fear or favor” and to implement political and socio-economic reforms.

The call came out as Cebu and other parts of the Philippines continue to recover from disasters compounded by corruption and government neglect. A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu on Sept. 30, killing at least 74 people and displacing thousands. 

Barely five weeks later, Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) killed 150 in Cebu and affected over five million people across the Visayas.

Rivers reveal ruin

Days after, Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-Wong) swept through Luzon and parts of the Visayas, leaving at least 25 dead and displacing more than 2.4 million people across 15 regions.

Experts and activists have linked the scale of these tragedies to mismanaged flood control projects, unregulated quarrying, and weak disaster preparedness — failures they attribute to entrenched corruption in government agencies.

“Marcos Jr. bears principal responsibility since he drafted, signed, and implemented the corruption-infested national budget,” Bayan said. The group also accused Duterte of “abusing her authority and grossly misusing her confidential funds as well as the education budget, then refusing to be held accountable.”

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives (HOR) on Feb. 5 after the fourth of four complaints — alleging the illegal disbursement of P612.5 (10,405,005.09 USD) million in confidential funds, bribery of Department of Education (DepEd) officials, and misuse of her authority as education secretary — successfully advanced. 

In July, the Supreme Court blocked the impeachment, citing the Constitution’s one-year bar on filing multiple cases against the same official, but noted that Duterte is not cleared and new complaints may be filed starting Feb. 6, 2026. The Senate archived the Articles of Impeachment on Aug. 6 in line with the ruling though lawmakers said the case remains “technically” active.

Bayan said that under Marcos’ three-year administration, poverty and living conditions worsened as the government “promotes the interests of oligarchs, business cronies, and allied political dynasties while remaining compliant with the dictates of US imperialism.” 

It also criticized ongoing investigations as largely symbolic. Despite Marcos’ pledge more than three months ago to act on multibillion-peso flood control corruption, no official implicated in the anomalies has been arrested or held to account.

“Marcos has to step down to allow an independent, thoroughgoing anti-corruption investigation,” Bayan said. “But he cannot be replaced by Sara Duterte, who must also be held accountable for large-scale corruption, abuse of office, and her role in the extrajudicial killings and other crimes against humanity perpetrated by the murderous regime of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.”

Civilian-led transition council

Meanwhile, Bayan proposed that a civilian-led transition government take charge after the ouster of Marcos and Duterte, arguing that genuine accountability cannot be achieved under a system that has long enabled large-scale corruption and impunity. 

The group said the council should include “individuals and groups representing the democratic forces that led the anti-corruption and ouster movement,” with strong representation from “workers, peasants, women, youth, and national minorities.”

According to Bayan, anyone aligned with Marcos, Duterte, or other entrenched political dynasties should be barred from the council, and any form of military or civilian-military junta must be firmly rejected. 

The proposed council’s primary mandate would be to hold all corrupt officials accountable, establish safeguards against systemic corruption, and initiate urgent socio-economic reforms — from wage increases and farmer support to expanded access to healthcare and policies advancing genuine agrarian reform and a self-reliant national economy.

“It shall then prepare for and oversee, in a fixed and reasonable length of time, a free, fair, honest and truly democratic election process that will allow the people to choose their new executive and legislative leaders,” Bayan said.

Public outrage

Public anger has intensified in the months following the September 21 nationwide protests against corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects. Thousands took to the streets in Manila, Cebu, and other provinces demanding investigations and arrests, yet not a single person implicated in the corruption has been arrested or held accountable.

“Bayan calls for widespread, bigger, and bolder protests to pursue accountability and push for the ouster of Marcos and Duterte,” the group said. It added that all democratic sectors must unite to remove the main obstacles to a government “of, for, and by the people,” and to immediately establish a civilian-led transition council to carry out substantive reforms. (AMU, DAA)

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