Groups representing different sectors in the country attended the assembly against corruption launched on February 14 at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. The assembly was convened 10 days before the scheduled nationwide anti-corruption protest on February 25, alongside marking the 40th EDSA People Power uprising anniversary.
Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK, or People’s Anti-corruption Movement) led the activity. The group also led the anti-corruption protest of 100,000 on September 21, 2025 and of 20,000 on November 30, 2025, both at Luneta Park, Manila.
The assembly revolved around the theme “Jail the Corrupt! Recover the Plundered Wealth! End Corruption!” The gathering aimed to assess and review the anti-corruption struggle since it erupted in the latter part of 2025, discuss next steps, strengthen coordination among groups and individuals, and unite on the direction of collective action for accountability and an end to corruption.
Speakers at the gathering included Journalist Guinevere Latoza of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Rep. Antonio L. Tinio of ACT Teachers Party List, Raven Kristine Racelis of Kabataan Party-list, Atty. Luke Espiritu of Artikulo XI, and Prof. David Michael San Juan of KBKK. They tackled various topics, from the government’s system of corruption to the necessary changes.
The assembly’s delegates then divided into eight groups to further develop the eight-point set of demands laid down by KBKK. These included the call to remove from office, hold accountable, and jail all those involved in anomalous flood control projects and other forms of corruption from Duterte to Marcos.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Caritas Philippines president and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Social Action chairperson, sent a message of solidarity to the assembly. He joined the assembly’s demand to hold all those involved accountable, from the top and in every corner.
Alminaza’s call to Filipinos: “Let’s be a flood of hope. If corruption is a flood, then we must be a greater flood: not a flood of rage alone, but a flood of integrity, a flood of vigilance, a flood of organized action. May we dare to wash out corruption. Wakasan ang korapsyon! Ikulong ang mga kurakot! Bawiin ang ninakaw! (End corruption! Jail the corrupt! Recover the plundered wealth!)”
A day before the assembly, KBKK-allied groups launched the first anti-corruption Black Friday Protest this 2026. Worker groups, youth and students, farmers, urban poor and others mounted protests in different parts of the National Capital Region.
