Artikulo Onse: A Call to Arms Against Grsft

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

On August 25, 2025, a powerful movement took shape at Max’s Restaurant, nestled in the iconic Quezon Memorial Circle. Dubbed Artikulo Onse: Citizens’ War Against Corruption, the event carried a solemn and urgent theme: “Stop Corruption in Philippine Society. Walang Puwang ang Korapsyon sa Isang Maka-Diyos na Bansa”. This was not just a statement—it was a demand for action, pleading directly to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to issue an Executive Order establishing an Independent Commission to probe allegedly anomalous government projects 

Drawing inspiration from Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution—“Public office is a public trust”—the group declared a “citizens’ war” against corruption, refusing to let betrayal go unpunished 

A DRAMATIC REBUKE UNCOVERED

At the launch, Atty. Jose Virgilio “JV” Bautista, Secretary General of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), struck a chord with the nation. In a stark address on National Heroes’ Day, he likened the Philippines’ collective experience to a repeated con: “We have been deceived … We are being fooled again.” He lamented how many lawmakers are also contractors, and how anomalous projects persist through decades—even since the Cory Aquino administration 

He lambasted the cavalier applause for Marcos Jr.’s Fourth State of the Nation Address (“Mahiya Naman Kayo”) as a normalization of corruption. “It takes three to tango,” he warned, calling for shame campaigns through Artikulo Onse to publicly expose alleged corruption in both public and private sectors. His vision for the Commission: composed of individuals of unimpeachable credibility—clergy, retired magistrates, labor leaders, even the likes of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin “Benjie” Magalong 

A BROAD COALITION SPEAKS OUT

Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, Acting President of the Liberal Party, emphasized that the fight must go beyond slogans. Transparency, he noted, must be real and structural—especially in infrastructure spending. True historical redemption for the Marcos name, he proposed, hinges on this push for accountability. He implored the administration to summon the courage to create the Independent Commission—with members vetted by the people and media alike 

Meanwhile, Leodegario “Ka Leody” De Guzman of Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) warned that graft is systemic—rooted in dynasties and political entrenchment. He cited the government's trillion-peso budget, suggesting that corruption trenches run deep in flood control and other infrastructure sectors. De Guzman blasted legislators who preach morality without practice, calling them “hypocrites” and echoing extreme anti-corruption measures seen abroad 

Atty. Renecio “Luke” S. Espiritu, Jr., President of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), brought a chilling climate angle: the cost of corruption isn’t just monetary—it’s mortal. With the Philippines one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to climate emergencies, failed flood-control projects are no less than a risk to lives and coral reefs. Espiritu invoked the Ombudsman’s role as the “Tribune of the People,” independent and fearless, urging that those behind anomalous flood-control projects face jail time 

SCENE SETTING: THE PRESIDENT RESPONDS

Just days before the launch of Artikulo Onse, President Marcos Jr. publicly condemned “ghost” flood-control projects that cost ₱55 million but produced nothing but empty promises. He declared himself “not disappointed, but angry,” signaling a willingness to consider economic sabotage charges for the most egregious offenders in infrastructure anomalies totaling over ₱545 billion spent since 

A NATION’S PIVOTAL MOMENT

This is more than rhetoric. It marks a pivotal moment in Philippine politics:

A grassroots call to reclaim public trust.

A structural pivot, from symbolic rebuke to institutional reform.

A moral reckoning, binding the integrity of governance with the fate of the climate.

What makes Artikulo Onse electrifying is its unity of voices—from seasoned lawyers to leftist labor leaders, from mainstream liberal parties to populist reformists—all calling for the same remedy: light, accountability, and people-shaped justice.

CALL TO ACTION

As the banners said on August 25: “Walang Puwang ang Korapsyon sa Isang Maka-Diyos na Bansa.” Whether or not the administration will act, the flame of conviction is dancing across the nation. Now, the path forward lies not just in speeches or investigations—but in the people's resolve to demand transparency, the media's vigilance to expose, and the government’s willingness to listen.

This is the dramatic story of Artikulo Onse—a movement born from betrayal, rising with a constitutional clarion call, and poised to challenge corruption at its roots.

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