Thousands of students joined the surging anti-corruption walkout movement in the Philippines. Just this past week, nearly 20,000 students from five universities marched and joined in campus demonstrations to condemn the corruption under the Marcos regime.

At the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the PUP Office of the Student Regent (OSR) and PUP Rise Against Corruption and Tyranny (RACT) led a protest of more than 15,000 students, teachers, and staff across its campuses nationwide. They demanded accountability for all those involved in corruption and for a higher budget for the education sector.

The PUP OSR and PUP RACT closely coordinated with student councils and organizations in each college and high school to organize the major demonstration. The councils encouraged some administrators and deans to express their support for the walkout movement.

“Amid widespread government corruption, abuse, and neglect in the education sector, the entire PUP community will not remain silent!” declared PUP OSR and PUP RACT. They praised protest participants for braving the sudden rainfall.

The largest gathering took place at PUP-Manila on its Sta. Mesa campus. Wearing black shirts, carrying placards, and waving flags, students marched from various college and senior high school buildings before converging for a program.

Apart from anti-corruption and pro-education funding issues, they condemned the Marcos regime for harassing fellow student Gio Caballes, one of the Mendiola 277 arrested at a protest on September 21. They also condemned the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for issuing a subpoena to The Catalyst journalist and Alyansa ng Kabataang Mamamahayag-PUP chairperson Jacob Baluyot for his participation in the Mendiola protest.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago, and ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio attended the campus program. The PUP-Manila protest ended with the burning of an effigy of Ferdinand Marcos Jr to symbolize outrage and condemnation at the regime’s corruption.

Protests were also held at PUP campuses in Quezon City, Taguig City, Parañaque City, Alfonso and Maragondon in Cavite, Sta. Rosa in Laguna, Sto. Tomas and Talisay in Batangas, and Lopez in Quezon. At PUP-Quezon City, after the campus program, hundreds of students marched to the House of Representatives in Barangay Batasan Hills to press the legislators.

According to the League of Filipino Students (LFS)-PUP, the students’ active participation in the walkout movement proves their outrage against corruption. “This shows that the student movement is alive and burning with anger over the blatant plunder by politicians, led by the thief-in-chief Marcos Jr, not only from the public treasury but also from the youth’s future,” the group said.

PUP OSR announced that similar actions by students of the PUP System will continue. “Until the corrupt and dishonest officials in our government who rob us of our future are held accountable!” it declared.

Private universities keep pace

In the past week, walkouts also erupted at De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila and Laguna, at the University of the East (UE)-Manila, and at Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU). These followed a series of walkouts earlier launched by the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), Far Eastern University (FEU), and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) in Metro Manila in September.

At least 1,500 Lasallians at De La Salle University-Manila at Taft Avenue in Manila held a historic walkout and demonstration on October 6. Some organizations and students from the nearby De La Salle College of St. Benilde joined the protest. Lasallians Against Corruption (LAC), led the action uniting student councils, political parties, campus organizations, and progressive groups. Meanwhile, hundreds joined the DLSU-Laguna protest that same day led by the Laguna Campus Student Government.

“Beyond anti-corruption protests, we also condemn the government for its failure to promptly deliver justice. They are swift to imprison and subpoena protesters but slow to clean up their own ranks,” LAC convener Zara Zantua said. She added that even Marcos himself tries to evade accountability.

The LAC hopes their demonstration will inspire other universities along Taft Avenue to stage their own protests and join the walkout movement. Some organizations from DLSU-Manila belong to the broader One Taft alliance that stands against corruption and attacks on human rights. De La Salle College of St. Benilde is scheduled to hold a separate walkout on October 13.

At UE-Manila on Recto Avenue, hundreds of students marched inside the campus on October 8 to register their stand against corruption. Students and groups were determined to leave the campus to continue the program against the administration’s earlier preventive attempt.

“In the walkout that happened, I can say that every Mandirigma made us proud because we did not expect such a large turnout. Now we can proudly say that the Mandirigma are awake, aware, and will never close their eyes again,” UE-Manila University Student Council (USC) President Andrea Nicole Osinsao said in an interview with UE RedWire.

At OLFU-Quezon City, students also launched a protest on October 9. “After a long time, today the Fatimanians made history with the first mobilization in the university,” according to Anakbayan-Novaliches.

Next week, youth and students in universities and communities are expected to lead and launch more protests. A national protest of youth and students led by Youth Action Against Corruption is set for October 17.