The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and its allied organizations called for the immediate resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Vice President Sara Duterte, and all officials involved in widespread government corruption. In their place, Bayan proposes the establishment of a transition council that will oversee the government and advance the Filipino people’s interests.

Bayan issued its call following former Representative Zaldy Co’s statement identifying Marcos as the official with the largest “insertion” in the 2025 budget. Co said Marcos instructed him to insert ₱100 billion, allegedly promised to him by the president’s cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The directive was relayed through Department of Budget and Management secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

Co also released a list of projects that received the ₱100 billion fund inserted by Marcos. ₱81 billion of this amount was allocated for infrastructure, of which 80% consisted of flood control projects. The remaining funds were intended for presidential activities, such as hosting the ASEAN Summit.

“Marcos Jr bears principal responsibility and therefore must be held accountable for the raging corruption scandals,” Bayan said. It asserted that Marcos proposed, signed, and implemented the corruption-infested national budget.

Meanwhile, Bayan also stated that Duterte must not escape accountability. According to the group, the vice president abused her authority and squandered confidential and intelligence funds sourced from the national treasury.

The group added that the grave cover-up in ongoing corruption investigations worsens the crimes of Marcos and Duterte. “The ongoing investigations are not aimed at exposing the truth but merely to cover up corruption crimes and ensure that Marcos and his principal cohorts evade accountability,” it said.

Transition council to replace corrupt leaders

If Marcos, Duterte, and other corrupt government officials are removed from power, Bayan proposes a transition council to replace them. The group asserts that a new council is necessary because the current system cannot achieve accountability against bureaucrat capitalists.

According to the group, the proposed transition council must be composed of civilians. It will include individuals and organizations representing democratic forces that spearheaded movements against corruption and the ouster of bureaucrat capitalists.

“Officials affiliated with Marcos, Duterte, and the most notorious political dynasties will not be part of the transition council,” Bayan said. They also declared that a military junta would be unacceptable and vowed to reject its formation.

Bayan asserted that representatives of workers, peasants, women, youth, and national minorities should participate in the council. “Their inclusion is necessary to ensure that the council does not revert to the elitist, bureaucrat capitalist headed governments of the past,” the group said.

The group outlined that the council’s primary duty will be to unite the nation under a program that prioritizes holding all corrupt officials accountable. The council must also ensure the establishment of policies preventing the recurrence of rampant and systemic corruption.

Bayan said the council must also promote socio-economic reforms that address the people’s dire situation. These include wage hikes, farmers subsidies, and accessible social services such as healthcare, to the implementation of genuine land reform and the strengthening of the national economy.

The council must also prepare for administering free, fair, and genuinely democratic elections. “This will necessitate urgent electoral reforms to prevent the domination by candidates from political dynasties, automated electoral fraud and massive vote buying,” Bayan said.

For the Filipino people to realize these goals, Bayan called for “bigger and bolder” protests to hold Marcos and Duterte accountable and remove them from office. “This makes it urgent for all democratic classes, sectors and forces to forge broad unity,” Bayan declared.

Bayan will also participate in the planned protest action “Flood at Luneta 2.0,” led by the Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK, or People’s Movement Against Corruption) on November 30. The group will also mobilize for the nationwide Black Friday Protest on November 21.