Thousands of Filipino students nationwide protested against the Marcos regime’s corruption on November 17 and 18. The demonstrations joins the Filipino youth’s marking of International Students Day on November 17.

In Mendiola, Manila, hundreds of young people marched on November 17 to hold the Marcos regime accountable for the country’s rampant corruption. Led by Youth Rage Against Corruption, the youth chanted, “Marcos-Duterte, Alisin!” (Remove Marcos-Duterte!)

Despite the restrictions imposed by the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Manila Police District, YRAC insisted on marching toward Mendiola and launching a program. The regime declared Mendiola and Recto as “no man’s land” that day.

According to Anakbayan, the youth will not be intimidated by the regime’s repressive policies. “The challenge now is for more young people to join the student youth movement and unite their strength with the ranks of workers and farmers,” the group stated.

On the same day, students of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Northern Samar held a protest walkout. At least 400 individuals joined what was described as a historic demonstration. Campus newspaper The Pillar and the UEP University Student Council led the protest.

Youth groups also held demonstrations in Laguna and Quezon, as well as in the cities of Cebu, Iloilo, Tacloban, and Davao.

5,500 students walk out in Baguio-Benguet

More than 5,500 students and youth marched in the streets of Baguio City on November 18 to denounce government corruption. Participants walked out from Benguet State University, Saint Louis University, University of the Philippines-Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, and University of Baguio. Students from Pines City Colleges, Easter Colleges, Baguio Central University, and various high schools in the city also joined the protest.

Student youth groups held programs in their respective universities before marching toward Malcolm Square for a centralized program. Beyond accountability for rampant government corruption, they also demanded a higher budget for education. They condemned the “mallification” or privatization of Baguio City’s public market and the foreign companies’ destructive mining operations in Mankayan mountains.

According to the League of Filipino Students-Metro Baguio, large-scale corruption have been exposed for months, but instead of holding the perpetrators accountable, state authorities have been arresting and issuing subpoenas to student leaders. The state’s priorities are clearly more focused on fascism than on basic services or eradicating corruption. It is infuriating that public funds that should go to education and other social services end up in the pockets of a few.

Youth groups in different regions declared that they would relaunch a nationwide walkout and protest on November 21. They will also join the protest Baha sa Luneta 2.0 in Manila and other parts of the country on November 30 under the leadership of Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK, or People’s Movement Against Corruption).