Regarding this news (CTA upholds dismissal of tax case vs Napoles children over prescription rule), can we learn more on why this happened? The article stated that "The DOJ later issued a resolution on December 1, 2016, finding probable cause to indict the respondents for alleged violations of the revenue code." Then, why was it that the "petitioner filed the Information before the Court in Division" only "on July 19, 2024?" Can't The People gain justice against the government agents who committed dereliction of duty? I could imagine the BIR and/or DOJ staff, officers and prosecutors deliberately delayed work and judicial filing to frustrate justice, and still obtain regular pay and benefits from the Republic, even after retirement!

The White Ribbon March, organized by the White Ribbon Movement (WRM) and various advocacy groups are set to hold a program at the People Power Monument at 2:30 PM today.

A unity march of inter-religious and civil society leaders from EDSA Shrine to the People Power Monument shall follow after the Mass.

Vic Antonio, who is part of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP), one of the conveners of the White Ribbon Movement, said that the protests against corruption align with BCBP’s advocacy of upholding honesty.

Vic shared that BCBP’s presence in today’s protests is a way of putting into practice their core belief in demanding honesty, which extends to fighting for truthfulness from the government, stopping corruption, and promoting transparency in the usage of public funds.

“As a person, that’s what I also want to show my children and other people—that we’re not all talk—we’re here to manifest our aspirations for an honest government,” Vic commented.

Even before the White Ribbon Movement, white served as a symbol of the impartial stance of anti-corruption protesters. According to Vic, as early as the Trillion Peso March last year, the color white was meant to encompass the entirety of the nation, rather than exacerbate political divisions through various colors. He shared that the idea of the white ribbon came from one of BCBP’s members.

Beyond these protests, Vic hopes to continue BCBP’s advocacy on honesty through their programs and weekly discussions.

As a social worker at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and President of the All UP Workers Union - Manila PGH Chapter, Karen Mae Faurillo’s participation in the White Ribbon Movement stems from her and her colleagues' experiences working in a state-owned hospital.

Karen shares that her day-to-day work in PGH has made her realize just how much of the funds that go into corruption could have been used to provide for the health sector, which must address issues of accessibility, provide medication for patients, and deliver prompt and quality services.

Karen’s frustrations with the billions spent on corruption also come from the desire to achieve accountability and justice for health workers, sharing that many of them continue to grapple with low wages, a lack of benefits, and contractual work, which makes it all the harder for them to fulfill their interest in serving the country.

“Bilang manggagawa ng gobyerno, mahalaga yung usapin ng pananagutan at dapat managot talaga yung mga kurakot. Dapat minomodelo ng mga lider kung anong klaseng mga values, pagpapahalaga ang dapat tularan ng mga ordinaryong manggagawa tulad namin. Naghahanap kami ng isang matinong gobyerno na magiging modelo sa usapin ng pananagutan, hustisya, at totoong pagsisilbi sa mamamayan,” Karen shared.

For the Secretary-General of the All UP Academic Employees Union, Steph Andaya, their presence in today’s White Ribbon March is a direct call from academic employees for the rechanneling of funds that go into corruption, as teaching staff and researchers seek higher wages and proper employee benefits.

Steph emphasized that Executive Order No. 64, which increased the salaries of civilian government employees, is not enough to address the needs of UP academic employees, who have yet to receive their Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) for the year 2023.

As someone advocating for a higher budget in the education sector, Steph hopes that this shall lead to an improvement in the wages and benefits of academic employees. Moreover, Steph demands that plantilla items be granted and that funds not go toward ghost projects and substandard infrastructure, citing infrastructural problems within the UP system, such as the UPIS building in UP Diliman and the lack of infrastructure for students in UP Baguio.

Besides calls for a higher budget and anti-corruption, Steph seeks to demand accountability from government officials with the highest confidential funds, such as Sara Duterte and Bongbong Marcos.

“Ayaw namin na sa mga susunod na taon, lalaki pa ang isyu ng kakapusan ng sahod sa mga empleyado, yung mga infrastructure na hindi maayos. Gusto namin ay mas maayos na kalagayan ng edukasyon, ng mga manggagawa sa edukasyon, at pagtaas ng sahod para sa buong Pilipinas,” Steph said.