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It is heartbreaking to watch the anti-corruption movement fracture into acrimonious debates at the very moment when unity is most needed. After weeks of mobilization, indignation, and hope, we now find ourselves arguing about which rally was more authentic, which crowd represented the real public sentiment, and which venue carried greater moral weight.
These quarrels are deeply disappointing not only because they distract from the larger struggle, but because they are based on differences that are truly minimal.
I say this as someone who stood in both Luneta and EDSA, joined the chants, danced to the songs of protest, and felt the energy of the crowds. What I saw with my own eyes were aspirations that were more similar than different.
Two places, one aspiration
Luneta was young, vibrant, and grounded in the basic sectors, and it brought together voices that are often marginalized.
In that wide open park, you felt the strength of students, workers, urban poor communities, environmental advocates, and transport groups. The speeches were raw and urgent, the placards handmade, and the emotions fierce.
But if Luneta was powerful, EDSA was no less inspiring in its own character and conviction.
Although Luneta also had interfaith groups, the EDSA crowd had more church people, more religious communities carrying streamers, and more clergy and lay ministers walking quietly among the people. Yet even on EDSA, the gathering was not simply a church event because students, labor unions, and civil society organizations marched together.
What struck me most was that despite the differing textures of the two gatherings, the demands were identical in tone and spirit. In both Luneta and EDSA, people called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign and demanded accountability at the highest levels of government. In both places, speakers and marchers delivered sharp criticisms of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his network of enablers.
Both crowds condemned the flood control corruption scandal, the brazen misuse of public funds, and the entrenched political culture that rewards impunity. Accountability cannot be selective and justice must never be weaponized.
Duterte is the winner
The saddest consequence of the divisions in the capital is that their biggest beneficiary is Sara Duterte.
Every argument between camps, every accusation of betrayal, and every moment wasted on internal feuds strengthens her political position. If this disunity continues, she will not be impeached and she will easily survive any attempt to hold her accountable.
Worse, she may glide effortlessly toward victory in 2028 by presenting herself as the stable alternative to both the Marcos camp and a fractured opposition. The forces fighting corruption are clearing the path for a return to the abuses and impunity of the past.
This is why the country must now consider deep constitutional reforms that move beyond personalities and elections.
A people’s transition council, created strictly through constitutional means such as a properly convened constitutional convention, could offer a lawful and inclusive path to rebuilding our institutions.
The point is not to seize power but to correct what is fundamentally broken in our political and legal system. We must confront political dynasties, weak accountability structures, concentrated executive power, and a party system built on patronage instead of principle. Without such reforms, 2028 is already decided, and Duterte will use a flawed system to go after critics and institutions.
This constitutional change is easier and quicker to achieve than criminal prosecution of corrupt politicians that will take decades. It is infinitely better than a 2028 election that is certain to restore the Dutertes to power.
The path to Pilipinas
Today, instead of building on their shared outrage, segments of the anti-corruption movement have turned inward and hostile.
The disputes are petty and revolve around who organized first, whose messaging was purer, and whose turnout was larger. These conflicts miss the point entirely because no single group owns the struggle against corruption.
Luneta and EDSA are not rivals but chapters of the same story of ordinary citizens demanding integrity in public life. The essence of the struggle is the collective desire for a government worthy of its people.
The tragedy is not that people gathered in different places but that they have allowed these differences to overshadow the overwhelming common ground.
The real dividing line in this country is not between Luneta and EDSA but between a citizenry fighting for accountability and a political elite determined to escape it. Splintering the movement only strengthens those who benefit from corruption and weakens those who seek to confront it.
The cost of disunity is not theoretical but real and immediate. Every quarrel hands more power to those who seek impunity.
What we need now is humility, patience, and generosity toward one another. We must recognize that there are many paths of participation and many expressions of dissent.
The youth who marched in Luneta, the church communities who gathered on EDSA, and the professionals and workers who joined both protests are not opponents. They are allies who simply chose different routes to the same destination. The cause they share is more important than the banners they carried.
Luneta or EDSA should never be a question of competition because the rallying cry must always be Pilipinas. A nation united by a shared refusal to accept dishonesty in governance can stand firm against corruption and defeat it. A country that demands accountability with one strong voice cannot be ignored by any administration.
If we cannot rise above our small disagreements, we risk losing the momentum we worked so hard to build. Our task now is to revive unity and move forward together.
We can learn from the mass actions in the provinces. In Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Baguio, Davao, Malaybalay, etc., there was no such disunity because the rallies in the provinces remained focused and united.
Church leaders played a uniquely unifying role, offering a prophetic and moral voice that rose above factionalism.
In Cebu, Bishop Abet Uy reminded the faithful that corruption is a sin against both the people and God. In Cagayan de Oro, Archbishop Joe Cabantan urged citizens to resist despair and stand firm in truth and integrity. Their words grounded provincial protests in moral clarity and kept communities aligned with the national cause.
The Filipino people showed their power in the rallies nationwide, and now we must show our wisdom by refusing to be divided.. Only then can Luneta, EDSA, and every corner of the nation speak with one voice again in fighting corruption and ensuring a better democracy. – Rappler.com
