[OPINION] Why we were not at EDSA

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David’s remarks at Luneta are both saddening and alarming. His explanation for choosing the EDSA Shrine over Luneta was confused and failed to address the core of the national crisis. 

Instead of condemning the roots of the problem — billions in stolen public funds, ghost projects, and entrenched high-level corruption — the Cardinal chose to find fault with the people’s calls for the Marcos-Duterte resignation, the broader “Resign All” demand, and the proposal for a People’s Transition Council (PTC). 

The arguments distort, and even demonize, these calls. The PTC is portrayed as a pathway to a military coup or a civilian-military junta. The Resign All was lumped together with the Duterte faction’s attempt to replace Marcos Jr. with Sara Duterte through military backing. As the Philippine Collegian pointed out, this conflation borders on the “malicious.” 

There is a vast difference between the proponents of Resign All and the Dutertes’ desperate power grab. The chants of “Marcos-Duterte, Walang Pinag-iba” at Luneta obviously do not come from the DDS. 

The PTC is not a recipe for disorder. It is a democratic proposal designed to ensure clean, genuine, and credible election that will finally dismantle political dynasties. If one speaks of democracy, this is precisely a step toward a more inclusive and participatory political process – not rule by a few, and certainly not by dynasties. 

PTC in countries wracked with corruption

The Cardinal may know that PTC-like transitions have already happened in Nepal and Bangladesh, where governments were forced to resign and dissolve amid massive youth- and people-led mobilizations. Interim governments and councils are now preparing for elections (March 2026 in Nepal and June 2026 in Bangladesh). 

How, then, could the PTC lead to a coup d’état?

The PTC is the very mechanism designed to prevent such outcomes. It envisions a civilian transitional body composed not of trapos or dynastic elites, but representatives from marginalized sectors and trusted reform-oriented individuals, such as former chief justices and similar figures. Its formation is not an imposition; it will be chosen through democratic consultations and assemblies. 

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Saying that corrupt officials will “never resign” misses the point. This is not a simple “appeal” but a political action meant to force out those in power, driven by broad mass mobilizations, especially from the poorest and most oppressed sectors of Philippine society. 

The ‘lesser evil’ strategy

The attempt to separate Marcos Jr. from accountability reflects an opportunistic “lesser evil” strategy, one that softens criticism of the current administration despite mounting evidence directly implicating the President and much of his machinery in the plunder of the national treasury. 

The stark reality is that, up to now, not a single top official has been jailed. This is precisely why the youth and the poor are losing faith in the system and calling for Resign All and for a PTC to oversee elections — whether early or in 2028 – under conditions where no political dynasty can field candidates. Dynasties lie at the root of corruption and mass poverty. 

This is also why a separate Luneta rally exists. It is not opposed to the Cardinal’s stated call for accountability; it simply uses a different framework. Luneta rallyists courageously named every implicated official and demanded prosecution. They no longer believe that justice can come from the Marcos Jr. administration, as the past months have already proven. 

Marcos Jr. and his allies are clearly implicated. Covering up or downplaying their responsibility is not a solution. It is a political shield designed to preserve a narrow reform agenda that selectively targets only a few dynasties while protecting those considered “lesser evil.” 

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By insisting on “airtight evidence” before calling out President Marcos Jr., the Church leadership risks acting like a courtroom that requires airtight litigation. But under this system, neither Vice President Sara Duterte nor other powerful officials can even be impeached or tried in court. Accountability must not be imprisoned within legal technicalities.

Role of a liberated Church

The Church has a profound moral, theological, social, and institutional duty to advance both the spiritual and material welfare of the masses. This means confronting poverty, oppression, corruption, state violence, political dynasties, and the structural inequality embedded in society. 

In the Philippines today, this requires holding everyone in power accountable – especially those with more access to laws and protection, and standing firmly for systemic transformation. It means rejecting the “lesser evil” framework and the defense of the status quo. The people must not be frightened into abandoning the call for genuine change. The real danger is preserving a rotten system by limiting accountability to a few expendable figures. 

Like Cardinal David, we too are exhausted — exhausted by a broken system, extreme poverty, and injustices perpetuated by those in power. 

We respect the Church in all its denominations. But we cannot accept it when Church leadership selectively shields one faction of the ruling elite in the framework of “lesser evil.” 

Resign All. Build the People’s Transition Council. End political dynasties. – Rappler.com

Sonny Melencio is the chairperson of Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), a national political party that joined the Baha sa Luneta Rally 2.0 on November 30. Sonny is open to a private discussion with Cardinal Ambo as he said during an interview on criticisms against his speech.