A group of education workers stressed that the call for accountability in government must go beyond political favoritism, saying both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte should face formal investigations over corruption allegations.

“The fight for accountability cannot be about choosing the lesser of two evils,” Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Vice Chairperson Carl Marc Ramota said in a statement issued on November 16.

ACT emphasized that both Marcos and Duterte should be held “accountable for corruption, and so should their cohorts at all levels of government.”

Ramota added that the alleged involvement of the country’s two highest officials — along with several lawmakers — in corruption controversies underscores the need for a genuine, independent probe, and even the possibility of establishing a leadership transition body should evidence warrant it.

Ramota criticized what he described as the “slow pace of existing investigations” concerning high-ranking officials, contrasting it with the “disproportionately swift action” of law enforcement against anti-corruption protesters.

He cited the recent case of Tinig ng Plaridel, the student publication of UP Diliman, which received a takedown notice over its report on a demonstration protesting subpoenas issued to UP Diliman University Student Council Chair Joaquin Buenaflor and PUP Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral President Tiffany Brillante.

The student leaders had participated in activities denouncing alleged corruption in government.

Ramota also denounced the recent spate of bomb threats reported in universities and schools, calling them “a Marcosian fear-mongering tactic intended to dissuade people from joining protests.”

“What is more alarming is the attempt to both spread fear and disinformation by labeling groups calling for accountability as terrorists,” Ramota said. “These legal intimidation and scare tactics violate academic freedom and people’s freedom of expression,” he added.

Despite these reports, ACT expressed confidence that a large number of Filipinos will participate in the nationwide protests scheduled for November 30.

“Intimidation and harassment will only fuel people’s anger,” Ramota said. “The Filipino people must reclaim the anti-corruption narrative from the machinations of leading dynasts and their operators. Protests will persist until erring officials are held accountable,” he added.

Ahead of the major demonstrations, ACT announced a nationwide sit-down strike in public schools on November 28, which the group said will serve as a buildup to the November 30 rally at Luneta and other key protest sites.