Hundreds join anti-corruption prayer rally in Bukidnon

Hundreds of people gathered at the Valencia City gymnasium in Bukidnon on Thursday afternoon, July 2, for an anti-corruption prayer rally organized by the United People’s Initiative (UPI)-Bukidnon. The event was moved from the city plaza due to rain. The gathering drew participants from various sectors, including youth, women, business groups, employees, religious organizations, and local political figures. They called for transparency and accountability amid controversies hounding the government, including alleged anomalies in flood control projects. Former Valencia City Mayor Jose Galario Jr. stated that the activity was an exercise of the people’s constitutional right to freedom of expression and a platform for citizens to raise concerns on governance. Valencia City was chosen as the venue due to its accessibility and role as Bukidnon’s commercial center. The UPI identified itself as a coalition of youth, transport, religious groups, and retired military officers advocating for transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption reforms. Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), many dressed in white, also participated. The activity coincided with the third day of an INC-led protest in Manila, where approximately 2,000 participants had assembled at Liwasang Bonifacio after the Quezon City government revoked the group’s permit to rally at the People Power Monument. Capt. Shiela Joy Jangad, spokesperson for the Bukidnon Police Provincial Office, said police personnel were deployed in and around the venue, with augmentation from support units and intelligence teams, to maintain peace and order.