“People are out for blood and revenge, and reason may no longer prevail this time.”
This was the warning of former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, who lamented that decades of weakened moral foundations have paved the way for corruption scandals now fueling widespread outrage.
Amid mounting public indignation over billions lost to failed and ghost flood control projects, Alunan said the turmoil is only the latest chapter in the nation’s long struggle against systemic abuse of power.
In a reflective piece titled “The Fight Goes On,” Alunan said the erosion of values has set the stage for impunity, where corruption thrives unchecked and public anger runs deep.
“By the time the Noynoy, DU30, and BBM years came, our moral foundations were so weakened, which set the stage for impunity. That’s what we’re experiencing today — brazen syndicated crime and corruption at all levels,” Alunan wrote.
“Consequently, a deep sense of extreme frustration, desperation, and anger. People are out for blood and revenge, and reason may no longer prevail this time,” he added.
Tracing the roots of civic unrest, Alunan recalled joining the First Quarter Storm as a young activist, standing at EDSA in 1986 with his wife Elizabeth, and later helping defend Camp Crame during the 1989 coup attempt.
He said the demand has always been the same: accountability, good governance, and integrity in public service.
“We promised ourselves after martial law, never again. Never again will the unworthy be allowed to ruin our lives. Never again will we endanger the future of the nation and our children,” he said. “But it wasn’t meant to be.”
Alunan lamented that despite repeated moments of upheaval—from the fall of dictatorship, to coup attempts, to mass protests over election fraud—reforms have remained elusive, leaving citizens fatigued yet still yearning for change.
Now in his senior years, he acknowledged that time has slowed his generation but insisted their role is far from over.
“We will continue to stand by Inang Bayan; we will rage in social media; we will give counsel freely to those who seek it,” he said.
For Alunan, the fight against corruption is not only about safeguarding public funds, but also about protecting the nation’s moral core.
“We will continue to help in whatever skill or strength we can muster,” he said, “knowing that God helps those who help themselves.”
