MORE than 700 protesters held demonstrations against government corruption in Cebu City on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
According to Police Captain Charisma Gonzales, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), three groups carried out their activities.
At 8 a.m. Sunday, leftist groups and student activists began their protest march from Fuente Osmeña toward Colon Street in the downtown area.
In the afternoon, they were joined by members of the religious sector, bringing the crowd estimate to around 350 people, according to police.
After their program in Colon, the protesters returned to the Fuente Osmeña rotunda, where they gathered to express their discontent over widespread corruption in the country.
Meanwhile, an anti-Marcos and Romualdez group also held a separate program at Plaza Independencia, with police estimating their number at around 250 participants.
Police described the protest actions in Cebu City as generally peaceful and orderly, noting that they had not monitored any untoward incidents involving militant groups.
The CCPO deployed over 500 police personnel, including members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 7, not counting personnel from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire, and other government agencies.
As in previous mass actions by militant groups, police implemented maximum tolerance since the protest did not involve violent acts such as burning tires or other objects.
“Hapsay ra ang ilang gihimong rally. Tungod kay tulo sila ka grupo, gibahin sad ang mga personnel. Naay nag bantay sa Plaza Independencia, Colon street ug ang sa Fuente Osmeña nga naa didto naghimo sa ilang program ang mga lain-laing sector,” police said.
(The rallies were orderly. Since they were divided into three groups, we also divided our personnel, with some stationed at Plaza Independencia, Colon Street, and Fuente Osmeña, where different sectors held their programs.)
As of this report Sunday afternoon, police continue to monitor the situation and will remain on the streets until the demonstrators have dispersed. (AYB)
