Constitutional Framers Unite Against 'Staggering Corruption' in Emotional Manifesto
In a powerful display of moral courage, the surviving delegates of the 1971 Constitutional Convention broke their decades-long silence on Saturday, issuing an emotional manifesto that condemns what they describe as "worsening and staggering corruption" plaguing the nation.
These elder statesmen, now in their twilight years, spoke with trembling voices about watching the very foundations they helped build being systematically undermined. Their manifesto specifically denounces the "deliberate pillage of billions in infrastructure funds"—resources meant to build roads, schools, and hospitals for ordinary Filipinos.
One delegate, now 87, shared how he and his colleagues had envisioned a government that would serve the people, not exploit them. "We wrote these provisions with hope in our hearts," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "To see them twisted for personal gain is like watching our own children betray everything we taught them."
The manifesto comes at a critical time when public trust in institutions has reached alarming lows. These constitutional architects, who once debated the finest points of governance, now find themselves compelled to speak out against the erosion of the democratic principles they enshrined.
Their collective voice serves as both a condemnation and a plea—a reminder that the constitution they crafted was meant to be a living document protecting the people, not a tool for the powerful to exploit.