As President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed the 2026 national budget, former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson called for what he described as a large-scale protest against corruption on Monday, January 5.

In a press conference at Club Filipino in San Juan City, Singson urged the youth, religious sector, and Filipinos against corruption to join the rally, reported RH 5 Val Gonzales.

“A one-time, big-time rally, ASAP din, the soonest possible time but I have to talk to all the religious organization, lahat ng ayaw ng graft and corruption, lahat ng Pilipino—kaliwa o kanan, maski sino. Sama-sama po tayong lahat para mahinto na itong garapalan na pagnanakaw ng kaban ng bayan,” he said.

The rally has no set date, as Singson said participating groups will decide when it will be held.

Singson said President Marcos should no longer serve as the country’s leader, claiming that the nation is being pulled in many directions due to blatant and widespread corruption. He cited what he said were multi-billion-peso and allegedly anomalous flood control projects in the Marcos family’s own province of Ilocos Norte.

The former governor described the flood control projects located in Majority Floor Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Alexander “Sandro” Marcos as substandard, if not “ghost” or non-existent.

Among these projects is the one located in the Pasdan River in the town of Sarrat, one in Nueva Era, Bolo River in the town of Adams, one in Barangay Poblacion in the town of Pasuquin, and one in Barangay Cabaroan in the town of Piddig, Singson said.

“Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte, ‘yun ang pinakita, tapos iba pa. Alleged completed—by the way, for your information, all the projects in Ilocos Norte are paid in advance. Lahat sa buong bansa, paid in advance, kaya marami silang perang nakolekta,” he said.

Lastly, Singson called on AFP Chief-of-Staff Romeo Brawner Jr. not to remain silent but to stand against corruption.