Catriona Gray Joins 'Trillion Peso March' On EDSA; Calls For Accountability

Cover image courtesy: Rappler X Account

MANILA—Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray participated in the 'Trillion Peso March' held on Sunday, 30 November 2025, at the People Power Monument along EDSA, Quezon City. This event was the second major demonstration of the 'Trillion Peso March' series, which focuses on demanding accountability and transparency concerning the alleged massive corruption in government flood control and infrastructure projects.

Gray directly addressed the thousands gathered, detailing how corruption affects the daily lives of Filipino citizens:

"Today we stand here as Filipinos who are tired. Tired of watching corruption steals food from our tables, steals medicines from our hospitals, classrooms from our children, and safety from our communities. We have watched our families flooded again and again while the public funds that were meant to protect them are pocketed. Billions of pesos disappeared without accountability, without justice, without answers."

She also challenged the lack of communication from officials and motivated the crowd to persist in their fight for justice:

"What scares me the most is this. Many are starting to forget why we are angry. People have gone silent not because they do not care but they lost the belief that change will ever come and while our nation grows exhausted, our leaders remain silent. Sobrang tahimik, nakakabingi! Why do we allow this to happen to us again and again? When are we going to wake up? What more do we need? Ilang baha pa? Ilang scandal pa? Ilang nakaw na pondo pa? Before we finally say, tama na!"

She further criticised the systemic nature of the issue:

"Obviously this is a system built to benefit the corrupt few and every time we stay quiet, corruption wins. And when corruption wins, 'yung mga nakaupo lang ang nananalo. Sila lang ang nabubusog, sila ang nakakauwi sa mga mansion sa America. Sila ang nakakabili ng designer bags habang ang taong bayan lumulubog sa baha, sa utang, at sa kahirapan."

Gray made specific demands directed at government institutions, calling for immediate action:

"That's why today we demand action! To the ombudsman, file the cases now! To the senators, suspend the senators implicated. And to the congress, pass the anti-political dynasty bill because power should not be inherited, it should be earned through service of the people."

Concluding her call, she rejected the idea that the public would simply forget the corruption issue:

"They said that Filipinos have a short memory, that it's easy for us to forgive and forget, but believe us when we say that we will not forget what you did, and no one will move on unless no one gets accountable! We are the generation that will not let corruption win."