DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas speaks in front of the crowd of the Finster Auditorium. Photo by Janine Abejay

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas was at the Finster Auditorium University yesterday, October 30, to speak in behalf of the Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma (KOMPRe) in the KOMPRe Davao Public Launching.

KOMPRe is a union of various organizations and individuals that stand against dictatorship and corruption within the government of the Philippines.

With their battle cry, “Sa Tuwid na Daan, Walang Iwanan,” the coalition seeks to complete and sustain the reforms the PNoy administration has started because “much has been done, much remains to be done.”

“Amidst the concerted efforts to derail the reforms we are advocating, there is a need to organize a strong movement to protect the reforms we have fought and worked for. We cannot remain mere spectators when our reform agenda are under attack by the anti-reform forces,” Roxas said.

Moreover, KOMPRe believes that “Tuwid na Daan” must carry on beyond 2016.

The launching was organized by Akbayan and was attended by representatives from various social sectors. A press conference was also conducted after Roxas took the floor. This was followed by a workshop entitled, “Surfacing of Top 5 Accomplishments and Top 5 Areas for Improvement and Action Plan”, which diverged into 5 different clusters: Transformational Leadership, Governance, and Anti Corruption, Economic Development, Human Development and Anti-Poverty, Peace and Order, Human Security and Justice, and Environment and Climate Change.

Executive Sec. Teresita Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Asst. Sec. Dong Cucio, and Asst. Sec. Ernest Ramel from the Office of Political Affairs, Dir. Priscilla Razon from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region XI, and Dir. Gary Martel from the Department of Budget and Management Region XI were also present in the launching program.

The coalition aims to address the need for a strong reform movement by initiating a broad-based movement against corruption, educating the people through open discussions in traditional media, forums, and highlighting reforms already gained in the last 4 years.

“Dito sa KOMPRe, ito’y isang paraan para makapagpanday tayo ng magandang bukas,” Roxas asserted.