Mayor Benjie Magalong and the Mayors Who Chose Risk Over Comfort

In a country where corruption has long been treated as routine, choosing to stand against it is never simple. It invites scrutiny. It attracts enemies. Sometimes, it even puts lives at risk.

This is what makes the story of a group of mayors worth paying attention to. They aren’t perfect, and their motives will always be questioned, but they chose to break the silence.

At the center is Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong — a man who has spent years inside institutions where corruption thrived, and who now finds himself leading a coalition that insists local government can be done differently.

I know, I know...you will tell me he is DDS, and I won’t even argue with you on that. But this blog is not about his alliances or political leanings. We’ll take that up in another one. For now, the focus is on the choice he and other mayors made: to stand together, however imperfectly, and say that good governance is still worth fighting for.

It was never going to be easy. But in this country, even hesitation can be a form of defiance.

The Birth of a Movement

The Mayors for Good Governance, or M4GG, formally launched on August 24, 2023, at UP Cine Adarna in Quezon City. More than a hundred local chief executives signed a document they called the Manifesto for Good Governance. It wasn’t just another photo opportunity. For many of them, it was a public admission that corruption had become normal in government — and that they wanted to take a stand against it.

Benjamin Magalong of Baguio City stood at the center. At 62, he carried the kind of profile that drew attention. A former chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Magalong had been involved in major cases like the Mamasapano Incident. Years in law enforcement gave him a first-hand view of how corruption spreads. Stepping into local governance only sharpened that awareness. His reputation as an investigator gave weight to his new role as convenor of a political movement.

But this wasn’t a one-man show. The group was launched by six convenors meant to represent different regions of the country: Magalong from Baguio, Joy Belmonte from Quezon City, Marcy Teodoro from Marikina, Felipe “Ipe” Remollo from Dumaguete, Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman from Isabela City in Basilan, and Rommel Arnado from Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte. The geographical spread was deliberate. It signaled that this wasn’t just Luzon mayors making noise — the goal was to build a coalition that cut across the usual political and regional divides.

The manifesto they signed laid out ten commitments. Written plainly, it was a pledge to practice honesty, keep government transparent, put citizens’ welfare above personal gain, involve communities in decision-making, give space to the youth, handle public funds responsibly, respect the law, use technology for public good, push for fair development, and never stop learning as leaders.

Simple words. Almost obvious. But in the Philippines, where corruption is treated as part of the system, those promises sounded radical. What should have been the bare minimum suddenly looked like a challenge to business as usual.

What They’ve Done So Far

In the weeks after the launch, the pledge spread quickly. At first, 83 officials signed online. By late August 2023, the number had grown to around 146. But not everyone stayed. Today, the movement counts closer to a hundred active mayors. Still a small fraction when you compare it to the Philippines’ 1,642 cities and municipalities, but enough to say that the idea caught on — at least for some.

Among those who joined were familiar names: Vico Sotto of Pasig, John Rey Tiangco of Navotas, Jerry Treñas of Iloilo, Javi Benitez of Victorias in Negros Occidental, Mike Rama of Cebu City, and Ruffy Biazon of Muntinlupa. A mix of veterans and younger leaders, all putting their names on the same list.

But joining isn’t the same as doing. The mayors who stayed have been busy shaping the movement into something more than a signed document. They’ve held learning sessions and planning meetings, like the one at B Hotel in November 2023, where budget management, digitalization, and anti-corruption strategies were on the table. These weren’t grand conferences, just working sessions — a space to trade notes and push for practical ideas.

They also knew the fight had to be public. On Instagram (@mayors4goodgov) and other platforms, they’ve tried to project a clear identity, even borrowing a rallying cry: “Sama-sama tayo sa makabago at progresibong pamamahala!” Together for modern and progressive governance. It’s simple, but it’s consistent. And in a time when social media is where most politics now lives, it makes sense.

Then came the harder part: taking public positions on actual corruption issues. Magalong himself has been blunt about the Department of Public Works and Highways, especially flood control projects. In 2025, he claimed that kickbacks, once around 20 to 30 percent, had ballooned to as much as 58 percent. He pointed to overpriced solar streetlights — bought at ₱157,000 each when the real market price was closer to ₱32,000 to ₱40,000. Even simple road reflectors were flagged, marked up from ₱1,800 to ₱11,720.

That focus on flood control became a turning point. After President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called out corruption in those projects in his 2025 SONA, the mayors amplified the message. Forty-seven of them, including three from Mindoro, signed a statement demanding “full transparency, accountability, and justice” in the handling of flood control funds.

For a group that began with a general call for integrity, this was a shift. They weren’t just talking about values anymore. They were stepping into specific policy battles — messy, technical, but deeply tied to how public money is stolen or saved.

The Pushback

The moment the mayors started talking about corruption, people started talking about them. And a lot of it wasn’t kind.

Much of the heat landed on Magalong himself. His closeness to Duterte allies, especially Bong Go, was hard to ignore. For all his fiery speeches about kickbacks and ghost projects, he stayed silent on the abuses that happened under Duterte. Online, the comments were blunt: how can someone claim to fight corruption while keeping quiet about the biggest offenders?

I know, I know… you’ll say he’s DDS. And you’re right. You can claim to fight corruption while supporting someone like Duterte — but that contradiction will always eat away at trust.

The movement itself wasn’t spared. In August 2024, the Ombudsman filed cases against three of its members: Vico Sotto, Marcy Teodoro, and Jerry Treñas. M4GG defended them right away, calling the charges political and timed just as the 2025 elections were approaching. This is not to say they are guilty — that’s a different conversation altogether. What mattered in that moment was the signal: when you put yourself in front, you become a target.

There were other doubts too. For all of Magalong’s exposés — the inflated contracts, the overpriced flood projects — no names have been dragged into court. No real cases have moved forward. Critics began saying he was turning into just another politician who points fingers without handing over the proof needed to back them up.

And then there’s the numbers. Even at its peak, M4GG only had around 146 members. Today it’s closer to a hundred. That’s a tiny slice of the country’s 1,642 local governments. Magalong himself admitted it: many mayors stayed away because of political pressure, or fear, or simply because they didn’t want to give up the perks that come with silence.

Good governance sounds good on stage. But once it threatens real money and real power, allies disappear fast.

The Risks They Face

Standing against corruption isn’t just about press conferences and hashtags. It comes with real dangers.

After Magalong revealed how flood control projects were being used as cash cows, he began receiving death threats. The timing was telling. It came right after he accused lawmakers of turning the 2025 national budget into an election fund. Former NCIP Chair Allen Capuyan even confirmed the threats, proof these weren’t just prank calls or idle talk.

Magalong has spoken about his worries for his family. That detail says a lot. It’s one thing to risk your own position, but it’s another to expose your loved ones to danger just because you chose to speak up.

Anyone who dares to confront corruption in this country knows what follows: cases filed, smear campaigns, and sometimes, the kind of threats that make you check your rearview mirror at night. Reformers don’t just wrestle with politics — they live with fear.

It’s easy to cheer for anti-corruption efforts from a distance. But for those inside, every move carries a cost that most of us will never have to pay.

Where This Could Go

The movement has also begun looking beyond corruption exposés. In January 2025, they pushed for a meeting with Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, questioning why local governments were getting only 31 percent of national taxes instead of the 40 percent mandated under the Mandanas-Garcia ruling. For mayors struggling to fund programs, that shortfall wasn’t just numbers on a page — it meant projects delayed, services cut, communities left waiting.

There are clear strengths. M4GG has created rare collaboration across party lines and regions. In a country where local politics often stays locked in rivalries, that alone is unusual. The group has also helped the public see how corruption actually works — not in vague terms, but in concrete examples like overpriced streetlights and reflectors. And when members came under attack, they didn’t leave them hanging. That kind of solidarity is not common in Philippine politics.

But the weaknesses are just as obvious. With only about a hundred active mayors, their reach is still small compared to the 1,642 local governments nationwide. And the doubts surrounding Magalong himself continue to follow the group. They’ve shown the problems, but none have been fixed yet.

Where M4GG may find more success is in choosing battles that are specific and measurable. Flood control is one example — a sector riddled with corruption, where transparency is badly needed. Focusing on these pressure points may bring results that people can actually see, instead of broad calls that fade into speeches.

Still, the larger reality hangs over all of this. Corruption in the Philippines is not new, and it is not shallow. It has been passed down through generations, shaping the way politics is done and how campaigns are financed. Even Magalong admits that undoing it will take sustained effort measured not in years, but in decades.

The hard truth is this: M4GG can score small wins. It can expose, it can pressure, it can gather support. But until the deeper culture of greed is broken, the movement will always be fighting uphill.

Why Even Small Defiance Matters

The Mayors for Good Governance will not end corruption in the Philippines. And that was never the point.

What matters is that a group of local leaders chose to put their names on a manifesto and follow through with public actions, even knowing the risks. They exposed how projects are overpriced, how kickbacks keep climbing, how public money gets drained before it ever reaches the people. And even if the movement is small, it has already set a different standard — that silence is no longer the safe default.

They are not perfect. Some carry political baggage that will always be questioned. We may not agree with Magalong’s stand on certain issues, but here, let’s recognize the effort. Support them when they take steps to clean up governance, but keep watching. Do not spare them from criticism when they go astray, but give credit when they do the hard work of exposing corruption.

Because this fight isn’t just about one mayor, or even a hundred mayors. It isn’t theirs alone to carry.

The legacy of M4GG may not be measured in court victories or sweeping reforms. It may instead be found in something quieter: in the shift of public conversation, in the sight of mayors standing together across regions, in the idea that local governance can be more than survival and patronage.

In a political culture where corruption has long been normal, even small steps toward accountability are worth noticing. Because if mayors can risk their safety to make this stand, then ordinary citizens should ask themselves: what risks are we willing to take to demand better?

Sources:

League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Over 100 Mayors Sign Manifesto for Good Governance
https://www.league.ph/items-23/over-100-mayors-sign-manifesto-for-good-governance

Reddit – Mayor Magalong: Ano Nangyari sa Good Governance?
https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines/comments/1iwb8gn/mayor_magalong_ano_nangyari_sa_good_governance/?tl=en

Instagram – Mayors for Good Governance (@mayors4goodgov)
https://www.instagram.com/mayors4goodgov/?hl=en

Jagna LGU – Mayors Unite for Good Governance Learning Session Illuminates National Budget, Digitalization, and Anti-Corruption Strategies
https://jagna.gov.ph/look-mayors-unite-for-good-governance-learning-session-illuminates-national-budget-digitalization-and-anti-corruption-strategies/

Baguio City Government – Magalong: No Politics in Crusade vs. Corruption
https://new.baguio.gov.ph/news/magalong-no-politics-in-crusade-vs-corruption

Baguio City Government – City Council Expresses Support for Mayors’ Good Governance Message
https://new.baguio.gov.ph/news/city-council-expresses-support-for-mayors-good-governance-message

The Manila Times – 52 Local Officials Join Mayors for Good Governance
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/08/20/news/52-local-officials-join-mayors-for-good-governance/2170716

Instagram Reel – Mayors for Good Governance Learning Session Highlights
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DN2xpyLav6z/

YouTube – Mayors for Good Governance Video Material
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxIfK7dWKpU

Interaksyon – Comprehensive Blueprint: Mayors Sign Manifesto for Good Governance
https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2023/08/25/259048/comprehensive-blueprint-mayors-sign-manifesto-good-governance/

Makati Business Club – Public Service, Not Private Enrichment: MBC Statement on Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s Call Out of Corruption
https://mbc.com.ph/2023/08/10/public-service-not-private-enrichment-mbc-statement-on-mayor-benjamin-magalongs-call-out-of-corruption/

ABS-CBN – Magalong on Corruption: Silence Should No Longer Be an Option
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/13/magalong-on-corruption-silence-should-no-longer-be-an-option-1944

YouTube – Video Commentary on Magalong’s Credibility
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw8U30QodsY

Bombo Radyo Dagupan – Alkalde ng Manaoag Inihayag ang Pagiging Tanging Alkalde sa Pangasinan na Lumagda sa Mayors for Good Governance Manifesto para sa Maanomalyang Flood Control Projects
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Quezon City Government – Mayors for Good Governance Assembly and Collaborative Planning
https://quezoncity.gov.ph/mayors-for-good-governance-m4gg-assembly-and-collaborative-planning/

Daily Tribune – Magalong Claims Death Threat After Exposing Corruption
https://tribune.net.ph/2025/03/28/magalong-claims-death-threat-after-exposing-corruption

YouTube – Interview on Threats Received by Magalong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsLU7JICuXU

The Philippine Star – Over 100 Mayors Sign Good Governance Pledge
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/08/26/2291375/over-100-mayors-sign-good-governance-pledge

Philippine Daily Inquirer – Corruption: An Enduring Reign of Greed
https://business.inquirer.net/543112/corruption-an-enduring-reign-of-greed

Inquirer.net – Lawmakers: Magalong to Be Afforded Respect Once Invited in Flood Probe
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2101679/lawmakers-magalong-to-be-afforded-respect-once-invited-in-flood-probe

Inquirer.net – ACT Rep Tinio: Don’t Tag Magalong as Hostile in DPWH Graft Probe
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2102236/act-rep-tinio-dont-tag-magalong-as-hostile-in-dpwh-graft-probe

YouTube – Magalong Flood Control Corruption Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv43vVRkzQE

Inquirer.net – Anti-Corruption Drive Pins Hopes on Mayors
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1822324/anticorruption-drive-pins-hopes-on-mayors

YouTube – Interview on Mayors for Good Governance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUrhCehqGPc

YouTube – Flood Control Project Discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjbJMuA12h8

Inquirer.net – Malacañang to Magalong: What Election Funds?
https://www.inquirer.net/434053/malacanang-to-magalong-what-election-funds/

Mindoro Today – 3 Mindoro Mayors Join Nationwide Call for Flood Control Project Transparency
https://mindorotoday.tv/2025/08/20/3-mindoro-mayors-join-nationwide-call-for-flood-control-project-transparency/

YouTube – Mayors for Good Governance Statement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9hXjx4bhYc

ABS-CBN – QC Mayor Tells Local Officials: Joining M4GG Goes Beyond Trend
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/28/qc-mayor-tells-local-officials-joining-m4gg-being-good-governance-advocate-goes-beyond-trend-0027

Inquirer.net – Shortchanged: Mayors Seek Talks with Recto on Tax Share
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2022317/shortchanged-mayors-seek-talks-with-recto-on-tax-share

Arkipelago News – M4GG Labels Charges Against Sotto, Teodoro, and Treñas as Politically Motivated
https://arkipelagonews.com/m4gg-labels-charges-against-sotto-teodoro-and-trenas-as-politically-motivated/

Wikipedia – Benjamin Magalong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Magalong

Reddit – Mayors for Good Governance Demand Full Transparency
https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines/comments/1mtdbtk/mayors_for_good_governance_demand_full/

YouTube – Magalong Interview on Corruption Allegations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRpmFqpfWhU