Christian Candido Paz, the 3-year-old Olongapo boy affectionately known as “Poknoy” to his family, was laid to rest on Sept. 3 as his loved ones bid him a final goodbye.
Before Christian’s ashes were taken to St. Vincent Chapel in Old Cabalan for a blessing, his mother, Ghem Candido, went live on Facebook, fighting back tears as she spoke about the loss of her son.
“Hindi po namin ginusto ang [nangyari]… Marami pong [nagba-bash sa akin]. [Sinasabi nilang] pinabayaan ko raw [siya], pinalabas [ko raw siya]… Kung alam [ninyo] lang po [ang] hirap na dinanas namin… Halos makipaglaban kami kay kamatayan…” Candido said.
She appealed to the public to understand the anguish behind a tragedy that no parent would ever willingly face.
“Wala pong magulang ang gustong mawalan ng anak… Sobrang hirap po…” she added.
Christian’s family spent the days leading up to his burial grieving at their home in Forestry P-4, Old Cabalan. On his final day, his ashes were blessed before being brought to what his mother called his new home.
As she said goodbye, Candido also mourned the fact that her son would now rest beside his grandparents.
“Poknoy, ito na ang bago mong tirahan kasama [ang] mga lola mo. Ingat ka [riyan] lagi. Gabayan mo sila Mama [at] Papa, saka mga kapatid mo [at] mga pinsan mo… Mag-ingat ka [riyan], ’nak. Mahal na mahal ka namin…” Candido said.
Christian’s death has also intensified public anger over the billions of pesos spent on flood-control projects while communities continue to be overwhelmed by destructive flooding.
Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez faces multiple complaints before the Ombudsman for plunder, direct and indirect bribery, violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and money laundering tied to the ₱56-billion flood-control kickback allegations. The complaints accuse Romualdez, former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, and others of benefiting from the diversion and misuse of public funds from 2022 to 2025.
For families like Christian’s, the flood-control controversy is no longer an argument about figures written on government documents. Behind every questioned project are communities that expected protection, parents trying to keep their children alive, and families left to live with losses that can never be repaired.
Families are losing their homes. Communities are going underwater. Children are dying.
And after the billions spent, the projects questioned, the investigations launched, and the devastation Filipinos continue to endure, Martin Romualdez still isn’t in jail.
PGMN has attempted to remain courageous and defiant in the face of the over 80 counts/lawsuits Romualdez has filed, fully aware that the whole thing is the former Speaker’s desperate attempt to silence the organization as he currently finds himself in the most vulnerable position of his life. Since declaring war against him 9 weeks ago, PGMN has published 1,671 posts about Romualdez—clearly and honestly exposing him precisely for what he is: the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
The barrage has since generated approximately 200 million views across all platforms and is now the most viral anti-corruption campaign against a single person in the history of Philippine social media.
