hindi daw puedeng i-post yung weblink ng wall street journal September 30, 2013, 7:04 AM Oink If You Love the Philippines, Activists Say By Josephine Cuneta MANILA — Activists in Manila are feeling mighty piggy these days A scandal spotlighting so-called pork barrel spending has activists, well, positively squealing over a rush of interest in protests, online signature campaigns and the like. Remember Howard Beale in the hit movie “Network,” when he said he wanted people to go to the windows and shout “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore”? Well, activists are trying to capitalize on a moment when they believe average Filipinos are “mad as hell” over allegations that a businesswoman and several current and retired politicians misused $220 million in public funds intended to repair roads and help the poor. All who have been accused deny wrongdoing. Activists are using social media — especially Facebook and Twitter — to not only try to get such discretionary spending pots done away with but also to build an Internet-generation social activism movement in the Philippines. The first protest — the Million People March — was on Aug. 26, which drew a crowd to Rizal Park estimated to have been as large as 75,000. Many who showed up wore pig masks to visually express their disgust at pork barrel funds, discretionary spending by lawmakers that critics say can lead to abuse. Two other protests — one on Sept. 11, the other on Sept. 13 — didn’t get huge turnouts. Now organizers hope to replicate their first big success on Oct. 4 with a rally with the Twitter-age name of #ScrapPork Network and a Facebook page, the Million People March to Scrap Pork Barrel. Also under way is the “100 Days Countdown to Justice,” also on Facebook, ending on Dec. 6 at 5 p.m., when netcitizens are being asked to “Ring your bells, blow your horns, light your candles, stomp your feet, shout your lungs out, dance, sing, chant, march – show this government your disgust.” The 100 days is a time table for when activists say they want the judicial system to have weighed in on those accused in the public spending scandal. Peachy Bretaña, an advertising executive who is a central figure in the protests, calls what is happening “people empowerment.” She adds, “Ordinary people from all walks of life, unaffiliated with groups, from different backgrounds and color, got together as one against corruption in government.” The Oct. 4 demonstration will be a test of sorts to see whether the cyber community outpouring is fizzling out in the real world. And political observers are quick to point out that large protests aren’t new to the Philippines. A peaceful protest known as the People Power Revolution in 1986 ended with Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos ousted and fleeing to Hawaii. But Arnold Pedrigal, who is based in San Francisco and produces a U.S. show about Filipinos, says something is new, though. “Unlike in the past where protests came in the form of organized groups and led by a dominant political organization, the Million People March was a rally sparked by ordinary people, with an origin that didn’t come from a long period of planning but more of a spontaneous reaction from people who have the same sentiments. “…Since this is the first time we had a social media-spurred activism, in a way we have to wait and see if it will be felt and what is the long-term impact,” Mr. Pedrigal said. Political analyst Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute of Political and Electoral Reform, agrees that something noteworthy happened at least with the first Million People March, which he calls a success “in terms of message and middle class participation.” Activist and actress Mae “Juana Change” Paner, who was wearing a pig mask and dressed like Miss Piggy on the day of the first protest, said the range of Filipinos participating has “made the venting so successful. The consciousness of the Filipino is changing.”
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:00:19 +0000
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