Reggae singer “Budoy” rapped his song “Chop the pork” as a mixed crowd of professionals, students, urban poor vendors, children, and retirees cheered or listened solemnly to sectoral speakers deplore politicians who “steal” from the people.
“Love notes” were gathered to send to President Aquino with demands to scrap the pork barrel.
For many it was their first time to attend a political demonstration. The stage was mounted with the historic Fort San Pedro as a backdrop.
“I don’t call myself political. I call myself an informed citizen,” said 76-year-old Joe Oliva, who walked with the crowd from Funete Osmeña, where the protest march started at about 7:30 a.m.
“This is the first time I joined this kind of gathering because it’s too much already. Have you ever seen someone jailed for corruption?” he told Cebu Daily News.
The Cebuano retiree who arrived an hour early told rally coordinators of the “People Power vs Pork Barrel” that he was angry to read media reports about the P10-billion scam involving pork barrel funds of national lawmakers through ghost projects, kickbacks and fake NGOs.
COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE
No names of congressmen or senators were mentioned in the rally, which was Cebu’s counterpart for the “Million People March” in the Luneta in Manila. Neither were political leaders allowed on stage to make speeches, one of the ground rules of convenors in the Movement for a Liveable Cebu.
Brief prayers were said by reprsenatives
At an 8 a.m. Holy Mass calling for “discernment” on the scandal, Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Julito Cortes said the campaign went beyond administrative reforms.
“This is a collective struggle between good and evil,” he said at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. He was joined by Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar and over 40 priests in a show of moral force by the Cebu Archdiocese.
Palma urged President Benigno Aquino III to listen to the clamor of the people to abolish the Priority Assistance Development Fund (PDAF) and thoroughly investigate those involved in the scam.
“This (scam) is an atrocity that deprived Filipinos of their share of the PDAF and other funds. May our leaders who do injustice to the country be enlightened,” Cortes in his homily.
People came to the rally with placards, anti- pork barrel T-shirts, streamers. Some parents brought their young children.
Participants filled half of the plaza. The crowd at its peak was estimated at 3,200 by Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu of the Waterfront police although organizers said it reached 5,000.
Convenors of the rally were reluctant to call themselves “leaders” of the activity, saying this was a non-partisan initiative of ordinary citizens
“I voted for Pnoy, but I don’t want him to have his pork barrel,” announced Dr. Rowena Burden, who worked with the Movement for a Liveable Cebu, mostly through Facebook invitations and posts, to mount the rally.
Her role on stage as emcee included telling the crowd that there were “no speeches” lined up, but later upon the prodding of several participants, said the convenors decided to allow two minutes for each sectoral representative to speak.
WIDOW’S MESSAGE
One of the emotional surprises of the rally, which had no “program” planned, was the message of a widow, Tina Ebrada, retired owner of Golden Cowrie restaurant, who was the first to speak.
She said her husband Ben had tried to campaign against the pork barrel five years ago and went around gathering signatures for a petition, even convincing Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to sign.
He was “like Don Quijote tilting against windmills”, she said but the sight of rallyists in Plaza Independencia filled her with joy.
“Rest in peace, Dong,” she said raising her arms and face to the sky, “Your dream has come true!”
Cartolina sheets were distributed for people to write their messages to the President about why they were there.
“I came from the States,” wrote one participant. “I joined the rally because I’m discontented and truly saddened by the news of the anomaly.”
THIEVES
At the start of the stage program, brief prayers were offered by Fr. Ernesto Javier on behalf of Catholics and a female participant for atheists and non-believers.
In her remarks, Annabelle dela Cerna of the Teachers Dignity Coality, said money “stolen by politicians” could have been used to build more classrooms.
Rosita Blanco, representing the urban pooor, said “pork” should have been spent on relcation sites for settlers evicted from their homes.
Jeepney driver Rudy Laconza fumed against crooked public officials.
“Patungan pa ug VAT among tubil unya gikawat ra! (Our fuel is taxed with VAT but theyjust steal the funds.)
Hundreds of letters were also gathered.
“We will photograph all the letters that you submitted, list down your names and numbers. Somebody will bring our ‘love letter collection” to Manila to be submitted to the president,” said Burden.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella showed up with City Councilor Hans Abella but stayed only as observers.
“I’m against the pork barrel in all its forms, not just the PDAF,” Labella told reporters.
“I’m just here to support the abolition. I’m just standing here in the sidelines so as not to draw attention.” He wore a sticker “Abolish the Pork barrel” on his shirt front.
NEXT MOVES
What’s next?
A lawyer was the first to volunteeter to join a new paralegal team to explore a “people’s initiative,” a mechansm under the Constitution for citizens to directly enact legislation.
“I want to help,” said lawyer Norman Almonte Pelinio.
“Right now the best option for the government is to Pass the Freedom of Information Bill so that government will be more transparent.”
Bisaya rap artist “Budoy” had the crowd raising their fists in the air as he repeated the lines of his song “Chop the Pork.”
“Chop the pork! Kongresman, senador, nahimong kawatan. Chop the pork! Taga buwan atong sweldo kaltasan. (Congressmen, senators have become thieves….Chop the pork! Every month our salaraies get deducted”)
A tribal band also sang “Tatsulok”, a Filipino song of Buklod that became a protest song in the 1980s.
Burden, a cardiologists, told the crowd that she was moved by the request fof a street child during the march and that “We have to fight for the poor who cannot fight for themselves.”
“A streetchild said “Mam, taronga ninyo pag demonstrate ha para di na mi mangawat”,” recalled Burden in a Facebook post after the rally.
“Just this one simple line says it all about the march/rally that we just joined… we are not done.” /Marian Codilla and Peter Romanillos with Ador Mayol, Christine Emily Pantaleon, Jhunnex Napallacan