Amid Rody cheerers, lone dissenter worries for ‘snubbed’ media

KWE on his latest quest AIE BALAGTAS SEE

A 68-YEAR-OLD engineer from Navotas City with a penchant for staging one-man protests was at it again on Thursday, this time on the historic Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) Bridge in Manila.

Jose Kwe—who was disqualified from running for the Senate in the May 9 elections—was taking issue with the media’s apparent inaction against what he perceived as a threat to press freedom.

“Why is nongovernment media [quiet] when their press freedom is being curtailed by exclusion [from] Malacañang and presidential [press conferences]? Fight for freedom of expression!” read part of the message Kwe had written on a placard.

He was the lone dissenter in a multitude of militant activists who welcomed President Duterte’s promises to reopen talks with the Left and were noisily expressing their support for the newly installed leader. Amid loudspeakers blaring songs and political messages, Kwe stood quietly, holding up his placard while balancing himself on an iron railing.

According to Kwe, Duterte’s snub of independent media was a “foretaste” of another martial rule similar to the Marcos years.

Speaking to reporters, Kwe said he could not understand why the press chose to remain silent on the issue.  “Media has a job to do and you are not doing your job. We will be in the dark if no one will ask questions anymore.”

Asked if he thinks media should defy the new President’s order to keep them out of Malacañang, particularly his press conferences, Kwe replied: “Oppose, not defy.”

“How can you defy when you are already not allowed to cover it? Take it to the streets. Speak up against it because it’s like martial law again.”

This was one of the reasons why he was against defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s presence at Malacañang for Duterte’s inauguration. But what surprised Kwe was seeing in Mendiola some people, whom he claimed were his co-detainees in 1977, cheering and rejoicing.

“I still think they’re independent,” a smiling Kwe said, shrugging his shoulders.

In September 2015, Kwe attracted attention for staging a one-man protest at the gates of the Department of Justice to express his support for then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

At that time, there were rumors that De Lima was on her way out for investigating a complaint filed by a former Iglesia ni Cristo minister against leaders of the influential religious sect.

That same month, Kwe showed up at the Inquirer office in Makati with the aim of “Saving Grace (Poe)” who had just announced her intention to run for President. He urged her to run for Vice President, saying that Sen. Francis Escudero, her future running mate, was just using her to help propel then Vice President Jejomar Binay to the presidency.

MENDIOLA TURNS ‘PALACE-FRIENDLY’ Militant groups on Thursday gather on their usual battleground—Chino Roces Bridge (formerly Mendiola) in Manila—not to rage against Malacañang but to cheer the newest Palace occupant, President Duterte, who has welcomed Left-leaning personalities to his administration. PHOTOS BY RAFFY LERMA