“MAKIBAKA, HUWAG magbaboy! Oink, oink, oink!” went the cries at Luneta today, August 26, as protesters fought for the abolition of the pork barrel system.
Dubbed the “#MillionPeopleMarch” on social media, the initiative sought to bring together a million citizens across the nation to protest the discretionary fund given to Filipino legislators after 10 billion pesos were allegedly funneled from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of various senators and congressmen to ghost non-government organizations owned by Janet Lim Napoles.
Various student groups from the Ateneo de Manila University came together at the event. Nash Tysmans, a lecturer from the European Studies Program, helped organize the Atenean contingent at the #MillionPeopleMarch in the days preceding the protest. She had initially planned to coordinate teach-ins at the event, but her efforts snowballed into a full-fledged protest effort with administrators, faculty and student groups on board.
The event began at 8 AM and ended at 2 PM, with a contingent proceeding to Mendiola. Speakers at the protest included Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, activist Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB and University of the Philippines College of Law Associate Professor Harry Roque.
“An affront to human dignity”
Representatives of the various Ateneo groups expressed shock over the alleged misuse of public funds.
“We’re here today to demand accountability from our public officials, most especially to bring to the public consciousness our disgust and disdain for what’s happening recently,” said Sanggunian President Dan Remo.
“Not only is PDAF exploitative and inefficient, but it’s an affront to human dignity,” explained Christian Union for Democratic and Socialist Advancement Premier Rico La Viña.
He added, “It’s taking the money of those who need it the most and, actually, even pay the most. If you actually look at the statistics, class D and E pay more taxes than class A, B and C combined, given that class D and E constitute 70, 67% of the population. We think that they’re really the biggest stakeholders in this issue.”
Clarifying the stance
Although President Benigno Aquino III announced his intention to abolish the PDAF in a press conference on Friday, Melay Abao, an instructor at the Ateneo Political Science Department clarified her stance, one shared by a number of protesters: “I think he’s not really abolishing the pork barrel system. What we want removed is the involvement of the legislator in the selection and administration of projects.”
“Because of the discretionary nature of selecting projects, you’re really promoting patronage. What’s a congressman’s basis for selection? Selecting projects, for me, should be the result of a process, of a development process. It is not supposed to be dictated by any one person, whether that’s a mayor [or] that’s a congressman,” she added in a mix of English and Filipino.
Brian Giron of the History Department concurred, saying that there was a need to change the political currency. He also noted that pork was a “stopgap measure” and abolition would reduce redundancy in the management of public funds.
Following up
While efforts were successful, Tysmans emphasized the need to continue fighting for the abolition of the pork barrel system after the #MillionPeopleMarch.
“There will be follow-up sessions. We will be doing forums. We want to make as much noise as possible inside the school, because the truth of the matter is, this is only a select group of few and if I preach to you here, it’s the choir preaching to the choir. What I’m excited for is Tuesday, Wednesday—when we go back on campus and we can actually make noise,” she said.
University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ explained the need to look ahead after the abolition of the PDAF and how funds would be reallocated.
“I think the challenge now is to sustain not just the outrage—to sustain the commitment about this, to do something about this issue. It will come back; it’s a systemic thing… I hope we can address these issues as Ateneans, as Filipinos.”
Tysmans was hopeful, noting how Ateneans came together to uphold transparency and accountability. She said, “I’m so happy, because, for the first time, I think there’s really a point to being—I wouldn’t say a point to being Atenean, I knew that when I got in—but it’s like I didn’t feel it as much as I feel it now. It’s only now that I realize that the educators really feel like they have a role in educating.”
Social media revolution
The event was characterized by an extensive use of social media. Social media was integral to the organization of the movement itself and information dissemination prior to the event.
Furthermore, the event made a significant imprint on social media. Rappler reported 110,000 mentions of the event hashtag and almost five tweets per second at the peak of the protest.
#MillionPeopleMarch was also attended by prominent social media personalities, such as Jim Paredes, who performed an altered version of Apo Hiking Society’s “Minamahal Kong Pilipinas.” Mae Paner, better known as “Juana Change” was also in attendance and made a spectacle dressed as a pig in a barrel.
Villarin called out to Ateneans to utilize social media to further the cause.
“You guys are the digital natives, we are just immigrants here so you know this technology. You know its power and I hope you can yield it for the better, for the common good, and you can see how it can mobilize to other multitudes.”
With reports from Ingrid M. Espinosa and Thurees O. Obenza
The GUIDON supports the abolition of the pork barrel system. We previously wrote an editorial on the issue entitled “The problem with pork.”
