Pinoy Weekly - Sept 11 protests vs. pork barrel: Police snatch banners, students march

Posted: 11 Sep 2013 08:25 PM PDT

Thousands gather at EDSA Shrine to call for the abolition of pork barrel (Macky Macaspac)

Protests against the pork barrel last September 11, a follow-through to the Million People March in Luneta, were marked by a prayer vigil in EDSA Shrine and a march by thousands of students in Katipunan Avenue and elsewhere.
Groups are enjoining the public to join an even bigger protest tomorrow, September 13, and on September 21, the anniversary of the declaration of martial law.

The prayer vigil in EDSA, dubbed as ‘EDSA Tayo’, was attended by more than a thousand people from all walks of life. A unity mass was held, and a short program was conducted at the shrine.


Police interference
Peace was disrupted only when members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) twice tried to snatch away banners that call for the abolition of the pork barrel system.

T-shirts and other anti-pork barrel paraphernalia sold at EDSA (Macky Macaspac)

While the mass was ongoing around past 11 a.m., policemen tried to snatch a banner being displayed by the group Sentro, pushing away its members.

Later, the PNP also stopped the march to EDSA of progressive groups, also carrying banners and placards that carry calls to abolish President Aquino’s pork barrel, among others. The policemen forcibly snatched away placards, and continued pushing protesters, even after they put away their banners and placards.

The groups of workers, women, teachers and youth were only allowed to enter the shrine when other people in the protest shouted at the policemen to let them in.

“The PNP had no business interfering with the prayer vigil protest. They should not be allowed to meddle in the program and conduct of protests,” said Vencer Crisostomo, Anakbayan president.

Even while banners and placards were “prohibited” by the police, people attending the protest wore anti-pork barrel t-shirts and pins, pig masks, and carried makeshift placards to express their sentiments.


Briones: Aquino has P310-B pork
The program in EDSA was attended by personalities such as Prof. Solita Monsod, former National Treasurer Leonor Briones, Bishop Deogracias Iniquez, and others.

Briones said the misuse of the P25.2 Billion congressional pork barrel is just the tip of the iceberg, as there is a P310-B lump sum “under the power of the president.”

This lump sum, he said, is separate from the president’s P2.6-B Social Fund, which Aquino also refused to let go despite mounting public pressure.

Meanwhile, thousands of students from the University of the Philippines, Miriam College, and Ateneo de Manila University alsostaged a march against pork barrel along Katipunan Ave.

Police blocked protesters carrying banners. (Macky Macaspac)

In a joint statement, the presidents, faculty, staff and students of the said universities demanded to “open all government records for public scrutiny” and “punish all those involved in the misuse of public funds.”

“We strongly urge our national leaders from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government to re-examine their use of discretion in the allocation and use of public funds, to probe into the deeper roots of the pork barrel scam, and to address in particular the culture of corruption that destroys our selves and our communities, especially the poor,” they also stated.

Students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and UP Los Baños also held their own protest march near their campuses.

Crisostomo said that more students are expected to join the Forward March against pork barrel, which will start 3 p.m. in Luneta tomorrow. It will end with a concert dubbed as ‘Rock and Rage,’ featuring many, artists such as Darryl Shy, Loonie, Abra, BLKD, Bobby Balingit, and Bayang Barrios.

The Forward March is organized by the Abolish Pork Movement, a multi-sectoral formation calling for the abolition of congressional and presidential pork barrel, punishment of all officials and operators involved, and re-channeling of the funds to basic social services.


More photos of the ‘EDSA Tayo’ protest:

Bikers against pork barrel also carry a banner to show their sentiments. (Macky Macaspac)

Holy communion during the unity mass (Ilang-Ilang Quijano)

Lawmakers linked to Janet Napoles are portrayed as pigs in these t-shirts (Ilang-Ilang Quijano)

Police tried to snatch these protesters’ banners, even while a unity mass was being held inside. (Ilang-Ilang Quijano)

The banner that the police ordered to be put away calls for the abolition of President Aquino’s own pork barrel. (Macky Macaspac)

Protesters were defiant even as they entered EDSA Shrine without banners (Macky Macaspac)

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