Braving the Rains,
Raising the standards of Rage
(Or Notes after "critics" over protests)
by Kat Ulrike
Source: Philippine Star
At first, this person cannot blame these Activists and its supporters for still chanting and raising their hatred against the system. With all their actions, it shows what V for Vendetta's Norsefire says about "Strength through Unity, Unity through Faith" as they endure anything that surrounds them.
That despite the rain, water cannons, concertina wire-covered barricades, and hundreds of riot policemen, if not a groupuscle of apologetics hidden behind hundreds of dummy accounts attacking them in social media sites, the program continues with all the messages expressing disgust, hatred, shit, in a regime whose path is all but soiled and bloodied. And most of these pictures, coming from this person, as well as other witnesses like Renato Reyes and PhilStar.com, had sought how these people chose to take the risk in pursuit of asserting an alternative the system chose to oppose due to their "cherished interests".
Source: ABS CBN News
And even the ones inside the session hall have also expressed dissent to a regime synonymous with its continuation of past programs, repressions, and inclination towards oligarchic interests. Five decades ago, the system had afforded to say that the "Rebellion of the Poor" established a new political bond based principally on equality, yet that popular demand remains stronger, especially as the system betrayed its own terms and instead favouring their own interests in a way landlords and compradores trying to keep firm in their properties. Yes, to be poor in today's society as what they say is no longer to be under privileged, but reality made it obvious that people from all walks of life are expressing disgust. Given that those on high, particularly the one speaking at the rostrum of Batasang Pambansa and its paid and unpaid hacks takes pride in rising gross domestic and national products, credit ratings, and series of projects soon to be finished.
Yet these are all but half-baked if not wholly rherotical, that obviously failed to ease the minds and hearts of the hate-filled workingpeople, who are consistently raped by rising costs of goods and services, taxes, unjust policies, and half-hearted statments supported by truncheons if not gunfire. For sure one would hear extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances, if not rising poverty rates and widened gaps between the afford and the unafford.
And if one system-sponsored apologetic would afford to tell they are doing nothing besides protesting, then did these apologetics speak about people behind "Pork Barrel" and the "Disbursement Acceleration Program"? Of oligarchs selling the contested isles to China? None of them would dare to speak if not insisting the importance of DAP especially those of infrastructures and scholarships sponsored by profiteers and men enough to be described as those making socio-economic sabotage. True that the intentions may be deemed good but with the overpricing and kickbacks it end soiled with its men be deemed having lack of integrity in making their commitments as civil servants.
Worse, these apologetics would be counterreactionary as some of their statements clamor for change, but change without dismantling the status quo of repression and disenfranchisement? Of what is social change if it does not require reordering the society according to justice and equity? Even the non-violent Gandhi did expressed disobedience to authority knowing that the authorties action is unjust.
Be it from the yellow or from the orange, or any other colour sponsored by the system, it had created a centuries-old mess that no individual alone that is full of idealism can able to end it. Of what are the programs if these are tainted with the soiled hands of corrupted men and murderers, if not failing to bring justice to the ones in need of employment, good living wage, and affordable prices of goods and services? Of what is democracy if it is not for the poor whom the system being used and dumped afterwards? Regardless of the statements and half-hearted actions, the people chose to assert what is just on their behalf; while these so-called "learned", regardless of their whinings about these dissenters failed to understand their plight, if not intentionally prefering to be both blind and deaf simply because these people dissenting disagrees with all the "achievements" the system loves to take pride as such. Not paying taxes? Paid to attend? Ignorant? Seems that they failed to see these vast mass of dissenters are the ones paying indirectly via "Value Added Tax" if not paying directly with taxes that affected their benefits, and if they paid to attend then maybe one of them able to buy groceries afterwards! But seriously speaking, lack of community empowerment and failure to allocate taxes they paid both direct or indirect to genuine domestic development has its dearest costs such as to ridicule and rage against the despotic order no matter it tries to act as "benevolent". Sorry if they vent rage, of trying to go beyond the barricades, burning effigies, and ridicule the "contributions" made by a corrupt clique knowing that their cause is just such as an alternative the system intentionally prefer not to enact as it requires reordering the basic social structure these people-on-high is trying to maintain.
Again, cannot blame the ones in disgust amidst comments in social media. For at least they brave the rains compared to the policemen. Why the hate towards these people venting rage for change? For sure those who afford to make comments also hate Aquino too, but maintaining the status quo being enjoyed and limiting change to the so-called "self" rather than urging to mobilise the community for the sake of initiatives? How hypocritical.