Million People March to Luneta Park with Celebrities :)

Everything started out fine. The sun was starting to come out of the overcast. Roads were blocked before 8 AM and you see people walking on the road to the Quirino Granstand for today's indignation rally over the Pork Barrel scam.

We see Filipinos and foreigners, old men and women, children, whole families with their pets, whole corporations, students, priests and nuns with their statement streamers and noise paraphernalia trekking with smiles on their faces.  

Chanting started to fill the air at around 0930. Shouts of "Baboy! Baboy!" were heard from different groups hanging out on benches or silver mats close to the platform. the "organizers" commenced their programs. "makibaka, 'Wag matakot, (thumbs down) no to pork, even Makibaboy,

it is almost 1000 AM and you hear comments like "Ano ba yan?" Followed by boos coming from a certain area near the stage. Followed by more chants of "Epal" "Epal." We moved from our area to where the chants were coming and much to our dismay we see old politicians (celebrities) waving their hands at a now angrier crowd.

Interviews are being conducted and people would stop and watch then start whispering asking who's the person being interviewed followed by loud curses. More celebrities are coming, trying to gain sympathy from the growing crowd. Different agenda started flying, RH Bill, FOI, and some were even asking for the President to step down. The main object of the gathering is now out of control. Some people started moving towards the nearest coffee shops, restaurants shouting their dismay "Babalik kami pag wala na yang mga leche na yan."

My group, still trying to be nice suddenly felt hunger. Some wanted to go to the toilet (to puke maybe) but on the way out. We started shouting "Libre! Libre" not Fidel Castro's Cuba Libre, but asking a well-known corrupt figure to treat us lunch from the money he stole from us. Loud Conversations were heard on how politicians of past, present and future have done it in bad taste.

We didn't make the million mark here in Luneta but the message was clear, corruption has to stop. system has to be cleaned. corrupt politicians purged. Guilty jailed. All over the country, more than a million would be protesting. I got a call from a friend at a rally in Cebu and surprised that the same thing happened. "What do they take us for? Fools?" "They have the evil marks of greed and corruption, why do they have to go?"

It is now past 3, slight drizzle, people were saying there is a typhoon coming, they parked far, the kids are unruly. Some loud guys would yell from below the restaurant where we were, "Let us go home before I also become a criminal. Because I will strangle those politicians'necks."

Started stuffing my car with the things we brought, half empty jugs, bags of sandwiches given to bystanders. Poor people were waiting around observing, waiting for events to unfold, not knowing what the real issues are but one old lady quipped before getting a bag of sweets "Hindi dito nagtatapos yan, tama po ba ako?" 

She is damn right. This is not an exercise in futility. The message delivery continues.  The people are unfazed and have spoken. We will make them hear our cries of indignation. Every 8 PM we will still chant "Baboy, Baboy" wherever we are. We will MAKE SOME NOISE!! PINOY TANGA KA BA? Let us not be tanga or 'wag magpapatanga. One message to deliver : rid this nation of corruption.

Two powerless men unaware of events unfolding around them. One man continues to collect garbage to earn his day's keep of 100 PHP or $2. The other trying to pack sandwiches we gave him for his children at home. Both expressed their hopes of a clean government and total eradication of corruption. So their next generation will have a chance of a brighter future. "Para naman po sa aming mga apo at susunod na henerasyon!" "Mahirap po maging dukha buong buhay lalo na at alam namin na kami ay ninanakawan ng tulong na dapat ay para sa amin."