THOUSANDS RALLY TO PROTEST AT NOY'S SONA / SOLONS DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
MANILA, JULY 27, 2011 (STAR) By Mike Frialde (Protesters burn an effigy of President Aquino along Commonwealth Avenue during the State of the Nation Address yesterday. Right photo shows anti-riot policemen looking at another effigy prepared by anti-government rallyists. BOY SANTOS and JOVEN CAGANDE]
Thousands of mostly left-wing protesters marched in Metro Manila yesterday to demand higher wages, farmland and the prosecution of President Aquino's predecessor for alleged graft ahead of the President's annual State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Officials say anti-riot police blocked about 3,000 protesters waving red flags and carrying Aquino's effigy to prevent them from getting near the House of Representatives, where Aquino delivered his speech.
Protesters say Aquino has not moved fast enough to ease the plight of the poor, workers and farmers.
Aquino won a landslide election victory last year largely due to his clean image, family legacy and a promise to battle endemic corruption and poverty.
Humpty Dumpty
The protesters were stopped by police a few meters away from St. Peter's Church, where they staged their rally. The backdrop on their makeshift stage portrayed Aquino as the fairy tale character Humpty Dumpty, whom they described as a "puppet," pahirap or a person who makes things difficult, and "inutile."
During their march along Commonwealth Avenue – defying a city government ban on rallies near the Batasan Pambansa complex – they dragged a cart made up to look like a Humvee, with another Humpty Dumpty effigy seated in it.
As they passed a mall along the avenue, some of the protesters were seen carrying large placards warning the public against "snatchers. It was here that the military snatched (activist) Jonas Burgos."
Other groups portrayed Aquino as bugok na penoy (spoiled unfertilized duck egg), a take on his chosen nickname, P-Noy.
Human rights cops deployed
Mention SONA and the Philippine National Police (PNP) and one immediately conjures up images of baton-wielding police officers in full riot gear. However, 32 police officers in black vests identifying them as "PNP Human Rights Officers" were standing by the sidelines near St. Peter's Church. They were sent by the National Capital Region Police Office under the leadership of Superintendent Datumama Mokalid Al-Haj "for the first time" to monitor and act on human rights abuses committed by both anti-riot policemen and protestors.
Mokalid said the human rights policemen also serve as minders for the anti-riot policemen when they square off with protesters.
"We tell them not to strike first and just be ready to defend themselves. We tell them that our job is to pacify. They have to control themselves," he said.
Personnel from the Commission on Human Rights and human rights advocates were also on hand to monitor the situation "so that we will not be accused of being biased for the police officers by the protesters."
Mokalid said human rights police officers will be deployed to other protest rallies after yesterday's SONA. "Unknown to many, we have been training police officers on human rights for the past three years. Human rights desks are spread in police stations nationwide. Expect police human rights monitors to be deployed during rallies. We have been trained, we must maximize our presence," he said.
'Generally peaceful'
PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo said the public assemblies and mass actions staged yesterday were orderly and peaceful.
"Except for the perennial traffic congestion, rerouting of traffic and pockets of mass actions around the Batasan Complex, the SONA went ahead peacefully and orderly sans any untoward incident in Metro Manila and the rest of the country," said PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr.
The public assembly peaked at around 3 p.m., with around 6,500 protesters massing along the northbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue. The crowd thinned to 3,500 at about 5:30 p.m.
Bacalzo congratulated the commanders of the 7,000 police officers deployed to provide security for the SONA.
NCRPO chief Director Alan Purisima said there was an incident wherein a member of the Regional Public Safety Battalion was accosted for carrying an M-16 Armalite rifle. Anti-riot police officers are not allowed to carry guns during rallies.
"The policeman was part of the escort of our anti-crowd disturbance management trucks, but just the same I ordered the Quezon City police to place him under investigation," Purisima said.
Just before going to Commonwealth Avenue at noon, protesters gathered at Chino Roces bridge in Manila for a rally yesterday morning. Around 500 anti-riot policemen were deployed, and barbed wire fences were set up to block protesters from approaching Malacañang Palace.
Cooler heads
Purisima said the rallies were peaceful because "maybe Filipinos now don't want to be in fights."
Even street vendors plying their trade along Commonwealth Avenue noticed that rallyists this year have cooler heads.
Cassava cake vendor Gloria Urbano said during then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term, most protesters used expletives to express their sentiments against the government, but "it's not like that now."
Rodel Bohol, a siomai vendor, also noticed there were fewer protesters. Urbano and Bohol, who had gone to the rally site to sell their wares, said the fewer rally participants were bad for business – they had not sold all of their products as of 5 p.m.
Caught on camera
As policemen guarded protesters gathered in different spots along Commonwealth Avenue, large screen monitors were hoisted at the police command post, akin to a "war room."
These monitors showed footage of "strategic spots" with at least two of them focused on the more or less 6,000 protesters gathered in different spots along Commonwealth Avenue.
It was the first time that such a setup was made, making it easier for the police to monitor the convergence of people on the day of the SONA, according to Chief Superintendent George Regis, director of the Quezon City Police District.
The surveillance cameras were set up near the Batasan Pambansa, the Sandiganbayan, the Commission on Audit, Welcome Rotonda, People Power Monument, Camp Aguinaldo, St. Peter's Church and Edsa-Ortigas. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Non Alquitran, Aie Balagtas See, Reinir Padua, Rhodina Villanueva, Mayen Jaymalin, Jerry Botial, Sandy Araneta, AP
FROM THE MANILA BULLETIN
Solons dress for the occasion By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA and BEN R. ROSARIOJuly 25, 2011, 8:21pm
[PHOTO COURTESY OF MANILA STANDARD TODAY]
MANILA, Philippines — It was a day for fashion-watching at the Senate as some lady senators were dressed in elegant gowns during the opening of the second regular session of the 15th Congress, at the Philippine Senate, Monday.
Sen. Loren Legarda said her eye-catching gown was not new but an old, six-year-old beaded and low-necklined maroon Filipiniana made for her by Filipino designer Dennis Martin.
On her way to the opening of the session at 10 a.m., Legarda was seen clutching a shell bag that, according to her, was made by a Cebu craftsman. Her diamond and ruby-encrusted dangling earrings were heirloom from her mother, the late Bessie Legarda.
Legarda said her fashion statement is to promote the artistic works of young Filipino designers.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, on the other hand, wore a modern off-shoulder, two-toned oyster and silver grey version of the traditional panuelo, accentuated by cascading soft ruffles at the back.
My gown is recycled, designed by Mia Urquico, Cayetano said.
Her brother, Senate Minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, wore a pina barong with water lily embellishment.
Apart from helping promote local designers, the minority leader said he wore the barong upon the recommendation of his brother's friend, popular designer JC Buendia.
"There is no fashion message, but in a small way I want to contribute to promoting environmental protection as well as encouraging local designers," Cayetano said.
Congressmen abandoned Monday the parliament of the streets and decided to make fashion statements.
Reps. Teddy Casino (Bayan Muna), Nery Colmenares (Bayan Muna), Rolando Tinio (ACT Teachers), Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis), Raymond Palatino (Kabataan), and Luzviminda Ilagan said their rare fashion sense contained messages they wanted to deliver to Aquino and the rest of the nation.
Yacap party-list Rep. Carol Jane Lopez wore a special dress made by "pure" and "uncontaminated" T'boli tribal women of Mindanao who are now allowed to sleep with their husbands while making the cloth, in accordance to strict T'boli traditions.
This beautiful tradition of the T'boli women will not last long if we don't give attention to their weavings by wearing them," said Lopez, who considers South Cotabato part of her home-base and constituency.
Palatino showed the "youth rebel" in him with modern "Katipunero" attire. He said the legacy of KKK had been mocked by the dominance of the Kamag-anak, Kaklase, Kaibigan clique in the Aquino administration.
Colmenares wore a barong designed by Renan Ortiz of the Concerned Artist of the Philippines. The uppers had symmetric Lady Justice design and focus on the anti-impunity, extra-judicial killings, and corruption.
Casino, an advocate of freedom of information measure, sported a Barong Tagalog with with an embroidered material depicting the call for the immediate passage of the bill.
Ilagan entered the plenary hall clad in a Fuschia kimona top and a skirt with the design of a woman's face made up of flags of different nations. The face is stenciled in gold outline so that t is highlighted amid the colorful flags. This symbolizes overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their plight. The skirt also has black stripes to symbolize OFWs in jail or in distress.
Mariano's attire has an embroidery with a theme calling for genuine agrarian reform and for the immediate return of Hacienda Luisita to the farm workers while Tinio's barong had education theme.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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