Anti-GMA rally - Makati City

July 14th, 2005

The Anti-GMA crowd held its largest rally against the president yesterday at the country’s financial district. Despite the large number, the biggest since they’ve started the series of rallies numbering at around 35,000, they failed to muster the originally planned 200,000 bodies. Again, the left, right and some mid forces ranging from ERAP loyalists, FPJ diehards, militants and the so called United Opposition, the were united in this one goal: to have Gloria resign. But beyond that goal, is uncertainty and division on what they should do. Such strange bedfellows that before, they were at both sides of the fence but now, locking arms together. To regal the crowds, showbiz personalities, comedians, plays and dances were staged and at around 1900H, the highlight of the rally, was the speech of the wife of the late FPJ, Susan Roces. but curiously, after her speech, the crowds started to thin out. Did they really come here to voice out their sentiments? Stargazing? Or doing their role after being paid P300.00?

Her sentiment stuck at her back.

Members of a militant group cheering and clapping as a performer was belting out a song.

Trash the constitutional process. This posters also would want that the Vice President resign. And then what?

Another militant group asking for the president’s resignation.

And still another member of a militant group.

Ninoy Aquino’s statue at the intersection of Ayala and Paseo Roxas Avenues sprouting the rallyists’ banners while an effigy of the president (its hideously done), whose whereabouts are unknown, is being paraded.

A TV reporter at the rally relaying the afternoon’s events while the militants at the back, after seeing the reporter, rushed behind her and held their banners.

Tired protesters. But when I pointed my camera at them, gamely posed and did the thumbs down sign.

Hakot (coloquially, rent-a-crowd)? One of the buses lining Ayala Ave. that came all the way from North Luzon loaded with people and sacks of rice and other foodstuff. Looking at the faces of these people, frankly, I don’t think that their there to air their views. Bringing people by the busload and paying them for their participation is a normal activity in this kind of rallies.