Rough Groove

Just an innocent procession?

Much has been said about the hosing down of a religious rally that saw various personalities ranging from the senior citizens like former vice president Teofisto Guingona and three activist senior bishops, various opposition personalities as well as the usual suspects of anti-Gloria rallies, the militants. Many are denouncing the act as irresponsible and uncalled for, downright harassment, amidst shouts of shades of martial rule with one senator threatening to bring the matter to the United Nations Commission for Human Rights and one senile bishop contending that its the fight between the church and the president, a fight between the Holy Spirit and Malacanang, the presidential palace. Such bold statements worthy of soundbites, print and video but then, may I ask, what religious business does these people have? Its well known that the calibrated preemptive response (CPR) policy of the government is at work, a response to the endless and mindless rallies being held for these to be reigned in to their proper places. It is a known fact that the CPR has a no permit, no rally policy and that there are designated areas for these rallies to be held.

Granting the absence of anti-Gloria slogans and streamers and chants and in there place are songs,rosaries, prayers and statues of the Virgin Mary, it is nothing but another cover-up for an anti-Gloria rally. If they need to have a processession, why detour to a known hotspot of rallyists that they know as a no rally area? Now they complain of inhuman treatment? Bullshit. Leaders or the high ranking people in this so called procession including the aging militant prelates should know better. They should at least be an example instead of using religion. Do they want special treatment because of their standing? How pathetic. Bishops, priests, nuns and other clergy should know their place instead of circumventing the law and claiming otherwise. And the other personalities? Hopeless.

Now, they’re making a lot of noise and complaints but not admitting their own faults and that they intend to agitate the police and make a scene out of it to get sympathy. And how the opposition is thankful for their stupidity. In this world, there are two kinds people: the user and the used.

How shameless.

Disappointing

DISAPPOINTING!

That’s how best to describe the crowds that gathered at the opposition organized, much ballyhoed, rally. Of the expected 40,000, only less than 2,000 came. That was a far cry from the 40,000 (expected 80,000) that went in the last Makati rally. The usual suspects were still there: Anak Pawis, Gabriela, KMU, Bayan and their left leaning cohorts.

Tsk, tsk, tsk… they are not really gaining any support from the majority. And that is good.

What I do like about these rallies are the creativity that these people pour into slogans and illustrations.

The view of the crowd from the Enterprise building.

Left leaning groups prominently led by Satur Ocampo (leftmost) with a saling pusa Rep. Cayetano (rightmost). I guess he was bored stiff with the usual skits and rants at stage.

Another opposition rally

The Ayala Ave. stretch from Makati Ave. - Rufino St. including the underpasses is already closed for the opposition rally. Whew! Not again. Besides being a great inconvenience to Makati based workers and commuters, I really don’t see any benefit of this organized event. Its the usual ragtag bunch, strange bedfellows, of the opposition, civil society, clergy and leftist groups, all wanting to have the president removed from office, never mind if these are through unconstitutional means.

But the problem with these groups is that they don’t have a credible alternative. They have no program to show the nation. That’s why, the majority of the masses as well as the middle class are apathetic to their sentiments. As always, varied there groups maybe, but there intentions are always suspect.

And what about the mayor of Makati, Jejomar Binay? He doesn’t really mind that the country’s financial center be used for these rallies. For him, the more disruptions, the better.

Priest clowns in politics

” EXPULSION OF DEMONS. Fr. Robert Reyes (left) and Fr. Raul “Puti” Enriquez sprinkle a generous amount of holy water on the photos of the members of the House of Representatives to clean up their negativisms toward the impeachment complaint. ” - from the INQ7.net website, 10 Aug 05 issue

Well, well, well… the running priest (Fr. Reyes is known for this) and Fr. Enriquez did it again. After fasting at the People Power monument in EDSA done for the president to resign, they’re doing this “exorcism” at the House of Representative. Can’t these priest stop clowning around politics? They’re too much. They should be attending to their flock instead of doing these theatrics for media. I’m always wondering why the church hierarchy permit these actions and wonder of wonders, these two always have reporters and cameras around to broadcast their latest political “cause.” How pathetic. Rep. Teddy Locsin was right in seething mad that church rites are being abused.

But then, Frs. Reyes and Enriquez are part of the circus, wannabe characters that poplulate the vibrant, dirty, absurd and unpredictable Philippine political scene. The more, the merrier!

Anti-GMA rally - Makati City

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.

On the lighter side, this man was gamely posing while holding an apt ad for Bonamine, another enterprising opportunity