The protest, of about 30,000 people, was, as expected, a colorful one. But following last years violent attempt by cops to disperse protesters asserting right to get near Batasan Pambansa during #SONA2013, this year’s march evoked an air of urgency: they now call on the immediate ouster of Pres. Benigno Aquino III from office. This, […]
The protest, of about 30,000 people, was, as expected, a colorful one. But following last years violent attempt by cops to disperse protesters asserting right to get near Batasan Pambansa during #SONA2013, this year’s march evoked an air of urgency: they now call on the immediate ouster of Pres. Benigno Aquino III from office. This, following a series of expositions on the involvement of congresspeople, senators, cabinet officials and close Palace allies in the pork barrel scam, purportedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.
But the biggest scandal involved the president himself, to the tune of P177 Billion in the unconstitutional Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). Almost a month after the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional that which has been called the president’s own pork barrel in DAP, three impeachment complaints are now pending in Congress–two for culpably violating the Constitution via DAP and one for signing the equally questionable PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The president now faces political isolation for his misdeeds. The protests, meanwhile, are expected to only intensify–and become more, much more, colorful.
Meanwhile, inside the heavily secured Batasan Pambansa, President Aquino gives a SONA speech with a touch of drama, choking up at one point, as he again puts up a spirited defense of his administration’s achievements, thanks, he said, in no small part to his presidential pork barrel, the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). Here are some of Pher Pasion’s photos:
As Aquino delivers his speech, a group of protesters, still led by Bayan, manage to get near the north gate of Batasan Pambansa to stage a program:
In Commonwealth Avenue, the protesters began to march a few meters towards the police barricades. The police had barricaded the entire lane with concrete and steel barriers, container vans and razor-sharp concertina wires. Boxed in and virtually imprisoned in the entire lane, the protesters asserted their right to protest by marching closer to the police, who responded by using water cannons on them–but failed to stop them. The protesters then held a brief program near the police blockade before peacefully dispersing.
Magandang araw. Nabasa ko ang limang tweets mo kaugnay ng State of the Nation Address ni Pang. Noynoy Aquino noong Hulyo 28. Sumusulat ako sa iyo dahil impluwensyal ka, maraming kababayan natin ang nakikinig at tumutulad sa opinyon mo sa maraming bagay. Mahalaga para sa akin na isang aktibista na masagot ang pagpuri mo kay […]