Smoke from a fire in Barangay Catalina, Zamboanga City can be seen at the background of Col. Edwin Andrews Airbase as tensions between the Moro National Liberation Front fighters and government troops are now on its fourth day Thursday. The fighting between the two continues as groups call on the Aquino government to take the review of the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF seriously. (davaotoday.com photo by John Rizle L.Saligumba)
Members of the University of the Philippines Mindanao Student Council held discussion circles in the campus before leading students to the anti-pork barrel rally on Wednesday afternoon. UP is one of the 79 state universities and colleges (SUCs) that had its budget slashed for 2014. Thus, the UP community is up in demanding the scrapping of congressional pork and presidential special funds and have them re-channeled to education. (davaotoday.com photo by Kenneth Jean I. Millondaga)
Bayan Muna Representative Atty. Carlos Isagani Zarate (center) stressed the need to abolish both the legislative PDAF and presidential “pork” or special funds in order to stop the culture of patronage politics. Joining Zarate is Asst. Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Atty. Rodolfo Elman (second, left), teachers of Ateneo de Davao University and anti-corruption advocates during Wednesday’s forum on pork barrel held at Ateneo de Davao University. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)
Grim, stiff-lipped, agitated are all written in the faces of these youth over Congress’ misuse of public funds at the expense of lack of budget for education. The Youth for Accountability and Truth Now (Youth ACT Now) led around 800 youth and students in Wednesday’s march rally from Rizal Park to Freedom Park. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
An elderly lights a candle at Davao City’s Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue and CM Recto on Wednesday’s nationwide action for the abolition of Congress pork barrel and the president’s special funds. The candle lighting was the culmination of two events – the Youth for Accountability and Truth Now (Youth ACT Now) rally and a forum at Ateneo de Davao University on the pork barrel system. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)