DAVAO CITY — Expect zumba, music, barefoot run and rage in Monday’s million people march against pork barrel.
Organizers of the event said it will be a ‘fiesta’ on Monday’s protest with these activities at Rizal Park, San Pedro Street and other points at 9am to be joined by journalists, netizens, nuns, students, teachers and street parliamentarians.
“EXPRESS YOURSELF will be our theme on monday,” said Jon Joaquin, managing editor of Mindanao Daily Mirror, who would do his barefoot run from Freedom Park to Rizal Park. “Bring your guitar, your tambourine, anything to make some noise; visual artists can paint on the spot, or do henna tattoos; poets can read their poems; dancers can dance — you get the idea.”
“One voice vs pork will be expressed in various ways : selfie or groupie protests, group discussions, speeches, tambulan, t-shirt printing, t-shirt printing, noise barrage, dance and sing protests and other creative means,” says Juland Suazo, whose group Pagbabago will also join the protest.
In the Facebook page Million People March Davao, some 618 people have confirmed their attendance, but this will be expected to increase with academe and students joining the rally.
The Pagbabago will converge at Freedom Park, Roxas before proceeding to Rizal Park.
The Davao Association of Colleges and Schools (DACS) and Catholic Educators Association of the Philippines (CEAP) have advised member schools that they can join the rally to signify the call to abolish the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.
The Ateneo de Davao University Student Council, the Samahan Central Board, also posted an announcement to join the rally on their Facebook page.
The Sisters’ Association in Mindanao (SAMIN) will also mobilize 80 of their members after the closing of their 30th founding anniversary and Congress here.
Newly-elected SAMIN chairperson Sr. Stella Matutina OSB said it is “immoral of President Aquino to cover-up the pork barrel with calls for reforms in the face of people’s rage and sufferings.”
Matutina said that contrary to the 4Ps program of Aquino, “what the people felt are 3 Ps : Plunder of our environment and resources, Pirating our people to work abroad, and pyramiding the social structure where only 40 of the richest Filipinos get rich while millions are poor.”
A zumba dance to protest the PDAF will also take place at People’s Park early morning with the theme : “Galaw galaw para matunaw ang pork”. The group also held a zumba dance Sunday, and plans to do this every Sunday.
Davao’s march will join other cities in the country to call for the abolition of PDAF following reports of corruption involving congressmen and senators. (davaotoday.com)
