- Activists in red shirts lead the anti-pork rally. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Protester’s placard slams government’s lack of social services such as housing for the poor. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- With clenched fists, women protesters slam the pork barrel system. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Anti-pork protesters along Magsaysay Avenue. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Workers press their demand for wage hike and jobs. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
- Students join the anti-pork rally. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Elder woman joins the rally on her padyak. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
- Dodong Basilio, spokesperson of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Joel Maglungsod, vice chairperson for external affairs of Kilusang Mayo Uno. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- ‘Megan Yan’ arrives at the rally. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- ‘Megan Yan’ delivers her spiel. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Corazon Espinoza from Samahan ng Maralitang Kababaihan Nagkakaisa (SAMAKANA). (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- A cultural artist delivers a protest song. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Award-winning poet, playwright and Davao Today columnist Don Pagusara. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- A small scale miner from Pantukan, Compostela Valley. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Anti-pork leaders light their torches. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
- Protesters marched to Rizal Park with torches. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
By MEDEL V. HERNANI & ACE R. MORANDANTE
DAVAO TODAY
Davao City — Friday’s anti-pork protest activists drew 2,000 people coming from sectors of the workers, urban poor, small-scale miners, students and “middle class”.
But an activist dressed as beauty queen “Megan Yan” – a spoof character of Miss World winner Megan Young – stole the show.
The protest, organized by the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), started with a mid-day march led by red-shirted leaders marching along Magsaysay Park, Quirino Avenue, Bankerohan, Magallanes to CM Recto for a rally at Freedom Park.
Later at 6 pm, the protesters held a torch parade towards Rizal Park in San Pedro Street and held a concert featuring protest songs and poetry from Davao artists.
But what entertained the crowd was the spiel from “Megan Yan, a play on the phrase Me Ganyan (Is that so?). She told the protesters that she arrived home after winning the “Mess World” title only to be welcomed by a congressman who offered her a feast of “pork chop, belly, liempo, sinigang, chorizo, tocino and special pork ice cream”.
But instead, the congressman took all the food and told her “I should go on diet, because I’m Miss World.”
Speakers from various sectors raised their calls to abolish all pork barrel funds including the DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) and the President’s discretionary funds and have them rechanneled to social services.
Award-winning writer and playwright Don Pagusara delivered a poem, while a small-scale miner from Pantukan, Compostela Valley slammed President Aquino’s endorsement of large-scale mining that would not only displace small-scale miners, but also destroy the environment and livelihood in his province. (davaotoday.com photos by MEDEL V. HERNANI and ACE R. MORANDANTE)
abolish pork barrel, Bayan, pdaf