Age of Protest

This is the age of protest.

Last month, protests erupted in Indonesia over increase of allowance for parliament members, while the common folk experience dire straits amid rising food and education costs and property tax, and mass layoffs. Early this month, protests erupted in Nepal against government corruption and ban on social media. (The state should have known better than banning social media. That’s guaranteed to tick people off. But seriously, that’s a violation of human rights and freedom) This one actually went so far as to topple the government, forcing the prime minister to resign. Now, it’s the Filipinos’ turn. It had been decided that the September 21 Martial Law Declaration would be remembered with protests against corruption especially in the massively anomalous flood control projects.

What is this? Is this some sort of wave? Is this some sort of plague that sweeps through South and Southeast Asia? It is a plague indeed. Governments across countries (perhaps even in countries which seem to be quiet right now) are plagued with greed and exploitation. Are these corrupt politicians in international coordination with each other? Do they meet in a conference and decide that they have to time the exposure of their corrupt practices close to each other? Is this Corruption Month? Then, has it become Protest Month? Is this some sort of trend?

Corruption must really be inherent in government. Indonesian legislators decided to increase the amount that they receive. Nepalese government officials decided to raise taxes and curtail human freedoms. Filipino DPWH plundering anomalies (which have probably been perpetrated with lawmakers) are split open with the lid off, exposing years pile of loot from public funds.

Then, seemingly in a sweeping wave, common people across islands and the continent have had it up to their noses , and exploded en masse, in thousands in the cities, in major urban centers. It is heartbreaking that the protests in Indonesia and Nepal resulted in violence, arson, in deaths – multiple deaths. Our version had riots and property damage mixed in with the clamor for the conviction and incarceration of all who are corrupt. I think what makes the Philippine protests different is that they have been mixed with groups with other agenda which include the call to repatriate a former President incarcerated in another country, groups who seek to topple the seating government to replace it with the one they’re loyal to, young delinquents who see the rallies as opportunities to instigate trouble, and other intentions we do not know of. It’s a mixed bag with the majority of anti-corruption protesters combined with diverse motives. In a way, the anti-corruption in itself was corrupted with other diverse motives. Interestingly, news headlines on Sunday was filled with “protests. Then, on Monday, they were filled with “riots”.

We understand these passionate sentiments. All these discovery of the desecration of disaster reduction for egotistical ends has stirred up strong sentiments of disgust. But, what do we hope to achieve?

In Indonesia, many have already died. The protests continue. In Nepal, many have similarly died. Protests have succeeded to force the resignation of the head of state. Unrest has suspended safe passage for travel of goods and merchandise. The violence has hurt the nations’ economies. At least, ours was relatively peaceful.

Most people went there in their indignation against the blatant plunder of public funds. Curiously, some went out in the streets to declare support for a former President. Some supposedly went there in the expectation to participate in the ouster of the incumbent administration. Are they expecting that they could replace the President, just like EDSA 1 and 2? They seem to have interpreted the anti-corruption sentiments as anti-BBM; when they’re not. It’s quite clear that the President is not party to these ghost flood control projects. Actually, he was the one who initiated the conversations and investigations. The public is quite aware that the trail leads to contractors, DPWH officials, and legislators.

(Were not a couple of those names being implicated have been charged on cases of misuse of public funds, and had actually been incarcerated? Now, their names are tainted with corruption again. It’s either they have made a habit of it or they have become favorite suspects.)

Again, what do we hope to achieve with the protests? Is it To let the guilty parties know the people’s hatred? They already know that. They probably logged out from every form of media to save themselves from hearing any news about the protests while being comfortable in their plundered wealth. Are the protests intended to hold them accountable? You won’t accomplish that in a rally, no matter how big it is. The rallies just gave an opening for rioters to make a ruckus. Let’s just find a way to help the people who would be affected by floods from the coming typhoons, because the flood control projects in their towns are ghosts.

1 Samuel 8:9: Give ear now to their voice: but make a serious protest to them, and give them a picture of the sort of king who will be their ruler.