Friday, February 29, 2008

Amid the Flags and Banners

Strolling leisurely and expectantly last February 29, 2008, I had a silly grin on my face. It was getting dark but a lot of people were busy walking to and fro; after all it was Protest Day in Makati. Photo exposure was bad but still took a shot of police vehicles, its occupants relaxed and seemingly indifferent to the masses of people in Paseo de Roxas corner Ayala Avenue.

Photo by Kabayan

As I rounded the corner, I was pleased to discover that compared to the last Feb 15, 2008 rally where I had to walk a kilometer before seeing any sign of a substantial gathering, this time I was immediately greeted by the sight of these line of jeepneys with flags stuck out from different places of its body. There are indeed signs of far more numerous protesters this time around.

Photo by Kabayan
Walking along the avenue, I saw a clump of seminarians walking along Ayala. I was elated expecting that this trip would produce one of the more prolific photo shoots I ever had. I checked my camera, I got worried as the exposure was poor and the shot results leave much to be desired. Photo by Kabayan

Finally I saw the edge of the gathering of people with flags and banners visible from afar. I also saw some white foreigners with their cameras slung over their shoulders. Either they are reporters or tourists, I thought. Lining up a shot on a large contingent of seminarians, I clicked my camera and then *@#%^&*! I ran out of battery power! I tried resetting the camera several times but to no avail. The battery was dead. Going back home was no option; it was already nightfall and public transports were filled.

Swallowing my chagrin, I just have to make my trip worth my while, after all expressing outrage against massive government corruption and abuses was the main reason I was there in the first place. As I went nearer to the center of the rally, I eventually bumped into a wall of people. This is as far as I can go. The view was exhilarating, flags and banners of different colors. The red banners and flags which is usually seen in former rallies now represent a fraction of the blues, greens, whites and yellows now waving amid the spotlights. A band called “The Woods” was belting out the music of the times. The tune and beat was actually quite good and the message just as penetrating. A section of the song goes … “May kuliling ang pagdinig, May kuliling ang pagdinig,” apparently referring to Gloria Arroyo’s attitude of not listening to people with legitimate grievances. Now the small group of people she ignored before became a massive gathering. This time Gloria took notice and showed this by cowering inside Camp Crame. Hers now, as some describe, is a Throne of Bayonets; for me I can describe her new found refuge more as a Cage of Bayonets. She is now a prisoner of her own making, unable to safely go out without the army of men and steel which used to be the principled Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police. Now many officers in high positions have become beholden to a corrupt person who plays them like a fiddle.

I tried my camera again to capture the moment, the people, the faces and other unforgettable images. No luck. Battery remained dead as a doornail. I just have to make the best of the situation. I looked for a human angle to this mass, trying to look for interesting trees in the thick forest. I spied on a vendor and a curious looking teenager assistant with his hair dyed blonde. Maybe it’s time to focus on people who are most in need yet often ignored in our society. I squeezed through the crowd and headed towards their direction. It’s time to have a chat. (Continued to article - For whom do we fight for (Part 1))

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kabayan;
Way to go,Amigo.I am impress on your blog.The best in the west.Hehehe! Keep up your mode of spirit.

Kabayan said...

Kaw talaga cocoy, na-eembarass ako sa yo tuloy, heheh. Doon ka rin ba kay Ellen? ;)

Anonymous said...

Kabayan;
Na promote na ako kay Ellen dati black slave ang pangalan ko naging royal blood na akong tulad mo dahil naging red ang pangalan ko baka nga magkaroon na ako ng cedula sa kumunista.Hehehe1

Kabayan said...

Oo maige nang tawaging royal blood para blue blood, dami pa namang may ugali na Joseph McCarthy dito sa bansa natin. Para tayong sa middle ages. Congratulations at naging royal blood ka hehehe

Naku ano ba itong pinagsasabi natin... :D

Kabayan said...

Ibig ko palang sabihin maigeng matawagang blue blood kaysa red blood at baka sabihin Komunist dahil pula ang dugo ... hahahaha

Anonymous said...

Dito blue blood ako sa iyo.Pero teka ang hirap pasukin itong bahay mo.Tight security ang pintuan.Napudpud na ang mga daliri ko sa kapi-fingerprint ng guardya,mabuti sana kong si Piningarcia ang guardya.Hehehe! Mamili muna ako ng talbos ng kamote sa sifud siti at babalikan kita mamaya.

Kabayan said...

Bukas na lang ng umaga, tatlong oras lang tulog ko kanina. Sa sobra kong bisita sa blogs ng mga kakampi natin laki tuloy backlog ko sa trabaho; buti nga sa akin hehehe.

Pasensya na lang sa security measures, kailangan eh. Alam mo naman kung medyo napupuna na ng "iba" hehehe gud night pre ;) gud morning pala

Jenijenjen said...

Hi Kabayan!
Sayang! bitin ang kwento! hehe...will wait for the conclusion :D