๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ข๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ . ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐
THOUSANDS of Filipinos joined the September 21 rally held at the different parts of Metro Manila and other cities to denounce corruption in government. From politicians, to celebrities, to members of the business community, to the youth sector, to ordinary Filipinos and even to the one who sells quek-quek, fishball and kikiam, people have joined together to voice their anger and disappointment.
The day-long protest was peacefulโฆ the crowd braved the heavy downpour brought about by the Habagat and Super Typhoon Nando (International Name-Ragasa). They called on the government to punish those who pocketed billions from flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways and called on President BBM to spare no one.
President BongBong expressed support for the protest against flood control fraud as he himself is very angry with the way some politicians and DPWH officials ransacked the coffers of the government.
The rally was peacefulโฆ until rioters, including minors, numbering in the hundreds came to the picture and destroyed the commercial district of Recto and Mendiola.
At the Ayala bridge, rioters set a 10-wheeler truck and several motorcycles on fire. They threw Molotov cocktails, bottles, rocks to the deployed policemen and destroyed private and government properties including traffic lights, vandalized walls and buildings, burned placards and tarpaulins and ravaged a hotel stealing the hotel employeesโ cash, belongings and the establishmentโs gadgets and earnings.
The rioters obviously came out to destroy and create havocโฆ they were not fighting for any principles or advocaciesโฆ and they were not out there to denounce corruption in government. Most were out there just for the fun of it.
In short, the right to grievance of those legitimate demonstrators was marred by those hooligans who wanted nothing but to spread anarchyโฆ they are not rallyists with a legitimate advocacy against corruption in government, but rather troublemakers provoking violence, theft, arson and damage to private and government properties.
For sure, the rioters were not members of the left-leaning blocs. They were waving a different flag — a flag that was used in the Indonesia and Nepal riotsโฆ a flag that originated from a Japanese hit anime series One Piece — a flag that has no bearing at all.
According to some police intelligence report, the hooligans were financed by a lawyer, a former politician and two Chinese businessmen. If this report is true, then criminal charges must be filed versus the suspected financiers of the rioters โinciting to sedition, perhaps.
The message of the September 21 rally is very clearโฆ the government, under BBM, must go after everyone who amassed from government projects. It is also very clear that protesters are also going after all those who ransacked the finances of the government since the time of Digong Duterte.
As for those rioters, they must be punished for their deeds so that future protests or rallies will not turn ugly.
