Protest rallies by concerned civil society groups (CSOs), social movements, and the catch-all label “street parliamentarians” have been part and parcel of political life in the country since the 1960s. The latest major protest rally, and still threatening to continue, is that of the jeepney drivers or PUV drivers’ organizations, PISTON, MANIBELA and others, protesting the government’s plan to phase out their means of livelihood.
In fact, with BONIFACIO DAY on November 30, mobilizations in various locations in NCR, as well as in some provinces, are expected, to commemorate the heroism and martyrdom of the Filipino revolutionaries that ended Spain’s colonization of the Philippines. And the main call in these protest mobilizations would be about good government issues: “jobs for the jobless,” “itahas and sahod,”“aid to the farmers and fisher folks,” “affordable prices for rice and other staple foods,” etc.
In other words, for decades of mass actions to pressure government to respond to citizens’ legitimate demands, we wonder why the government seems satisfied with the stupid response of sending policemen to face the protesters, or preventing rallies altogether by not providing the permit to practice their constitutional right of freedom to assemble. More often than not, mobilizations are resorted to in response to government officials’ neglect or deliberate avoidance of listening to the protesters. Government officials, given their mandate to serve the public, have to consult the stakeholders, to avoid making moronic, if not offensive and unrealistic decisions. Leaders are expected to research on possible responses of those who will be affected by their decisions, and the best way is to consult them.
People wonder why government officials, especially our current ones under a “Uniteam” administration, apparently prefer to be branded as “fascist,” rather than seriously working to be labeled as “servant- leaders.” This administration should sincerely work on uniting the various citizens’ groups by being open outright by listening to their grievances and resolving them with workable solutions, and for the long term, relevant policies and programs.
Only then will government readily avoid facing protest mobilizations, and be praised for being proactive and anticipatory of their constituents’ needs and addressing them on a timely basis.
BUT is this possible under this “Uniteam leadership”? This is the big question, given its track record so far -- rising prices of rice and other staple foods, drugs still in the market as we see almost daily in the news, erring policemen – the supposed protectors of the people – seem endless, illegal arrests or killings of activists particularly in the provinces have not abated, justice have long eluded the families of the more than 30,000 victims of EJKs and those red-tagged, the Chinese coastguard vessels have not stopped bullying our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea, the farmers and laborers are still waiting for concrete help from the government, and so too the millions of jobless, homeless, and landless Filipinos! Will a Merry Christmas greet the Filipinos this year yet, or will they still have to keep praying and rallying for real deliverance for another year? “God, please help us!” is the cry of millions of Filipinos.
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