The Grand Eyeball – Filipino Middle Class Uprising

from Million People March Facebook page 

By Chester B Cabalza

Blogger's Notes:
Commentary of an Academic (Copyright @ 2013 by Chester B Cabalza. All Rights Reserved).

The Million People March is currently held today at the Quirino Grandstand and simultaneously conducted in various major cities in the country as far as Tuguegagaro City in northern Luzon down to Davao City in Mindanao. Pockets of successful global protests by the Filipino communities in other parts of the world converged in New York, California, Ontario, Rome, and Riyadh. However, the ongoing gatherings send a powerful message to abolish or scrap the pork barrel, formally known as the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) of legislators.

The spontaneous anti-corruption movement led by Filipino middle class converged through the power of the social media against greedy politicians who are misusing public funds are gaining waves of support as vigilant taxpayers outburst their sentiments in celebration of the National Heroes’ Day.

Peoples from different walks of life or supposedly President Aquinos's bosses are disgusted by the rampant corruption and malversation of public funds by public officials. In my previous article on abolishing the pork barrel, I discussed about institutionalized corruption and the graft-tainted pork barrel (see http://cbclawmatters.blogspot.com/2013/07/abolish-pork-barrel.html).

Since this is a middle class initiative, there are no clear leaders rising out in the uprising, until smiling Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle appeared in Luneta Park at noontime to voice out his sermon on heroism and his stance on anti-corruption.

When Archbishop Tagle sang a Christian song to set the tone on accountability during the rally - that is the core message he wants to send to greedy politicians. Although, President Benigno Aquino hastily denounced the misuse of PDAF and chanted anti-pork barrel last Friday before the Million People March today, there were speculations that the president’s message was a preemptive move to pacify angry middle class who felt robed of their taxes.

Although, corruption is one of the vicious cycle internal threats the Philippines faces with. Recently, this issue has been magnified after Janet Napoles flaunted her questionable lifestyle and false non-government organizations as her employees later on whistle blows her ill-gotten wealth.

According to reports, Janet Lim Napoles first appeared on the Senate’s radar in connection with the fertilizer fund scam. She also has had hobnobbed with representatives and senators in the Congress which commenced the probing of the 10-billion peso pork barrel scam.

Her daughter Jeane Napoles’ selfie snapshots document her excessive lifestyle and prestige goods, lavish partying with Justine Beiber, and glitzy birthday bash in Beverly Hills vented anger of scores of netizens.

The grand eyeball is our answer to our government’s blind and deafly reactions to rampant corruption in the bureaucracy and congress. I will not allow any senators and representatives whom I voted to just fatten their pockets and misuse ill-gotten wealth from pork barrels which I heavily contributed as an obedient taxpayer!

I denounce corruption by greedy politicians! Abolish pork barrel! Don’t just rename it once you scrap it. Legislators job is to craft laws and not to accumulate botcha pork barrel!

TAMA NA SOBRA NA! Prosecute corrupt politicians!!!