Measuring almost two meters wide, less than three meters high and seven meters long, the “golden pig” was purposefully made big “because the pork barrel is gigantic.”
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The Independence Day protests on June 12 may have tackled serious topics of “betrayal” and “bogus independence”, large-scale corruption and sellout of Philippine patrimony to US forces and huge foreign corporations, but the protesters came with festive symbols and dramatizations of their calls.
During the march to the US Embassy in Manila and the program held at Kalaw Ave., some protesters marched like Katipuneros and Katipuneras, with make-believe bolos and rifles. Gabriela Women Partylist Rep. Emmi de Jesus joined them as “Inang Bayan,” with the left sleeve of her terno sporting an image of a fat yellow pig wearing Uncle Sam’s star-spangled tophat. Beside the image are the words: Junk EDCA, Stop the rape of our motherland.
Kilusang Mayo Uno told the US government in a red placard, “Go pivot yourself,” while some members of the faculty of the University of the Philippines brought posters of the same yellow fat pig, this time with the message: “Huwag Babuyin ang Soberanya, pork barrel at EDCA ibasura” (Don’t trample on our sovereignty, junk the pork barrel and EDCA).
It was toward afternoon when protesters became more colourful and festive as they converged at Liwasang Bonifacio and focused on denouncing the pork barrel system as well as the Aquino government’s alleged coverup of its own involvement in the pork scam.
What used to be less than two feet by less than two feet mock jail for alleged plunderers unveiled by #AbolishPork Movement during the announcement of June 12 antipork protest last week became bigger this time. An entire stage full of leaders of various groups demanding that “Lahat ng Sangkot, Dapat Managot” (Everyone involved must be held accountable) could throw yellow balls of pig/pork to the pen/jail.
Mae Paner aka Juana Change arrived at Liwasang Bonifacio with porky faces on her chest, and on her saya.
Protesters from the Kilusang Mayo Uno arrived with a wedding entourage dubbed as “Kasal ng mga Kawatan.” The bride is Janet Lim-Napoles, the groom is President Benigno Noynoy Aquino III, the sponsors include his cabinet members who are implicated in the scam.
They marched ahead of the KMU contingent from Sta. Cruz, Manila to Liwasang Bonifacio, with an arch over their heads announcing the marriage of thieves, and they were joined by a chord lined with paper money. The bride’s gown had a cream-colored train painted in gold with the words “pork barrel queen,” accompanied by a crowned head of a pig.
When they arrived at Liwasang Bonifacio, the workers overturned the arch, transforming it into a mock jail. From being framed by a decorative arch, the wedding entourage were suddenly packed inside a jail cell.
Health workers and medical students from RxPork carried mini-placards in the shape of a crowned yellow pig, depicting “Pork Barrel King.” As President Aquino has more than P1.3 trillion lump sum or pork under his discretion, he is said to hold the “biggest pork of all,” comprising almost half of the country’s P2.26-trillion budget. As if these pork barrel king mini-placards were not enough, the health sector also pasted on their white hat yellow stickers with the demands: “no to coverup” and “lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot.”
Rx Abolish Pork Barrel System Movement tagged as hypocritical and insulting Mr. Aquino’s message published on June 12 in a major broad sheet, about “eliminating greed and corruption” from society.
“How could government officials stomach the painful realities that plague the nation like thousands of critically ill patients being turned away in public hospitals because of lack of money, hospitals beds and/or attending doctors and nurses; that there are only 17,000 Barangay Health Stations (BHS) out of 42,000 barangays in the country, not enough to provide primary health services in the cities and countrysides; that 72 public hospitals including the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) are up for privatization that will make health care services profit-oriented and expensive for the poor; that hundreds of thousands of nurses remain unemployed despite the country’s massive lack of public health nurses; that 7 out of 10 Filipinos die without ever seeing a doctor; and, 70% of the Filipino population are not able to buy essential medicines simply because they don’t have the money for it,” said Robert Mendoza, co-convener of the Rx: Abolish Pork Barrel System Movement.
Other protesters attended the rally wearing headbands with yellow pig ears on it.
A giant “Golden Pig” also made its return to the street protests after first appearing in the anti-pork actions in Makati last year. This time the pig wore a crown, a reference to the Pork Barrel King label given to Aquino at the height of the mass actions last year.
Measuring almost two meters wide, less than three meters high and seven meters long, the “golden pig” was purposefully made big “because the pork barrel is gigantic,” Ogie Carbonell, one of the transporters of this giant pig, told Bulatlat.com. The giant pig joined the march from Liwasang Bonifacio to Mendiola aboard an Elf truck.
The design and construction of the “Golden Pig” was spearheaded by Jun Ducat, an engineer and a veteran of the First Quarter Storm. Although made from paper mache, it has a framework of steel welded together in the shape of a pig. On days when there is no protest action against pork, the Golden Pig is kept in a warehouse.
Bayan Metro Manila also brought a life-size mock jail for plunderers, with headshots of suspected plunderers pasted inside. Both the protesters and the passersby turned the Golden Pig, the mock jails, and the wedding of thieves into backdrops for selfies.
After holding a program at Liwasang Bonifacio, the Independence Day protesters marched to Mendiola Bridge carrying torches.
“We carry on the fight for sovereignty and democracy as we march to Mendiola Bridge to bring the protest at the doorsteps of the Pork Barrel King himself,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
Bayan tagged Aquino as “the main stumbling block to achieving complete justice.” The “Rally for Accountability” gathered together the Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) with Dante Jimenez, the Whistleblowers Association, the Concerned Citizens Movement, Babae Laban sa Katiwalian (BABALA), Church People’s Alliance Against Pork led by Fr. Ben Alforque, Ang Kapatiran Party, Artista Kontra Korapsyon (AKSYON) led by National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, the Anti-Trapo Movement, Youth ACT Now!, RX Pork, DePORK, UP Faculty vs Pork, Youth ACT Now!, and mass organizations under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN). Archbishop Oscar Cruz was at the rally along with musician Monet Silvestre, whistleblower Jun Lozada and lawyer Harry Roque.
“Aquino has become the protector of thieves and the chief proponent of presidential pork,” Reyes said in a statement. While other quarters seem to want the people to be content with the administration finally filing charges against a few of the suspected plunderers, Bayan called attention to the fact that that “nothing in Aquino’s Naga speech indicated that he would be going after his allies implicated in the pork scam.” 
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