By VERA Files
Groups took the opportunity to circulate petition letters that gathered signatures seeking the scrapping of pork barrel funds, which recent investigations show to have ended up in bank accounts of businesspeople through fictitious non-government organizations which became conduits of the funds.
The atmosphere was that of festive protest as people came in pairs or groups, on bikes or carloads, holding picnics, mini-concerts or discussions while taking up the challenge to help assemble the million warm bodies.
Members of the clergy shared space with the academe, civil society, health groups and various organizations that mobilized members to be part of today’s activity.
Ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona showed up at the rally with this wife, but was heckled by the crowd who called him “Epal and magnanakaw (thief).” Corona was impeached by the House of Representatives in December 2011 and later found guilty by the Senate the following year for failure to disclose his networth to the public.
The Million People March started out as a social media challenge, and is thought to be leaderless, hence the absence of the usual centralized programs usually run by political groups in other rallies.
Today’s rallies started as mere Facebook and Twitter postings by some artists, which were picked up by the rest of social media. — Photos by Lala Ordenes, Kira Paredes and Jon de Santos
