Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday called on Filipinos to join mass actions in whatever way they can, saying public participation is needed to raise awareness about alleged unabated corruption in government.
“Participate in your way. If what you can do is pray, then pray. If what you can do is pray but also post in your Facebook, in your Instagram, sa kahit anong social media, meron kayong WhatsApp, Viber groups, imulat ang ating mga kababayan sa nangyayari sa ating bansa,” Sen. Cayetano said.
(Whatever social media you may have, including WhatsApp or Viber groups, use it to help open the eyes of our countrymen to what is happening in the country.)
Cayetano said those in Metro Manila may make their presence felt by joining mass actions, while those who cannot go to the Iglesia ni Cristo rally at EDSA may organize small community gatherings and post their protest actions online.
“Let us support and let our voices be heard,” he said.
He said public action is important because silence may be interpreted by the government as acceptance of its actions.
“Bakit po ito importante? Dahil sa bawat aksiyon, may reaksiyon. Ii-interpret na naman ito ng ating gobyerno na tama ang ginagawa nila. Na yung pananakip ay nagwo-work. Na puwede na lang arestuhin at kasuhan nang non-bailable ang kahit sino. Pakonti nang pakonti po ang inyong mga lingkod sa Senado dahil sa ginagawa nila (Why is this important? Because for every action, there is a reaction. The government may again interpret this as proof that what it is doing is right, that cover-ups work, and that anyone can simply be arrested and charged with non-bailable offenses. Your true servants in the Senate are becoming fewer because of what they are doing),” Sen. Cayetano said.
Cayetano claimed the government was able to prevent protest actions when Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was arrested on June 1 because authorities had “predicted it.”
He urged the public not to accept what he described as government action against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who is expected to face a plunder case.
“Sana po hindi tayo pumayag kasi mali talaga. Mali talaga po kahit anong tingin niyo. Sabi nung iba, ipaubaya niyo sa korte. Alam niyo po, kapag yung batas ay binabaluktot na at ginagamit na ang ating legal system, hihina yung ating mga institusyon. Again, 40 years after EDSA, that’s what happened during martial law (We should not allow it because it is wrong. It is really wrong no matter how you view it. Some people say we should just leave it to the courts. But when the law is bent and the legal system is used, our institutions are weakened. Again, 40 years after EDSA, that is what happened during martial law),” Sen. Cayetano said.