Anti-Con Ass rally in Makati: More pictures

I went to the Anti-Con Ass/Anti-Gloria/Miting de Avance/Facebook EB June 10 rally on the corner of Ayala and Paseo De Roxas.

At first I was convinced that I wanted to protest any moves that might give President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a term extension or a whole new term through a Constitutional Amendment that might allow such a thing to happen.

But after a few hours of standing and milling around with the crowd, I began to wonder what the hell was I doing there with 5,000 other people.

I guess, I wanted to feel 'authentic'. I want to be able to say that I am not just an arm chair activist who writes about change and his indignation in the comfortable safety of his favorite writing spot in the house.

But just how do you do that when you know that a substantial number of the people there were also struggling to feel authentic about their outrage over anything.

Francis, my dear buddy from Bagumbayan remarked, apathy and indifference may be the single biggest thing that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has achieved with her 10 years in power.

I met Atty. Trixie Angeles on a virtually traffic-less Ayala Avenue. In the brief conversation we had, I asked her if anything would come out of it and she said that probably nothing.

But I beg to disagree.

Some money came out of it. From my pocket to the cash register of Delifrance. From my pocket to the cash register of a Mini-Stop shop where I bought a Smart Pre-paid card so that I can load up my phone and smart bro (which is giving me awful service if not no service!). From my pocket to the dirty palms of a street vendor selling water, cigarettes, candy, and fishballs (he was pretty diversified). From my pocket to the parking lot attendant. From my pocket to the one or two vagrants that roamed the rally begging for change.

It's the day after the rally and I am wondering if anything changed.

Is Con Ass still alive? Yes. Is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo still our President? Yes. Are the corrupt government officials in government still stealing our money? Yes. Are Presidential candidates still spending tens of millions of pesos a month advertising false claims? Yes.

So... What now?

Anyway, here are a couple more pictures from the Anti-Con Ass rally.

The picture is blurry but in it are Senator's Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Noy Noy Aquino, Panfilo Lacson, Pia Cayetano and a few other politicians.

I have to be fair to Roxas on one account. I didn't see him bringing Korina Sanchez on stage or wearing a garland of garlic. He didn't say 'Putang Ina, ano ba ito!".

However, he did mouth his TV Commercial's slogan and bellowed, "LALABAN TAYO!"

Raise it up man! They won't see it from the penthouse where they are pissing down on you.

"Bakit nga ba talaga ako dito? Nabunot ko ba iyong plantsa bago ako umalis ng bahay? Asan na kaya si Indo? Baka umiinom na naman iyon. Putang ina! Ano ba naman ito!!" Thinks the hapless rallyist below.

Are we just walking, talking, and eating pin-buttons for somebody else's campaign?