On my way home from work, as I struggled to find my way out of the throng of people who were gathered at Ayala Avenue last Friday for the interfaith and Anti-GMA rally, I repeatedly asked myself, “Why Makati?”
While I have absolutely nothing against the rally, which was, no doubt, immediately approved as Makati City’s Mayor, Jejomar Binay, is one of the harshest critics of the administration, I believe that they should have held it on another venue where the normal lives of the people (myself included) working and living in the city would not be disrupted.
According to a recent census, the population of Makati is more or less half a million. However, during a typical workday, its population is estimated to be a MILLION due to the large number people who go to city to work and shop, particularly in the business district. So you could just imagine how many lives were affected during the rally. To make matters worse, they held the anti-Arroyo demonstration on a Friday, which is a day when EVERYONE rushes to go home to his or her respective province. So the next question is, “Why on a Friday?”
Although the intersection of Ayala ave. and Paseo de Roxas are considerably large enough to accommodate vehicles during the rush hour traffic, it is not that spacious to contain 80,000 people (or 15,000 as the Philippine National Police estimated). As a result, everywhere I go I saw the troubled faces of workers and employees gasping for air, heard the shouts “Putangina! Nawawala cell phone ko” (at least four times), and spotted several “shady” characters who were pretending to join the rally but in reality, they were waiting to snatch the nearest unguarded cell phone, bag, jewelry, and other valuables, like a vulture observing its prey.
Moreover, Ayala Avenue is a MAJOR thoroughfare as it intersects with other major streets such as Sen. Gil Puyat (formerly Buendia), Makati Avenue, and most of all, EDSA. As a result, the buses and jeeps had to alter their normal routes. The MRT was no help either as I saw with my own eyes that the people who normally commuted using jeeps and buses, were all jam packed inside the Ayala Station waiting in line to buy tickets or ride the next train that arrives.
As I finally went past the crowd and arrived at Buendia to wait for a bus (which was scarce during that time), I again asked myself, “Why Makati?” and “Why on a Friday?”
Not surprisingly, my questions were so simple, that any idiot would be able to give the correct answer without breaking a sweat and without using too many brain cells.
First of all, this is a democratic country, which is self-explanatory. Secondly, Makati City, in particular its business district, is considered the Philippines’ heart of finance, commerce, and economics as all the main offices of the banks and other global companies are located within city. Lastly, a Friday, being the start of the weekend, is the best day to hold a rally as more people would be able to participate in it.
Meaning to say, the best way to scare and threaten the government is to cripple its business capital, which, in this case, is Makati City. This is best exemplified by the Gringo Honasan-led coup attempts during the Cory administration, the Antonio Trillanes-led Oakwood mutiny, and, most recently, the brief capture of the Manila Peninsula which was again led by I’ve-got-no-balls-so-I-have-to-use-the-media-as-a-shield-Trillanes (who UNFORTUNATELY is my high school mate in Angelicum).
Nevertheless, even if my questions were actually rhetorical in a sense, I still believe that they should have held the rally at larger spaces such as the Quirino Grandstand or Luneta Park or the Araneta coliseum for all I fucking care. Just stay away from Makati.
