It was last year when I caught the shutterbug, so to speak, and took these shots at the street protest marking the new president's State of the Nation Address. Somehow, the questions and issues raised in these images are still relevant. The prices of food, basic commodities, gas, transportation, and education continue to rise. Many people are having a harder time making ends meet, and the majority of the population simply can't. The authorities pay lip-service to human rights, but justice remains elusive for the victims of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other unspeakable acts. The criminals in suits and uniforms, especially the ones who have been stealing from the public coffers, continue to get away with it.
I write this, feeling like a broken record. Same old, same old.
And then I remember that May 1 is just around the corner. All over the country and throughout the world, people will commemorate the historic struggles of workers, highlight the urgent issues that continue to plague us, and assert their just demands for change. This is a tradition that I believe in. And maybe, I'll be there, too. Clicking away.
Jo
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*People listening to President Noynoy Aquino's State of the Nation Address during a street protest. In the second image, a man looks at photos of the union leader, church worker, and the many other activists killed during Gloria Arroyo's administration.
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