Beacons in the dark

"Good morning Manila," blogger Cocoy wrote in Filipino Voices on the morning of June 3, 2009. "While you slept, the media whose promise has always been to inform the Filipino people, failed you miserably save for coverage from ABS-CBN's News Channel and a handful of others. It failed to be your eyes and ears at a moment you most needed it."

At around 11:30 pm on June 2, 2009, the House of Representatives had passed House Resolution 1109 seeking to turn Congress into a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass). "Alert! ChaCha is on! All nighter expected at House tonight. Both Nogie and Villafuerte plans in play before Plenary. CARPER to be defer..." blogger and columnist Manuel L. Quezon III tweeted at the start of the session, which was not largely covered by mainstream media, according to Joey Alarilla. "[P]hot[o]journalist behind me notes lack of coverage 'walang [I]nquirer, walang [B]ulletin, (no Inquirer, no Bulletin)'"according to Twitter user caffeinesparks, who along with other bloggers present rose to the occasion by tweeting and liveblogging the proceedings as they happened.

Several opposition congressmen also took the opportunity to post updates on Facebook about the proceedings. "Teddy Casiño is slowly dying here in Congress," that same congressman revealed. "Back to back speeches raising good points against ChaCha. But I'm afraid they're all in vain. They hear, but do not listen," Rep. Ruffy Biazon lamented.

Hours before mainstream media's coverage of the results of the proceedings reached the people, Philippine cyberspace was already awash with reactions. A Facebook cause page was created, and drew over 28,000 members as of press time. Filipino bloggers discussed the pros and cons of a constituent assembly and Charter Change on their blogs, microblogs, and social networking profiles. By the time the rest of the country had awakened to the knowledge of HR 1109's approval, Filipino netizens were already helping to work out counteroffensives.

"Put a tombstone on Philippine mainstream media," Nick in Manila said on Friendfeed. "Everything was over by the time [their] report was posted. Yet Twitter and other messaging was all over this, posting statuses since the afternoon. MSM, which has the reach, did a disservice to the Filipino people, including me."

A virtual Plaza Miranda

"Take it to Plaza Miranda!" was once the Filipino's cry whenever issues affecting the national interest needed to be tackled. "Can we defend this at Plaza Miranda?" President Ramon Magsaysay was once wont to ask should such issues surface. The small freedom park at the heart of Quiapo, venue of many historic rallies and gatherings in Philippine history, is famous for being a place where people could speak their minds freely, where political discourse could flow before the eyes of the populace.

In modern-day Plaza Miranda a marker carries, in Filipino, Voltaire's words: "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." However, more stringent "no permit, no rally" conditions have rendered access to Plaza Miranda and other "freedom parks" difficult.

Filipinos have thus turned to other venues of free speech, discussing on the Internet the issues that once would have been taken to Plaza Miranda. More than just facilitating public discourse, however, many of them also take upon themselves the responsibility to keep vigilance and report on events they deem necessary to the public interest. Thus, their presence at the congressional session that spawned the approval of HR 1109.

"They... claimed that session was over and that no one is allowed to go in anymore," blogger Bikoy wrote about his experience at the Batasang Pambansa the night of June 2. "What the hell, I just came from session hall, I said. The debates were well on course as things were heating up. And just as he kept saying no one, not even media, was allowed to go in anymore, vans of TV stations and other ‘unsuspicious' vehicles kept passing through. The House security personnel, clad in army fatigues, was going around in circles with his arguments until it came to the point that he was already accusing us of being leftists who will disturb the proceedings with a rally."

Caffeinesparks's tweets confirm this: "Teddy Casiño says why are people outside who are not being allowed to come in! They're being told the session is over! ... [I] dont want to go out baka di ako makapasok ulit (I may not be allowed in anymore) ... Teddy Casiño appeals to the house leadership to allow people to come in."

The beginning

In a column on Inquirer.net, John Nery disputed the assertion that mainstream media was asleep when HR 1109 was passed. He stated that they were not spotted inside the session hall because "many of the reporters 'cover' in the press room, where their computers and Internet connections are." He further said that the session had been broadcast live on AM radio, adding that netizens "cannot 'see' other media like radio because their online focus imposes a kind of tunnel vision."

Media has often played a major role whenever Filipinos took collective action in the past, from June Keithley at EDSA in 1986 to the live coverage of the Erap impeachment trial that led to EDSA in 2001. However, it seems that even with the absence of mainstream media, the events of June 2, 2009 produced criticism and opposition in its wake. In addition to the protests and demonstrations staged by students, militant groups and different sectors of Philippine society, it also resulted in an anti-Con-Ass website, manifesto, badges, and a viral video, and fueled online debates and online-organized events protesting HR 1109, such as the first Facebook EB against Con-Ass and a silent protest at Baywalk.

In the time-honored tradition of budding Internet memes, the online campaign against HR 1109 and its proposed constituent assembly actively circulates. Within 24 hours after the passing of the resolution, a copy of the resolution and the names of the congressmen who endorsed it, as well as the proposed constitutional amendments, were posted online and passed from blog to blog, along with the encouragement to denounce and not reelect the legislators. "Is your congressman listed here? Tell him, shame on him!" The video "No to Con-Ass (Di Ako Papayag (I Shall Not Consent))" also encourages video responses, aiming for 100 within 24 hours.

And it is early days yet. Filipino netizens and the Philippine blogosphere are but gearing up for the fight ahead.

"I want to look back and think that the democracy I fought [for](together with our fellow countrymen) for my children was not in vain. I'd like to believe that the 1987 Constitution that established the Philippines continues to be a 'democratic and republican State,' where 'sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them,'" writes blogger Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Blogger Mikael Co quotes a friend of his as saying, "Grabe... Hindi ako tibak. Pero naniniwala akong may mga isyung hindi pwedeng palagpasin. Isa ito sa mga hindi pwedeng ikebs. (This is serious. I am not an activist. But I believe that there are issues we cannot possibly let by. This is one of those we cannot ignore.) Grrrr. what do we do?"

"The changes (deletion of Congress and Senate, Parliamentary system, etc) if approved will affect the lives of ALL Filipinos. It will give politicians who want to hold on to power more time to do so. Politicians who betray us citizens over and over again. So let me express my indignation. I say no to apathy! NO TO CON-ASS!" states blogger dementia.

"Whether you're a journalist or a citizen journalist, it's time to use New Media to keep the public informed--and make sure the Filipino people will not be conned by ConAss," blogger Joey Alarilla writes on Cnet Asia.

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