angelo fetalvero,
It was just a trifle thing, a simple game created for some mindless fun. Its aim was to create the best and the unlikeliest picture and share it with everyone for some laughs and giggles. Yet, as people lay down in the middle of the streets as a sign of protest, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the always frantic Manila traffic, has planking gone a bit too far? Apparently, someone in Congress thinks so.
On September 20, Congressman Winston Castelo of Quezon City proposed a bill prohibiting people from planking as a means of protest. This was in response to a recent transport strike during which people planked at the middle of Espana Boulevard to show their distaste over the rocketing fuel prices. According to the congressman, doing that in the middle of the road puts the safety of both the motorists and the protesters at risk. As much as he respects the right of the protesters to express their opinion, everyone’s safety should be the top priority.
The congressman brings up a good point. Everything, including radical protests, need to be done in proper places and the middle of the road is simply not the place to do it. Planking at the middle of the road brings up unnecessary danger for everyone. Yet, banning planking as a way to express disapproval over the current norms is going a bit too far and it steps on the First Amendment right of demonstrators. Only a simple bill regulating planking and making them plank in proper areas should be passed so that the protesters can express their concerns in their own unique way while maintaining public safety.
Planking seemed to have finally piqued the government’s attention but surely this was not the reaction that the protesters wanted. It seems that the way they expressed their protests has overshadowed what they were actually protesting about.
The sky high fuel prices and the ill conceived budget cuts in the educational sector seem to have taken a back seat and the ban seems to be a ploy to make people forget about these pressing problems. These issues were the reason why those protesters were willing to endanger their safety and their bravery shows the gravity of these issues. The way that Congress reacted to these planking incidents is a big slap on the face of these protesters and shows the incompetency and inefficiency of the legislature. Instead of bickering and wasting their time over planking, officials should just get their acts together and fix the more crucial problems bugging the country like corruption, poverty and crime.
If only these officials could stand up and free themselves from the shackles of mediocrity and ignorance to tackle such major issues with the enthusiasm they showed in curbing planking, the country can certainly make great strides forward.
Opinion: The Need to Stand Up
Angelo FetalveroIt was just a trifle thing, a simple game created for some mindless fun. Its aim was to create the best and the unlikeliest picture and share it with everyone for some laughs and giggles. Yet, as people lay down in the middle of the streets as a sign of protest, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the always frantic Manila traffic, has planking gone a bit too far? Apparently, someone in Congress thinks so.
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| Illustrated by Jemima Yabes |
The congressman brings up a good point. Everything, including radical protests, need to be done in proper places and the middle of the road is simply not the place to do it. Planking at the middle of the road brings up unnecessary danger for everyone. Yet, banning planking as a way to express disapproval over the current norms is going a bit too far and it steps on the First Amendment right of demonstrators. Only a simple bill regulating planking and making them plank in proper areas should be passed so that the protesters can express their concerns in their own unique way while maintaining public safety.
Planking seemed to have finally piqued the government’s attention but surely this was not the reaction that the protesters wanted. It seems that the way they expressed their protests has overshadowed what they were actually protesting about.
The sky high fuel prices and the ill conceived budget cuts in the educational sector seem to have taken a back seat and the ban seems to be a ploy to make people forget about these pressing problems. These issues were the reason why those protesters were willing to endanger their safety and their bravery shows the gravity of these issues. The way that Congress reacted to these planking incidents is a big slap on the face of these protesters and shows the incompetency and inefficiency of the legislature. Instead of bickering and wasting their time over planking, officials should just get their acts together and fix the more crucial problems bugging the country like corruption, poverty and crime.
If only these officials could stand up and free themselves from the shackles of mediocrity and ignorance to tackle such major issues with the enthusiasm they showed in curbing planking, the country can certainly make great strides forward.
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