WE ARE writing to bring to the attention of the Inquirer our concerns about the protest poster of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), which shows Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo behind bars. (Inquirer, 11/19/11)
One is the Inquirer’s failure to properly cite Bayan as the source of the poster. The caption merely stated “militant group” instead of identifying Bayan, whose name was part of the poster but was cropped, we assume, to save space. Since the poster was cropped, we feel that it was important to put the proper citation in the caption for purposes of accuracy in reporting, since various groups were at the Supreme Court to demand the lifting of the temporary restraining order (TRO). It is also about giving due credit to Bayan, which devotes time to design creative posters to more effectively get its message across.
A more important concern is the photo’s caption saying that the poster was “wishful thinking.” We take exception to this as it diminishes the Filipino people’s longstanding and legitimate demand to make Arroyo accountable for electoral fraud, corruption and human rights violations. President Aquino, in fact, promised to put Arroyo in jail and used this to propel his presidential campaign.
Thus, Bayan is not in a wishful thinking mode, it is reminding the government of its promise and duty to bring justice to the Filipino people. Our poster tried to capture the call for accountability and for an end to impunity of grievously erring public officials. And this is not a wishful call from Bayan because we have been in the forefront of—actually mounting and leading—mass actions, and we have filed actual cases, to put Arroyo, her husband and their cohorts in jail, not just in a poster but in real life.
—DR. CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO, chair, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan),
carolp.araullo@gmail.com