Filipinos watch the protests going on in Indonesia. Indonesians, in turn, are posting messages of support for anti-corruption actions in the Philippines. Social media hashtags like #RevoluSEA suggest that Southeast Asia could rise together in one protest wave.
But is that a good thing?
The sense of comradeship can be infecting, but each country has its own context and peculiarities. What works in one place does not automatically work in another. Indonesia’s current protests are rooted in decades of student activism against authoritarianism. In the Philippines, protest movements can mean demonstrations or rallies, blockades, or lie-ins where people lie down in a public place.
In Indonesia, the largest protest movement can be something, while the largest in the Philippines would be the Edsa People Power Revolution that ousted Ferdinand Marcos Sr. There may be similarities between protest histories of Indonesia and the Philippines, but they are not interchangeable, where one action would fit another.
This discussion came about when social media posts of some Indonesians caught the interest of persons here. The posts were mostly about having a sense of solidarity with Filipinos who are now seeing the extent of corruption, particularly in flood control projects.
With severe and debilitating floodwaters hitting communities almost after every downpour, leaving motorists stranded for hours, properties destroyed, sickness, and lives lost, it is expected that people get mad at the corruption that robbed them of their security.
Yet it cannot be ignored that the motive behind the #RevoluSEA hashtag was a shared struggle against corruption. It’s the same problem faced not only by Indonesia and the Philippines but other nations in the region.
What caught the attention of Malacañang were the local protests of the Kalikasan organization and a disaster survivors’ group outside a construction firm of the Discaya family, allegedly involved in questionable flood-prevention projects. Protesters marched and threw mud at the gate of the St. Gerrard Construction in Pasig City, a company mentioned in inquiries on flood control projects. Was there a link to the hashtag by the Indonesian demonstrations?
This led Palace press officer Claire Castro to say in a press conference last week that the government does not think an Indonesia-style unrest would be good for the Philippines. The protest in Indonesia stemmed from allegations of corruption and the reported huge housing allowances for lawyers on top of their salaries. The demonstrations have resulted in loss of life and damage to property.
Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “would not want such a thing to happen” as the government is giving due process to those involved in questionable flood control deals.
What is needed is not to import someone else’s revolution. What is needed is for Filipinos to get mad and demand accountability. Get mad not for hashtags or social media trends but in a sustained way that demands accountability. To let government officials and contractors know that corruption and neglect are not acceptable.