BAYBAY CITY, Philippines – Members of Anonymous Philippines–Leyte marched through the streets of this city yesterday, saying they wanted the public to be aware of “government’s shortcomings in dealing with the recent controversies involving the country’s implementation of existing laws.â€
Wearing Guy Fawkes masks, the marchers carried banners and told The Freeman, in a later interview, that freedom, fairness and justice are more than just words, “not just to stand, but act.â€
The group’s spokesperson, without revealing his identity, said cybercrime law, pork barrel scam and other social issues are the main driving force of the group’s action.
The participants, who came from the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban, admitted they did not have a permit to stage the march. “We only responded to a Facebook invitation. This, we did in an individual capacity,†they replied when asked on who was their sponsor.
The group did not comment if it had hacked websites of some government agencies, as reported in the national papers, but said â€probably those people (hackers) just want the government to be attentive to the true state of the nation.â€
The marchers, who said they were computer enthusiasts, hoped that by staging similar activities consistently and, mainly via cyberspace, they can reach other netizens and pushed other Filipinos to act against corruption in government. —(FREEMAN)