Ethel Booba. Image: Instagram/@ethelbooba
Vandalism done during rallies is not an action that sits well with Ethel Booba.
The comedian made her sentiments clear in a series of tweets over the weekend which sparked mixed reactions.
“Bandalismo na naman ang iniwan ng mga nagrally. Hindi ba nila kaya maglabas ng saloobin ng hindi dinudumihan ang kapaligiran? Gastos na naman pagpipintura dyan di bali sana kung art ang ginawa nyo. Charot!” Ethel wrote on Twitter last Sept. 21.
(Vandalism was left again by rallyists. Can’t they express their sentiments without dirtying their surroundings? Painting over it will be another expense; if only they made art.)
She clarified in another post the next day that she had nothing against protests. Replying to a now-deleted tweet, she said, “Nanghinayang din kami sa mga perang napatunayang nanakaw pero hindi ibig sabihin na may nagawa sila mali eh maling gawain din ibabalik natin. Di ako kontra sa mga rally na talagang may pinaglalaban, doon lang talaga sa vandalism part. And I thank you! Charot!”
(We are also dismayed at the money which has been proven stolen, but it doesn’t mean that one wrong should be responded to by another wrong. I am not against rallies that have true causes, [I] only [disagree] at the vandalism part.)
Nanghinayang din kami sa mga perang napatunayang nanakaw pero hindi ibig sabihin na may nagawa sila mali eh maling gawain din ibabalik natin. Di ako kontra sa mga rally na talagang may pinaglalaban, doon lang talaga sa vandalism part. And I thank you! Charot! https://t.co/awPxArzV1e
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 22, 2018
Some defended that using vandalism as a form of protest is to call out injustices.
“Pero diba kaya may mga ‘pag vandal’ is to call attention din na sobrang mali na ng ginagawa ng administration na to?” Hela (@hnerals) wondered. (But isn’t it that vandalism exists to call out attention against the excessively wrong actions of this administration?)
Pero diba kaya may mga "pag vandal" is to call attention din na sobrang mali na ng ginagawa ng administration na to?
— elaaaaaaaaaa (@valyrianswords) September 22, 2018
One Kris (@krissynotaquino) explained that vandalism is “A silent but powerful clamor for those who may have forgotten, ignorant, or choose to not care, written in concrete paper, for all of society to see.”
"A silent but powerful clamor for those who may have forgotten, ignorant, or choose to not care, written in concrete paper, for all of society to see." pic.twitter.com/TquPOCLyyt
— ouchbutete🐡🐡 (@notthearyanrace) September 22, 2018
“Ang essence ng isang ‘protesta’ (The essence of a protest) is to disrupt the silence, make the comfortable feel uncomfortable. Kasi hindi na natutugunan ang pangangailangan sa tamang proseso (Because our needs are no longer answered with the right process). If you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself,” argued @etceteralph.
The comedian reiterated, “May ibang kilos protesta na after ng event eh madaming kalat ang iniiwan at yun ang sinisilip namin hindi ang kanilang mensahe sa ating mga kababayan.”
(There are other protests where after the event, there is a lot of trash left and that is what we are pointing out, not the message of our fellow citizens.)
Again gaya ng sinabi ko sa ibang tweet ko, di ako against sa rally or protesta lalo at kita mong may tamang pinaglalaban. May ibang kilos protesta na after ng event eh madaming kalat ang iniiwan at yun ang sinisilip namin hindi ang kanilang mensahe sa ating mga kababayan. Charot! https://t.co/sX9FiyLIE6
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 23, 2018
Ethel stuck to her guns even when she was invited to join a rally to see why protesters vandalized. “Thanks for the invite Sis. But it’s a no for me. Charot!”
Thanks for the invite Sis. But it's a NO for me. Charot! https://t.co/Dx6OD8vzb7
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 22, 2018
She also revealed that she had been having civil discussions with those who came to the defense of vandalism.
I listened from some of them. Actually nakausap ko iba via DM, they shared why do that and I explained why I'm against vandalism. We spoke about it wala na kaming arte arte na we are rooting for you or you are cancelledt. Charot! https://t.co/ZS4U87wUO6
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) September 22, 2018
“I listened from (sic) some of them. Actually nakausap ko iba (I spoke to others) via DM, they shared why [they] do that and I explained why I’m against vandalism. We spoke about it wala na kaming arte arte na (without the fuss of) we are rooting for you or you are cancelledt. Charot!” JB
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