Art as protest: Movement in pictures

Far from the streets, the youth proved that mobilizing to fight state fascism is possible in any way one can. Rising to take a stand goes beyond raising fists – journalists write, musicians perform, and artists create. All for the same mission: to serve the people.

An art collective based in Naga City, Artists Against Fascism (Artifa), was launched May 12 by local artists after one of the youth leaders, Sasah Sta. Rosa, was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a series of raids in the Bicol region on May 2, a day after various progressive organizations protested for Labor Day.

Artifa partnered with volunteer artists to feature and sell their artworks, digital portraits, printed photographs, stickers, tote bags, T-shirts, zines, blank journals, sculptures, and other decorative items. All proceeds from the art fair will be forwarded to Free Sasah Sta. Rosa Network to help fund her legal assistance, bail, and other financial needs.

The collective which has been participated by 15 volunteer artists had set up a three-day booth on Thursday to Saturday, May 19 to 22, at Paseo del Rio Pub where buyers can purchase, and anyone interested can check out, the artworks.

Artifa and the local artists can be reached online via their Facebook page to avail the pieces for commission or reservation.

Mar Xavier Ampongan, a local photographer and one of the Artifa organizers said, “After ng illegal arrests, yung different artists sa Naga, nag come up together to form something or to do something para sa pinakamaliit na makakaya, [may] pwedeng maiambag o maitulong. (After the illegal arrests, different artists in Naga City have come up together to form something or to do something in the simplest way they can contribute or help.”

“For me, hindi kasi pwedeng hindi makialam [sa political situation] kaya hindi pwedeng hindi kumilos. So, sa least na pwede naming gawin, nag-collaborate kami ngayon kasi hindi namin kayang gawin ito na solo-solo lang (For me, not meddling [in the political situation] is not acceptable, that is why not mobilizing is not right. So, in the least that we can do, we collaborated because we cannot have done this by ourselves individually),” Gene Jaucian, one of the volunteer artists, added.

Crackdown in Bicol

Since Duterte sat in office, the region has now over 30 political prisoners, according to Karapatan-Bicol. Consequently, Defend Bicol Stop the Attacks Network has been launched in 2019 to monitor human rights situation in the region and to back Bicolanos who are subject to the governments Memorandum Order No. 32 and Executive Order No. 70.

The crackdown on activists, journalists, and anyone critical of the administration worsened when the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 has been signed into law. With the culture of impunity, National Task Force to End Local Communists (NTF-ELCAC) fearlessly red-tagged and apprehended activists, journalists, artists, dissenters, and even academic institutions.

Sta. Rosa and Pastor Dan Balucio of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)-Bicol are still detained on what progressive groups fervently believe are trumped-up charges. On the same day as those arrests, a youth leader’s house in Albay has also been raided by police, but he was absent at the time of the search so he was not seized.

Nelsy Rodriguez, BAYAN-Camarines Sur chairperson, now 60, has also been accused of murder charges seven months ago and is currently detained in Camarines Norte Provincial Jail.

Buklod Atenista, the alliance of all the Student Governments from the Jesuit Higher Education Institutions, in collaboration with various progressive organizations, staged a protest in front of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) to call for the immediate release of Sta. Rosa, an ADNU alumna. An online protest has also been organized to clamor the Duterte administration on socio-political, economic, and health issues in the country.

Moreover, Free Sasah Sta. Rosa Network, the beneficiary partner of Artifa, has been organized by concerned individuals to financially aid the youth leader’s needs while she is incarcerated, and may also be extended to other political prisoners in Bicol. Anyone can also donate via GCash at 09175902816; PayPal @zoegabon; and Venmo @z0egabon

“In the grander scheme of things, hindi naman natin masasabi talaga na ito ay super na malaking contribution pero ang tinitignan kasi dito, in the simplest way we can, we try as artists [to] alleviate the situation we’re in (In the grander scheme of things, we cannot say that this is a huge contribution but we can see that in the simplest way we can, we try as artists to alleviate the situation we’re in),” Ampongan added.