Two days ago, The Benildean released photos of the street protest that happened in Manila, right after the surprise announcement of Ferdinand Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. One particular photo that stood out from the rest was that of some high school girls holding placards and a megaphone.
While some people commended the girls for standing up for their principles, other people started calling it child abuse.
Netizen Vitto Lardizabal was able to screencap a part of the comments section, where thirteen-year-old Shibby replied to a Facebook user and said, “I’m the girl with the megaphone. Please do not underestimate the youth. We completely know and understand the injustice we are protesting against.”
Vitto posted the story on Facebook with the caption, “THIS ???????? GIRL ???????? GETS ???????? IT ????????. I’m so proud of you Shibby! You’re not alone. There are people behind you. We’ll keep fighting.”
Shibby also posted her own two cents on Facebook, where she claimed that she was not necessarily pro-Aquino or anti-Marcos, but was pro-country. Her post read:
“I like to say I’m pro-country. If I say I’m anti-Marcos or anti-Duterte, that means I’m against everything they’ve done for this country, which isn’t true. When I say I’m pro-country, I get to appreciate the good things they’ve done for the PH and hate them for the things that aren’t good.”Â
In my opinion, whether or not people are against the street protests, seeing our youth—the next generation of leaders and change-makers—involving themselves in relevant issues, taking courage, and fighting for what they believe in, makes me believe that at the end of it, there is still hope for our country, after all.
How did this make you feel? Share your thoughts with us!
