UP’s SAMASA alumni lead flash mob at MRT against Marcos burial

Alumni of the University of the Philippines (UP) group Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan (SAMASA) led a flash mob at the northbound side of MRT Station Cubao before the anti-Marcos protests at People Power Monument in EDSA on Wednesday.

SAMASA, a political party at the University of the Philippines, ended a day-long campaign to yoke support to the protest by the Coalition Against Marcos Burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) at 4 p.m.

A good number of student council officials came from SAMASA but the party has since become inactive since the late 1990s.

Historically-linked to student protests against the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, 80 members of SAMASA and volunteers arrived at Cubao to dance their opposition with other groups protesting the same day in other areas.

The group first danced to “Handog Ng Pilipino Sa Mundo", a prominent song during the People Power revolution, before forming tableau's showing various crimes done during Martial Law as their answer to the mannequin challenge.

Samasa performs anti-Marcos dance rally/mannequin challenge at MRT Cubao, Northboundhttps://t.co/FpfuVha14W pic.twitter.com/asx4OsBkhJ

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) November 30, 2016

A short noise barrage followed a chant calling for the exhumation of Marcos, whom they consider a thief.

Samasa begins noise protest by singing "Marcos magnanakaw". pic.twitter.com/UZjholDXMZ

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) November 30, 2016

The flash mob began at Mindanao Avenue and continued at Balintawak, Boy Scout's Circle, and Philcoa before ending up at MRT Cubao.

"We want to reach more people, especially here in Quezon City,"
SAMASA's Bobby Diciembre told GMA News Online.

"Ayaw nating mapunta sa wala yung mga kaibigan natin, kakilala nating namatay, nakipaglaban sa Martial Law," he added.

In a statement, SAMASA said that its protest was non-partisan and only aimed to oppose the Marcoses and any attempts to bring back martial law.

"Tinututulan naming ang ano mang uri ng pamamaslang. Ang mga mamamatay-tao ay hindi dapat binibigyan ng pagkakataong mamuno. Ibinigay ng taumbayan ang kapangyarihan sa ating gubyerno upang ibalik sa sambayanan ang pag-aalaga at pagbibigay ng maayos na suporta," SAMASA said.

"Kailangan nating matuto mula sa kasaysayan upang tutulan at huwag tularan ang mga nandayukdok sa sambayanang Pilipino," it added. —NB, GMA News