"If Andres were still alive," spray painted beside an illustration of revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio. Photo courtesy of SAKA.
Street art is often looked down on by authorities. In most countries, it is reduced to a form of vandalism, even though they add life to neighbourhoods and have become a vital form of expression for the oppressed. This is true in the Philippines, where four artists were arrested on Saturday for protest messages they painted in a public area.
Three of the arrested artists were identified as Jeanne Vaughn Quijano, 24; Joven Laura, 24; and Mikhail Collado, 18, who are all members of Panday Sining, a group of activist artists. According to the police, the fourth artist is a minor and remains unidentified in reports, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
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Acclaimed artist Mich Cervantes posted a message of support for the four arrested artists.“The work of the cultural worker is merely a reflection of the world around them. To forcefully put an end to their practice is unjust not only to these artists but to the people they work to serve, who deserve to know the truth we are always denied,” she said.
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Another netizen @lxlfuentes imagined what it would be like for famous street artist Banksy to live in the Philippines.“If @banksy is a Filipino, he might end up in jail for having a fascist government.”
Vandalism is prohibited in the City of Manila under Ordinance No. 7971, which penalises any person who defaces public and private property.Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said in a statement on Sunday that he had warned the group against continuing their vandalism, and that now they “have to face the consequences of violating the law.”Panday Sining, however, said that they would not “cower and stop in its mission to create art that arouses, organizes and mobilizes the masses.”Find Lia on Twitter and Instagram.