During the launching of #TindigPilipinas, opposition senators and company gestured the Hunger Games salute eliciting various reactions on social media.
#TindigPilinas is a newly-minted coalition to register their protest of human rights violations particularly extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration.
Opposition senators namely Hontiveros, Pangilinan and Trillanes were the prominent political personalities who took part in the event.
In the video below, Trillanes and company can be seen gesturing a salute while making an oath of allegiance of sort to #TindigPilipinas.
While Trillanes and company might have thought that using the Hunger Games salute would appeal them to the millennials, the salute though has other meaning that is not harmonious with the group’s intention. Confused?
Well, this is according to the words of Prof. Antonio Contreras. Check out his Facebook post below relative to the Hunger Games salute executed by Duterte’s critics.
Here is what the hunger games salute means:
“It is an old and rarely used gesture … occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.”
Since they do not love Marcos and Du30, so it means they are saying good-bye to themselves.
And the metaphor of the funeral really affirms their necro-political orientation.
And for those unfamiliar with the meaning of the salute, the political optics is not pretty as one can easily be reminded of fascist acts associated with Hitler and Pol Pot.
Whoever thought of this act deserves to be fired.
Netizen Marcelo Augusto A. Cosgayon commented: “Let them have their symbols and their gestures. That’s all they have anyway.”
Edgardo Gustilo Cueto remarked: “Well as: ‘sticks and stones, may break my bones, … but not the gestures’.”
Jun Arvin Corpuz Gudoy commented: “Hahahahaha! Hindi pinagisipan ng mga Liberal Millenials sir jusme 😀”
Please follow the link here to see how the Hunger Games salute looks like.
Your reaction?
