The following is an excerpt from Maria Jaya Ariola from the Bacolod Youth Alliance last July 4, 2020 when police harassed local youth rallying against the Anti-Terror Law in Bacolod City

“Every time during protests when the police would threaten to arrest us, I would always slightly tremble. My heart would beat so loud, I could almost always hear it. But today… Today was different.

I felt fearless. Peace-like, even. Policemen were surrounding me and my friends, taking videos of us, threatening to arrest us and accusing us of being “told what to do by adults who were enemies of the state.” I told them we came here of our own accord, because we know what we are fighting for, and we’ve read the 43 pages of the terror bill that was signed into law just yesterday. They told me they didn’t want to talk about it. They told me the only words they know when little kids like us challenge them to discuss a law they will soon enforce, but they have not read about: “Indi ta na na pag sturyahan. Kung indi kamo mag halin, pang dakpon kamo namon.” (“Let’s not talk about it. If you won’t leave, we will arrest all of you.”)

It went on for minutes, and they were so angry. At what? A bunch of little kids in winged eyeliner with memes for placards? I wasn’t supposed to laugh, but I kinda did (under the safety of my mask, of course).

On the way back to our debriefing area, I was reflecting on my lack of fear. Have I become desensitized? I did not want to be desensitized, because my emotions, my empathy, and my capacity to love are my superpowers. I can’t strip myself of feeling– because it’s what makes me fight for things that matter.

We arrived at our area, and my friends and I sat down to talk about what just transpired. We discussed for hours over chocolate and fries– laughing, crying, pouring our hearts out for each other.

And that’s when I realized that it wasn’t a lack of fear that I felt. Instead, it was an overpowering feeling of love above any human emotion. My love for my country, for my happiness borne of many freedoms, and for the friends I have that I will always stand with, fight with, and dream with.

Being fearless is not the point. The point is to fight so hard for something that you love, that fear becomes obsolete.

#JunkTerrorLawNOW

Originally published on the Bacolod Youth Alliance FB Page