'No to pork. Oink, oink, oink!'

MANILA, Philippines - Despite some rains and mud underfoot, tens of thousands of people clad in white gathered at Rizal Park (Luneta Park) in a "disorganized" protest called "Million People March" against pork barrel on Monday.

Progressive, religious and youth groups joined netizens and those who call themselves "unaffiliated taxpayers" in the gathering for the abolition of lump-sum funds given to government officials and lawmakers.

Various cries resounded at the historical park with a few shouting "Makibaka! 'Wag mangbaboy!" while other pools of people cried with their thumbs down, "No to pork! Oink, oink, oink, oink, oink!"

"(We're) far from a million, but who cares?" Twitter user Viking Logarta said, posting a photo of scattered groups in Luneta.

The police estimated the anti-pork barrel protest crowd between 60,000 and 70,000. Others claim the crowd peaked at at least 400,000.

Others also chanted: "Serbisyo sa tao, huwag gawing negosyo!"

Some protesters carried placards saying "Senators, you should be ashamed of yourselves." Others wore pig-shaped hats, or wore shirts calling for the total abolition of the fund.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption gave out copies of the warrant of arrest against businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, allegedly the brains behind a scam using the lawmakers' Priority Development Assistance Fund. and her brother Jojo Lim. The siblings are on the run for their supposed involvement in the illegal detention of a scam whistleblower.

Change.org, meanwhile, asked people to sign up on laptops in a signature campaign against pork to be submitted to Congress.

Some mothers wore shirts with a pun that say "Chop pork" and a few also wore shirts printed with an icon that combines the silhouette of a thumb down and a pig.

Enterprising Filipinos took their places around the park to sell shirts, umbrellas and other merchandise related to the anti-pork advocacy.

Cyclists, some having traveled from as far as Taytay, Rizal and a few wearing masks of the iconic Guy Fawkes, also assembled in front of the Rizal Monument earlier in the day.

Musical groups marched into the venue with folk musicians carrying native instruments, some playing the guitar and singing and a drum and lyre band was also heard crossing the park.

The activities, moreover, were not limited to Rizal Park as simultaneous demonstrations in Visayas and Mindao were also held.

Social media also exploded with anti-pork sentiments as the #MillionPeopleMarch topic trended on Twitter and flooded timelines on Facebook.

A report issued last week by the Commission on Audit found that $141 million allocated over a three-year period was released to questionable aid groups and ghost projects identified by lawmakers as beneficiaries - with Associated Press