Why the viral ‘fishball warrior’ deserves to be heard, too
From an optical standpoint, last Sunday’s mass gatherings around the metro in protest of government corruption and infrastructure negligence was a hit. It was exactly what the Philippines needed. The sight of people from all walks of life coming together, shouting slogans, decrying evil, and showing what unity is supposed to look like is heartwarming—especially if the flames of your anger have been stoked quite a bit by everything that’s been happening as of late.
But when you zoom in closer into who was actually there and what was being said, the threads begin to unravel. For every good-looking artista, celebrity, or influencer who lent their voice and their platform to reinforce the cry against corruption, there were also a bunch of genuine characters who may have said things not everyone necessarily agrees with.
Take for instance, the viral so-called “fishball warrior,” as the internet has dubbed him now. If you were online last Sunday, you’d have likely seen a meme or a video of a somewhat disheveled man in a red shirt who called for the decrease in prices of street food, namely fishball, kikiam, and the like.
His concern caught the eye of a population who always wanted to see something funny—myself included, as I shared a post about him with my friends.
Concerns that were just as real
The comedy of his seemingly unserious opinion made what happened next even more jarring: A few hours later, there were pictures of him being arrested by Manila police. For what, one would ask? It seemed like this guy—officially identified as Alvin Karingal by the media—isn’t the type of dude to start anything.
It turns out, according to a report by another publication, that Karingal was a neurodivergent person with disability (PWD). And he may not act appropriately, especially in front of trigger-happy authorities.
But I focused first on what brought him to our attention: a concern that seemed silly. There was even another vox pop answer that was similar, that of a young woman who complained about politicians wasting the tax money they get from sin tax on alcohol. Both of these things may not have been taxes on important stuff, like one’s salary, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that these are still legitimate burdens on the ordinary person.
Just because you wouldn’t live off street food, as you’re blessed to have three square meals a day, doesn’t mean there aren’t actual Filipinos—whether working-class or not—who rely on the pure affordability of fishball and kikiam to stave off their hunger and get by.
Don’t belittle them
Their disappointment that they can no longer spend a piso or two to get more food is a small example of what’s been happening to us on a larger scale: If they have to spend more to get the same amount of fishballs, we’ve been spending more to get the same amount of whatever food it is we love, all the same. This applies to everything, too, down to the amount of coins I now have to have when I’m riding a jeep.
And I know you’ve noticed, even if you have more money to go around.
As for the woman’s point, if my bottles of beer and cans of liquor have to be more expensive than 10 years ago, I better see my tax pesos working for me. But they don’t, and that’s why people are out on the streets shouting—it’s because we’re drowning, our services suck, and those in power are feasting on six-digit meals and taking lavish trips abroad.
So don’t belittle people like Karingal, who only just want to afford the little things that still make life worth living, even if you don’t share the same priorities. You can laugh at the apparent absurdity of comments like his, but don’t forget that as an ordinary Filipino, their fight is your fight.
We’re closer to living on the streets and drowning in floods than we are to being nepo babies of corrupt contractors and politicians. You’ll also never know if there may come a day when you end up wishing you had enough coins for a stick of fishballs.
Oh, and free Karingal, too.
