Bonifacio and Estrada: the real issues

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
12/21/2005



Just like the “Illustrados” staging a coup against Bonifacio and betraying the Philippine revolution, the matter of today’s Philippine elite deposing the masa’s duly elected President Joseph E. Estrada, will never die. It is like a forest fire that is never put out until a storm from the heavens pour heavy rain down upon it, a providential act, and douses it. History is not forgetful and in the case of Emilio Aguinaldo and the Illustrado’s betrayal, new and passionate historical buffs spring from the fertile grounds of historical controversy to revive the struggle of Bonifacio.

Of the new historical buffs I can name one: Atty. Alan Paguia who in his passionate struggle to re-affirm the Rule of Law and the Constitutional mandate the sovereign people granted to Joseph E. Estrada, pursued the study of our Constitutions history leading him back to its roots and re-discovery of the anomaly of the “purchase” of Philippines without the consent of the people – making the Treaty of Paris in relation to the Philippines illegal even in the eyes of the American Constitution. As interesting are Atty. Alan Paguia’s discoveries about Aguinaldo and the “Illustrados”.

For Aguinaldo’s “surrender” the Americans gave him over 1,000 hectares in Cavite, his commanders got several hundreds hectares each. True patriots like Apolinario Mabini got exile or execution, the Aguinaldos, Lazaro Makapagals (some say direct relations of Diosdado and Gloria who changed the “k” to “c” to escape the ignominy) and Pardo de Taveras got their rewards from the Americans. The New Illustrado that form the Edsa Uno and Dos leadership that toppled Estrada also got their: multi-billion power, water and other privatizations, franchises and rate increases, taxes and loot.

The Inquirer did an editorial on Prof. Zeus Salazar’s biographical “Pangulong Estrada: Tungo sa Hamon ng Edsa Dos” Tuesday, probably egged by favorable reviews in national dailies and broadcast media. While Inquirer admits many similarities between Bonifacio and Estrada, like the disapprobation of the respective elite of their time, it spent more column inches repeating the same tired anti-Estrada allusions to “… taking advantage of his position of leadership to enrich himself”; and concluding that “With his charisma, emotional intelligence and professed love for the masses, Estrada could have been a good president. But the tragedy is that his actions did not suit his words.”

Although the Inquirer editorial has refrained from its past “froth in the mouth” treatment of Estrada, it is still shot with misleading innuendoes and allegations of misdeeds that have either been disproved in court. It focuses on scandal sheet issues such as the “Boracay Mansions” and the alleged white sands imported to give it’s the Boracay beach feel in a Metro-Manila mansion instead of the real issues of policy and public interest such as the multi-billion IMPSA deal, power and water rate hikes, the IPPs, the waiver of Manynilad concessions fees, etc. that Estrada opposed.

Edsa Dos brought a bonanza of booty to the modern day Illustrados of the Makati Business Club elite and opened public treasuries for their looting such as, for example, the transfer government and public pension fund deposits in Land Bank to the Aboitizes’ Union Bank (the Aboitizes were among the most rabid in Edsa Dos), while the Ayalas and Pangilinan’s telecom companies have avoided the EVAT which was instead imposed on the more socially critical items such as oil and power which is doing untold damage to the economy, employment and the general welfare.

The Inquirer attempts to obfuscate the issue by bringing up petty scandals such as the Boracay Mansions, and omits discussion of the major and critical question involved in the ouster of Estrada which was committed on the basis of trumped up charges just as Aguinaldo and the Illustrados did to Bonifacio. The purpose of the coups: for the Illustrados to control and commercialize the power of government or the State instead of allowing popular sovereignty to reign and use the State as a tool for the development of the nation, in the service of the general welfare.

Contrary to what the Inquirer claims Estrada’s words did suit his actions. Focusing on the main issues makes it clear that Estrada tried his best to serve the interest of the broad masses; it becomes clear too that because of this the elite conspired to depose him from Day 1 of his term as president. Five years have passed and Edsa Dos has proven itself a failure and shown its exploitative and oppressive character. No attempt at obfuscating can because of the people’s bitter direct experience with the Edsa Dos policies.

Obfuscation of past and present is the ruling elite’s tool to stay in control. Take the latest media manipulation, after the Abat caper (Malacañang and media had to boost it with the arrest) comes the three-day headlines of Malacañang-Meralco moro-moro over alleged Meralco debt to Napocor from reneging on a 1994 contract, threatening a government takeover to reduce rates. Anybody who’s following the issue knows the ERC allowed the P 20-B Meralco penalties to be charged to consumers, and there’s no P 40-B debt from penalties!

Thanks to Dr. Zeus Salazar the controversy over Estrada’s ouster and the Edsa Dos challenge is put into focus again, until the second volume comes out.

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