Five years of mourning

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
6/12/2006



Today, June 12, has been declared a Day of Mourning by the Pagkakaisa movement, the growing solidarity of forces led by the progressive bishops, namely Labayen, Tobias and Iñiguez, and the KME (Kilusan ng Makabansang Ekonomista). A broad spectrum of forces have joined its call for a prayer-rally to be held at the Bonifacio Shrine, at Balintawak symbolic of the first cry of the 1896 Revolution, at the Clover Leaf at the margins of Caloocan and Novaliches and then a protest march to Monumento.

The Edsa Tres forces are in full support of the Pagkakaisa but maybe it would like to expand the catchphrase for the day to be: half a decade of mourning. For indeed, the death of Independence and Freedom climaxed in 2001 when the numerically minuscule but powerful corrupt elements of the armed forces and police coalesced with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the foreign and domestic oligarchy, using segments of the “civil society” like naïve cattle and sheep as cannon fodder, conspired to subvert the will of the people expressed in the elections of 1998 and deposed as elected leadership.

The nation fell under the control of the dark forces that have turned our state institutions into instruments of corruption, made Congress into a rubber stamp to legalize exploitation by the foreign corporatocracy in cahoots with the local oligarchy, quadrupled taxation and basic utility rates privatized as never before, and entrenched the corrupt in the nation’s political structure as cabinet men and government functionaries. To drive the nail into the coffin of democracy, that same conspiracy stole the 2004 elections with massive use of the people’s money and Comelec fraud.

Only providence and fate, and the dogged intransigence of the sole authentic opposition political leader, whose moral support for the conscience-stricken and brave Filipinos allowed all the truth to break the dark and oppressive farce of progress and democracy under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Gloria and the conspirators scheme to exploit the people were eventually found out through the PPA, swelling water rates and taxes, runaway corruption. President Joseph E. Estrada’s principled intransigence and inspiration allowed the likes of Pic Marcelo, Sammy Ong, Sandra Cam to surface.

Truth to tell, even events such as Oakwood with the idealist young officers moving against corruption in the AFP and the political system was strongly inspired by the example of President Joseph E. Estrada. I recall vividly what Capt. Maestrecampos said to me when I met him at one of his hearings in Makati, “President Etrada was illegally removed, they (the plotters) defiled our Constitution). Unfortunately, Gloria has an inhuman way of blackmailing an upright man with the power to starve a man’s family. Credit goes to the heroes Trillanes and company who have stuck it out.

With five years passing and Gloria’s grand scam unable to fly, with her Cha-cha to legitimize her reign under a new constitution foiled, they have resorted to mayhem and murder in the hopes of cowing the nation into submission, imposing the CPR (Calibrated Pre-emptive Response) to suppress protests leading to PP 1017 to repress the media (trying to close the Tribune) and the people, blocking investigations with E.O. 464, and the most chilling campaign of terror in assassinations and abductions of journalists, dissenters and finally, no longer able to hold back the frustration, the Estrada supporters.

It is significant that in the fifth year of this dark period under the tyranny of Gloria, the progressive members of the Catholic hierarchy have begun to review the facts. In doing so they have liberated the truth and issued the Christian verdict about the events: an apology for the injustice done to the victim of the Edsa Dos travesty, President Joseph E. Estrada, accompanied by spiritual advice to avoid the frailties of the past; and a condemnation of Gloria’s campaign of lies in the Cha-cha and her murder of justice and democracy in the country.

These events mark the beginning of Gloria’s end despite Bunye's insistence that she is “durable” by having survived the February 24-26, 2006 events that saw General Lim, Colonel Querubin and others stand up to protest the illegitimate regime. What Bunye claims as “survival” is but a momentary pause of the forces for change, justice and peace to forestall a scorched earth policy of the Gloria gang to burn down the country when they lose their hold on power. Gloria always promised that after her would be the deluge, we will not allow her to take the nation down with her.

Pagkakaisa represents one of two battering rams for change, the other being the reform oriented AFP. They are also the two vital social pillars. It was perilous to shift only one pillar, with both pillars stability can be ensured and the country can work towards ending the fifty years of error of mendicancy. As President Estrada says: “Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi ang kapwa niyang Pilipino.” At this juncture it is important to refresh a lesson form history: The Left-Right conspiracy is the bogeyman of the Right which the Left welcomes to draw the middle towards it.

The right path is the broad center of which Pagkakaisa represents - it is this that must lead to end the mourning and bring a new morning to the land.

(Tune in M-W-F 6-7pm to 1098AM, T-Th 7:30-8:30am to 1242AM)