Pasyon at rebolusyon

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
3/17/2006



“You can’t keep a good man down.” The latest Pulse Asia survey, showing the fantastic rebound of President Joseph E. Estrada’s public trust rating despite five years of confinement and calumnies against him by his enemies, upholds the validity of this old saying. With 48% or just a shave off one-out-of two Filipinos and a net rating of +23% trusting him more than any other major political figure, and over a hundred percent higher that the power-wielding Gloria who managed managed a miserable 22% and -28% despite hundreds of millions of PR funds and her power over media, God’s infinite justice must be true.

The same should hold true for Senator Gregorio Honasan who today is again the target of oppression by dubious self-proclaimed government and military authorities. The only verifiable fact about Senator Greg Honasan’s role in the military protests since Oakwood is that of “guru” to the idealistic young officers having authored a program of government to reform society towards progress, entitled “The National Recovery Program”; but even if Honasan was active in the recent events they were all protest actions anyway and not coup attempts which the law defines as “swift movements using violence”.

Instead of the bounty the AFP leadership place on Honasan’s head, he should be praised for raising the motive force within the military to an idealistic and reformist level and not the “pera-pera” rule or the “german shepherd” mentality of canine devotion to a person instead of the principles of the Constitution and the national interest. We don’t expect “Gringo” to sweat over this expected crackdown on his person by the Gloria regime, he has been very consistent since 1989 in opposing the hypocrisy and venalities of those in power – he has the enviable record of being the only military leader the U.S. State Department called out its F-16s to stop.

While there have been criticisms against Honasan from retired military officers involved in one way or another in the Honasan-led 1989 attempt against the Cory Aquino government, we see it from a more understanding angle since it was a failed attempt. There are always many critics from hindsight but the point must be made, Honasan really did succeed except that the full might of the real power behind Edsa Uno was brandished to stop him – the armed might of Uncle Sam who thereafter went to town exploiting the Philippines under Cory’s pro-corporatocracy policies of privatization, deregulation and liberalization.

The fact that Honasan continues to be held in high esteem by a group of the most idealistic AFP young officers attests to his continuing relevance to the future of the country. Who knows, he may just be the Hugo Chavez of the country, having been a colonel and a civilian politician just like Chavez. He will certainly have a better future than those officers now attempting to denigrating his character and standing as a civilian-military leader for the country. A leader with just a handful of good men as the Bagong Katipuneros is would be enough to change the entire country – if it has the right ideology and political plan.

At this historic juncture, however, it is evident that one national leader stands out from the rest. By his rise and fall, and phenomenal resurrection President Joseph E. Estrada has re-affirmed the power of great moral conviction, courage and humility – from his voluntary retreat from Malacañang to spare the nation any bloodshed, facing the indignity of being treated like a common criminal and imprisoned for wrongs never committed, to accepting former tormentors like Cory Aquino and Vice-President Teofisto Guingona as welcome friends to the hail he calls his home for five years now. It’s the passion play of a Filipino leader the nation cannot but overwhelmingly empathize with.

Not even Cory Aquino’s passion play can evoke such a response now as Estrada’s continuing Calvary because this one is continuing and ever present while the former is a distant past and spoiled by the great disappointments of Edsa Uno and Dos. Cory Aquino still retains much good will, being just a point behind Estrada in the Pulse survey, and maybe it has been improved by her visit to Estrada and her joining the fight against Gloria. Estrada’s peak in the rebound will be during his testimony next week at the Sandigangbayan to debunk once and for all the charges against him; that is, if the Sandigangbayan will allow his testimony to be televised live.

President Joseph E. Estrada’s dialogue with the nation has been hamstrung by court limits to his speech, mobility and public presence. While Gloria showed his video lies over several channels repeatedly, President Estrada’s story recorded in several VCD productions have never been allowed by the MTRCB on regular TV or cable channels, not even in movie houses. The latest VCD “Triumph of Truth” has been shown to media for a around Metro-Manila and distributed to schools and other sectors. Those whom I promised copies please text again your addresses as its release was delayed for two months. Civic groups, communities and schools can text me at 09178376037 to schedule showings.

The history of the Philippines may yet be concluded in the spirit of Rey Ileto’s “Pasyon at Rebolusyon”, President Joseph E. Estrada’s ascension can be the revolutionary culmination representing the Sovereign Will of the People.