Wanted: a Lord Protector

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
1/23/2006



On my radio programs we regularly engage our listeners through texts messages. One of the hot topics for such text exchanges that has come to full boil is the question of the coup d’etat as a means to dislodge Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and effect progressive change in society. Last week, the traditional opposition (the politicians) announced through Chiz Escudero and others a position against the coup option– that didn’t elicit much texter support. Many texters instead support a “coup.”

Our texters are also as cynical of the traditional opposition politicians as they are hateful of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her clique. I sympathize with our texters, I have worked closely with many of the old and young trapo opposition politicians and I see not much hope in them too. They have no major policy divergence from those politicians of the ruling clique – except maybe in the area of personal corruption which those in the opposition are not in a position to be so guilty of. They may make less corrupt government leaders, at least at the start.

These “trapo” opposition politicians do not, however, offer fundamental change in this mendicant, exploitative and oppressive. Just look at some of its leaders, running off to the United States every time there’s a tremor here to get instructions. But the U.S. power elite is at the root of the problem here, all anyone has to do is to see this is follow the history of the bankrupt Mirant power company which came to the Philippines after being kicked out of Wall Street: it looted us through Ramos’ IPP and PPA, and got back last week to Wall Street ringing the honorific opening bell for the day’s trading.

Many of the trapo opposition politicians also promoted liberalization, privatization and deregulation that led to our present straits. Many were also avid Ramos fans, one is even godson to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Few are as principled as President Estrada who is in jail because he refuses compromise with GMA’s evil. I would not openly criticize opposition politicians due the anti-GMA alliances but since some of them have been sniping at the propositions associated with the YOUng and YOU I thought some of us fed up with “trapos” should give them a piece of our mind.

Very sophisticated radio listeners of our program Sulô ng Pilipino are no ordinary radio listeners who tolerate the inane and mindless prattlers and talking heads in media. In the debate last week over the coup d’etat option many of our listeners texted in the “Cromwellian” option – raising a new army under a strong and righteous civilian-cum-military leadership, abolishing a corrupt parliament and government, and initiating massive reform. To many Filipinos now nothing short of such revolutionary means can save the country from the power monger, warlords, gangster and mercenary rule today.

What other means is there for change when the Gloria regime is using every repressive measure in and outside the rule book of a democratic society? They tried impeachment, Gloria bribes her way out of it. We’ve tried rallies and marches, Gloria and her enforcers have used the Pre-emptive Calibrated Response a.k.a. police brutality. We’ve tried debate; they’ve used their warlords to threaten dismemberment of the country through secession and food blockades. We’ve tried joining the election with FPJ, they’ve cheated the vote and corrupted the Comelec to deny the people their voice.

Meanwhile, our people are being taxed out of their wits and their decent lives and homes; the people’s pockets have been riddled with cavities by mounting and unjust power and water rates, taxes, toll and government fees; corruption and debt has bled the national coffers dry; moral decay and cancer has diseased our national life to the point of mortal peril; our agriculture and industries have been decimated by the deluge of shoddy but cheap foreign goods that financing foreign farmers and workers and impoverish ours’. We’re supposed to be patient under these circumstances?

Some Filipinos are discovering the idea of Cromwell, the militant political-military-religious 16th Century English reform leader and declared Lord Protector of the British people who shut down parliament and deposed King Charles I (eventually beheaded) for corruption and abuse of power; parliament voted higher pay for itself and cancelled elections. Cromwell is probably the most controversial figures in British history, his devotees and critics have produced 4000 books in the past four hundred years debating the merits of his revolution and his rule.

Cromwell raised a new army from the citizenry. The Filipino, hungry and forlorn, discarded and unprotected, exposed to the elements and predators is waiting for the Filipino Cromwell to make it into a new army. The Bagong Katipuneros of Oakwood (Magdalo) is the country’s Lord Protector. It is a new leadership that’s not comparable to Ramos’ Edsa I and GMA’s Edsa II, farces created by foreign and local oligarchs to hoodwink the people. The Bagong Katipuneros should not praise those “people power”, see how Ramos now uses it to accuse the Bagong Katipuneros as “copycats”.

Our call to help Faeldon’s half-mast flag campaign is the gelling that citizens’ army. For example, our call in this column for donations to the fund for Faeldon propaganda materials has reached P 20,000.00 and growing. This is just beginning. Abangan!

(Tune in to 1098AM, Mon. to Fri., 5-6am and 6-7pm)