In memory of (D)E(a)DSA…
“To those who said let GMA finish her term… To those who said let the rule of law work for her impeachment… To those who said theres’ no better alternative than GMA… Need I say more?” – RIP EDSA 1 (1986-2008)
“Baguio Is a welcome break after the problems in Manila eats me up”. I said to myself. Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival) offered a more relatively healthy way of celebrating EDSA 1, that on the eve of the protest the activist in me who’s slowly turning to a pessimist/anarchist wants to turn a blind eye even for a few days but after reading the admission of GMA in knowing about the “Flawed NBN-ZTE deal” it hit me smack right on the face that no amount of high latitude climate could ever hinder the number of cuss words I uttered.
I just don’t get it. Really… I just don’t get it. Why Filipinos are still putting up with her and her government. Is it because we are looking at the great role model that is the U.S. and waiting for an election this 2010 that we would rather sacrifice our nations worth as a country by letting a criminal yes emphasize on the word CRIMINAL run our country?
Some points to ponder:
A. Filipinos are tired of GMA but they are more tired of a system of government run by nonetheless hundreds and thousands of corrupt officials. Ergo the exercise of putting GMA out of power is proven to be futile given the experience that was EDSA 2.
Rebuttal: Wrong. Corrupt officials and their departments can be overrun by good governance by virtue of a good leader. The late Raul Roco was able to prove this by making the Department of Education the most honest institution following its former notoriety of being the most corrupt. Roco took out corruption and ameliorated the conditions of the teachers and schools after being booted out of office by GMA due to false allegations of corruption against him. (If you’re looking for a more common example try to search for Governor Ed Panlilio.)
B. In the event of another EDSA filipinos are not ready to handle another revolution as its economy is still on the verge of a major take off from its former demise as proven by the rising peso.
Rebuttal: Wrong. The number of economists proving wrong the illusion of a stable peso through the current government has been rising and has even cautioned the public from such, as most of the back-end rationale for such rise in peso is leaning on the power of OFW’s in sustaining the economy and not of a stable and reliable economic and agrarian reforms that the government of GMA has been doing poorly if not miserably.
C. The almost non-existence of an armed/unarmed left and lack of formidable opposition heads has proven to be a great problem for Filipinos that the question of integrity and credibility of another EDSA is at stake.
Rebuttal: Wrong. The armed left if to be seen historically has mapped out its path to extinction as exemplified by other communists countries falling one by one, the armed left has completely sealed its fate even before it started to grow. As for the unarmed left their number is growing and is continually becoming more formidable though habitually haunted by its past it is slowly gaining the lead in getting more support from the grassroots. While the question of lack of formidable heads in the opposition is a no brainer as EDSA 1 and 2 were spearheaded by great opposition heads but in the end has proven otherwise.
So why is GMA still in power?
I can only see one answer: Lack of Education
If GMA has to be given credit for it is her tactic of massive propaganda for the government and against the opposition. She has time and again became succesful in dividing the country, church and institutions by means of spreading false information and intelligent dissemination of money to different key people in the government and baranggays not to mention police stations and military headquarters.
Her campaign of propaganda has sown disbelief and mis-education to the people. The initial reaction of Filipinos nowadays is to ask “Is it right? Is it credible?” giving GMA the credit of time while Filipinos look for answers.
If there is one reason why EDSA 1 came to pass it is because of the education campaign against the government. The teach-ins, rallies, caucuses by the common people tackling the problems of society that spread even to the church and homes.
I’ll give you one experiment. Look inside a University and see how many Professors and students talk about the problems of society. Do it also to other parts of the country and look for community organizers and you’ll see them either dead or vanished.
GMA has murdered these missionaries and evangelists because she knows they are her real enemy.
And as long as she keeps them at bay she knows she’ll always be in power.
But for now let the bells toll for EDSA 1.
For as I see it EDSA is dead.
Related posts:
- Whats Eating Gilbert Teodoro? Who is Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro? And why was he chosen...
- Why we should vote and why we shouldn’t vote “What good does it do that she avoids being impeached,...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Tags: Commentary
i agree with you on education. all my talks in schools have basically ended up lectures on civics. a citizenry that doesn’t know its right as well as obligations is helpless, paralyzed. a citizenry that doesn’t know how the system ought to function doesn’t know where to start.
Thanks Sir Manolo, If theres one thing I am very much concerned about is the decline of the quality of teachers we have in our Universities…
[...] In the blogosphere, an entry related to my previous one, on the Mandate of Heaven: Taoist lessons from Akomismo II. And sad but very, very true reading in Brown SEO. [...]
Renato Constantino’s “Miseducation of the Filipinos” is an apt reminder to what’s happening in the country now.
Lack of, or miseducation, happens when people surrender their rights for what is expedient and practical, glorifying the now rather than worrying about the future, and for many in govt who are coopted, bartering their souls for silver.
Thank you again Sir Manolo for the link. I hope someday we can revive the EDSA that was…
hawaiianguy: Renato Constantino’s approach borders on the psychological and social. I’m thinking of putting more of his works here as I found out that most of them are being searched in the net. I hope his family and publishers are ok with it.