Tuesday 13 October 2015

"Mandate"

"Mandate"

Or how these people allegedly "coming from heaven" trying to use the elections
as if to create the Kingdom of heaven in their homeland


Alfredo Tindugan and Angelito Baluga
Candidates for President and Vice President
via Inquirer.net

"The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgement. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism [emphasis added], especially the 'intrinsically perverse' political form of a secular messianism."


- Catechism of the Catholic Church,
 paragraph 676

It seems that certain people from all walks of life had proclaimed themselves "Mandates" from "Heaven" as they filed their Certificate of Candidacy at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) head office in Manila.

Driven by their messianic complex and perhaps be mistaken for Schizophrenics, these men such as Alfredo Tindugan and Angelito Baluga has afforded to file their certificates of candidacy both as "President" and "Vice President". And according to the two, the tandem vows to institute a “divine government” should they clinch the top two spots.

Expounding on their concept of “divine government,” Tindugan said that it is rooted on “righteous leadership”, that is somehow reminiscent of those from Mount Banahaw or New Israel somewhere in Mindanao.

Another Presidential aspirant, Romeo John "Lucifer" Ygonia
source: Inquirer.net
Meanwhile, another Presidential Aspirant, Romeo John Ygonia said that "he was sent by God to run for the position". “This world will never be saved without God,” he said.

Known for his monicker “Archangel Lucifer”, Ygonia may also shared the same intention as Tindugan despite using a name synonymous to the devil. And some people from social media sites mockingly "supported" him such as "Better than Binay" if not comparing him to groups like the Da'ish for his bearded appearance.

These two examples would make this writer say that Millenarianism continues to thrive in a era full of millennials whining about their so-called "feelings". And the core doctrine that somehow justifies their "cause" would be the idea of establishing the kingdom of heaven on earth, such as what Christian writers stated.
That in fact, according to a writeup entitled "The trumpet shall sound: a study of "cargo" cults in Melanesia", it stated that:

  "According to Collins, many if not most millenarian groups claim that the current society and its rulers are corrupt, unjust, or otherwise wrong. They therefore believe they will be destroyed soon by a powerful force. The harmful nature of the status quo is considered intractable without the anticipated dramatic change."

And according to history, groups like the Confradia de San Jose of Hermano Pule, the Guardias de Honor, the Dios Dios, Pulajanes, Colorum, and the Lapiang Malaya that even afforded to plot a conspiracy to overthrow former President Marcos with a bolo attack resulting to 33 dead and 47 wounded. However, the trend of Millenarianism also affected groups like the Katipunan, the Sakdalista, and even the Partido Socialista of Pedro Abad Santos. People may deemed it a half-crazed attempt, from the use of elections to the days people resort to the use of arms in pursuit of asserting their belief in a folkish kind of social justice given that these people are also coming from the oppressed masses particularly from the countryside. Terms like "New Jerusalem", "Second Coming of Christ", "Rizal Reincarnate", and other terms are being used in their statements, if not in their actual actions.



It may sound strange, but to think that these people babbling about "Divine Governance" or anything that is pseudo-religious in character has disregarded the secular roots of the Philippine state despite using "democratic means" such as filing candidacies as President or any other person of the state. Most of them even have little or no machinery, worse, making a fraud in case of 2010 candidacy of "Rizal Amang" of the Alpha Omega 9K Party, leading to his disqualification.

But on the lighter side, these self-proclaimed politicos are themselves adding colour especially when they enter the political arena with their messianic ambition as news reports featured these faces on the screen. Their words smacks of so-called holiness yet for sure can't deal with the realities such as what the common people endure and even resist. True that their calls can be a reaction to really existing nonsense, yet is their call really reflects those of the people? Or just urging the people to escape from reality in the name of their fantasy? Remember, even the Church rejected that perversion while media outlets called their actions circus, half-crazed, nonsensical; their words may reflect social realities but it may also not reflect the aspirations of the people, no matter how their terms has been trying to appeal with.

***

And by the way, admittingly speaking, Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas would have been considered as similar to those of Baluga and Tindugan if not being a part of the ruling class knowing that they have nothing to say besides the illusion of "Daang Matuwid" or Righteous Path. True it maybe that his governance brought a semblance of progress yet obviously a continuation of past administrations with Neoliberal tendencies prevailing. Of what are the platforms if in the end these people on high are submitted to the wishes of the market? In the end, Aquino's "Righteous" or "Straightforward Path" be similar to what messianics babbled about when they file their Certificate of Candidacy, be it those of "Divine Governance", "Sent from Heaven", anything that is pseudo-religious or pseudo-moralistic in character that is proven through history.

But the problem is this: Aquino's well known, while these messianics aren't.


Source:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/730450/divine-presidential-aspirants-lead-day-2-of-coc-filing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millenarianism