"Praying in a day everyone's yearning to revolt"
(or how president Aquino called people to pray
in a day people reminiscing the 2001 "revolution")
It was yesterday when president Aquino had declared it as a "national day of prayer", obviously being set in the anniversary of the second EDSA revolt of 2001, the president and his retinue had invoke "peace", "reconciliation", "the typhoon Yolanda", and any other words and issues trying to rally its subjects with the latter had enough of his rhetorics and failures.
Considered as a "Publicity stunt", the said occasion had repeated earlier leaders using the clergymen to appease the people and its growing anger: Estrada had once joined hands with El Shaddai's Mike Velarde, Arroyo with the Iglesia ni Cristo, and today's Aquino with Cardinal Tagle and others. Yet at the same day when Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr delivered a scathing privilege speech that slammed the president for "crooked justice" that affected him.
But to most people, what they think much about yesterday is the revolt that seemed going to happen; set in the day when Estrada being ousted, the president had time and again appeased its subjects knowing that they are the ones who had voted for him last 2010 and had to maintain it in midst of controversy and tension;
but had he stopped corruption? He even justified PDAF,
had he given lands directly to the landless? The Cojuangcos even forced to evict farmers and even destroying their crops at the contested Hacienda Luisita,
had he controlled the crisis on electricity and concerned about the victims of Typhoon Yolanda? Nope, he even said that he should leave anything to God for he's busy.
Obviously for Aquino and his subjects that his promises were made just rhetoric. He had once opposed Arroyo's policies but still he had tolerated it especially with the Conditional Cash Transfer Program he originally promised to had it over, but come to think of this: they, stooges of their fellow class rather focus on their skin than on the cries of the people; and if they have the will to give some, most of it are crumbs if not justifying an economics that is "trickle-down" like Reagan; workers had demand 125 peso wage increase, but the system had gave them 50 or 60 pesos, or none at all.
And he afford to urge people to unite and pray? People may indeed pray, but not for his reason presented to the media, but praying to end the mess the system had done. Praying that the original aspirations of their revolts, even those of Bonifacio's had to achieve, for the agenda of the ruling class are contradicting with those of the common people. Right is the Philippine Independent Church's Fajutagana, that the president had prayed for the victims of "natural calamities", but he had neglected “man-made calamities,” such as the pork barrel, illegal mining, human rights issues, and other environmental problems. And since Praying should be supported by work, and had the president not seriously addressing to these problems, then prayers “will not be sufficient” as what Bishop Fajutagana said, for the president, again representing the ruling class of exploiters, cares much about themselves than heeding the cries of its subjects; or as what he said last year: "leave it to God, for I am busy", busy justifying bullshit while the people are badly affected by price increases, fare and tuition fee hikes, unemployment, rising poverty rates, all in midst of paper reforms and repetition of promises, rhetorics being vented to everyone the system still think of as "stupid".
So instead of calling it as "National day of Prayer", then why not "National day of NoyNoying" instead? It's much accurate to see him being a sloth and leaving his work to a coterie of secretaries. And again, had set in the day of everyone had chanted anti-establishment slogans, people had prayed for another revolt to come, that would make Aquino, or the entire ruling system surprised that the revolt isn't a revolt at all just like in 2001 and 1986, but a Revolution that is left unfinished!
Anyways, personally, this writer does not consider the 2001 and even the 1986 events as "revolutionary." Other than replacing a corrupt head of state with another, it had no major changes and instead keeping the same old nonsense: seeing exploiters and the corrupt bleeding everyone else dry till no more! It didn't even realize the original aspirations of the people.
And that instead of stable jobs, what they hear is contractualization; of farmers seeking land reform, what they saw is continuous dispossession; the reign of the corrupt ruling class had to appease the people knowing that they are desperately seeking allies, giving piecemeal reforms if not chains and prison cells filling those who comprise the marchers from EDSA to Mendiola.
Perhaps, in seeing these continuous issues, it's up to the people in getting beyond the parameters of superficial "legalism" and invoke the passion kept hidden. The protest marches that happened in 1986 or 2001 aren't merely noisemaking or "peaceful" events mainstream media had presented much; but carries a motivation that had happened during the time of Governor-General Bustamante: he and his supporters being lynched by an angry mob of priests; but if possible, it is the common people who were heavily taxed by repression will assume the task what the priests given as they again stood up and had enough of their bullshit.