"Warring over a tarnished legacy"
(All after seeing two rallies during the 31st anniversary
of the "People Power Uprising",
While another rally clamours for genuine social change)
 |
| Source: GMA Network |
It is quite concerning that in spite of appeals and actions trying to "heal the wounds" brought about by the 1986 revolt turns out to be a still unhealed one.
With issues such as Graft and Corruption, patronage politics, landlordism, to those of deteriorating moral values, and subservience to a foreign power, one would say that in a still backward society trying to be as "improved" like its neighbours is still trying to escape from its centuries-old nightmare, that even "people power" failed to exorcise as such thanks to those who distort its aspiration into theirs.
And this time, after seeing the news, what everybody sought are rather two groups claiming to be "carrying the spirit of EDSA" with its rallies situated in the People Power Monument and at Luneta.
That somehow made everyone annoyed on these both warring camps happened to be clamouring for that same, goddamed appeals: Unity, Freedom; as well as pointing against tyrants and despots alike. However, despite the annoyance, the scenario shows how the oligarchs, trying to keep firm in their interests, has to support both warring sides be it "mellow yellow" as the liberals or "rosy red" as Duterte's fanatics insisting their relevance in a still fragile democratic country named Philippines.
And in speaking of the word "wound" earlier, that February 25 event has been a scar that remains significant as any other event in a folk-community's collective memory. but 31 years later, as in its pre-"revolution" years under Marcos and his predecessors, the shadow of system's repression such as torture, human rights violations, enforced disappearances, political murders, graft and corruption, regionalism, patronage politics and so on continue to plague all in spite of appeals to unity, sobriety, vigilance, or even change.
And in speaking of the word "wound" earlier, that February 25 event has been a scar that remains significant as any other event in a folk-community's collective memory. but 31 years later, as in its pre-"revolution" years under Marcos and his predecessors, the shadow of system's repression such as torture, human rights violations, enforced disappearances, political murders, graft and corruption, regionalism, patronage politics and so on continue to plague all in spite of appeals to unity, sobriety, vigilance, or even change.
But in an actual setting such as what happened yesterday both in Luneta and in People Power Monument, all in spite of their appeals for unity, truth, justice, or any bullshit, it is pretty much obvious that they are contesting who's really having the spirit of EDSA: is it PDP LABAN or LIBERAL? In fact, Both of these warring camps have known personages involved, having shared "principles" if there is, and perhaps even a same "aspiration" and even having the same hand sign during that 1986 scenario.
The problem, however, is that these two camps are currently having a feud about their legitimacy as forefront of that so-called "revolution" during that commemoration, intensified by recent issues pointing against each other and even marred by politico-criminal scandals such as De Lima vs. Duterte, of "Davao Death Squad", "Operation Tokhang", cases surrounding both current and past administrations, sometimes with the special participation of Juan Ponce Enrile who was also part of that "revolution".
But again, the ruling classes supported both sides all in pursuit of keeping their interests. That, alongside other ages-old bullshits, has tarnished further a so-called "revolutionary legacy" that was (or even is), offered by the Filipinos to the world.
But again, the ruling classes supported both sides all in pursuit of keeping their interests. That, alongside other ages-old bullshits, has tarnished further a so-called "revolutionary legacy" that was (or even is), offered by the Filipinos to the world.
 |
| source: Rappler |
For these protesters, facing policemen at EDSA Shrine, Camp Aguinaldo, and even at the US Embassy during that "commemoration", they were simply but justly called for arable land, jobs with real living wages, civil rights, freeing political prisoners, an end to impunity, and restoring national dignity.
Obviously, their calls are as same as those from 1986 as well as earlier ones, for knowing that in spite of the system's promise of economic emancipation, political liberation, and social solidarity in an age of free data and iPhones, it is still obvious that the system keeps the nation in its still backward status with all its semifeudal-semicolonial kind of bullshit.
And that kind of bullshit has both tarnished a supposed "revolutionary legacy" as well as aggravated a wound people wanted to heal time and again. The system who afforded to babble words like "change", "democracy", "freedom" during that February 25 commemoration has made that "revolution" a failure.
And it is up to the people, like those who really struggled out, to take back and finish what it was supposed to many decades ago.
Obviously, their calls are as same as those from 1986 as well as earlier ones, for knowing that in spite of the system's promise of economic emancipation, political liberation, and social solidarity in an age of free data and iPhones, it is still obvious that the system keeps the nation in its still backward status with all its semifeudal-semicolonial kind of bullshit.
And that kind of bullshit has both tarnished a supposed "revolutionary legacy" as well as aggravated a wound people wanted to heal time and again. The system who afforded to babble words like "change", "democracy", "freedom" during that February 25 commemoration has made that "revolution" a failure.
And it is up to the people, like those who really struggled out, to take back and finish what it was supposed to many decades ago.