"Struggle! Whether like it or not!"
Notes on the recent clamour for Duterte's "Revolutionary Government"
And how there are people still take the road less traveled
in spite of all the dangers all for the Revolution
The recent calls for "revolutionary government" in Manila's Mendiola street hath been the topic of the day in spite of it's once-promoter's statement withdrawing the intent.
With all the tarpaulins, chants, and speeches coming from its advocates, the call for a "revolutionary government" seems to be a demand to "restore total order", of the rally organizers, Tony Gonzales, saidth that they all wanted to push for a revolutionary government through a people’s initiative because “Congress does not believe in this.”
However, in spite of being few in numbers, what made it mobilisable for these red-clad crowds was the free flow of porridge coming from a soup kitchen known for supporting the administration: for as they all fall in lines waiting for that hot gruel enough to fill their stomachs and at the same time listening to the speeches whose desire to restore "order" is in the guise of creating a "revolution", that made the concerned deemed ridiculous be it the intent or how they mobilise people: is it for the cause or for the food?
No matter how the president saidth that his call had been taken out of context, if not insisted through his mouthpieces that that "he does not want a revolutionary government", there were those who missed his predicate that he would declare a revolutionary government only if the country was in trouble, and the situation brought about by the system and its cohorts made it clear that the president wanted to restore order in which people may describe it as "revolutionary" in its "character".
But instead of an open way leading to their supposed site, they all end blocked by the police along with a fire truck ready to fire, a scuffle almost occurred between the protesters and the policemen, only to be negotiated that the activity end settled in Recto corner Lepanto, with all the effigy burnings, speeches, all about commemorating Andres Bonifacio as well as expressing disgust over Duterte and his still-toyings with that "revolutionary idea", what more that Ferdinand Gaite, one of its speakers, hath urged the policemen to "go to the people" than getting contented in the pittances coming from an interest-seeking admninistrator who still sneering every rank and file with "bigger salaries" yet still depending on actually-existing pittances. The event at Mendiola still continues with its hot gruel, speeches, pray-overs (with a critic described as "would be mistaken for sieg heils"), and some dance numbers enough to entertain those red-clad apologists.
And from these scenarios, both the president's supporters as well as the opposition marched across Metro Manila and in the provinces on Thursday, the 154th anniversary of the Filipino revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio, carrying the desire whether to support the "orderism" Duterte desired, or, its opposition due to its fascistic tendencies.
Perhaps ever since Duterte taketh over the Presidency, he has adopted and implemented without letup an all-out war policy against those who chose to resist. Sneakingly in a sense that whilst accommodating the radicals in the pretense of unity, he continued military operations such as the last months of Aquino's "Oplan Bayanihan" followed by his own's "Oplan Kapayapaan." And contrary to its names, the intent is clear that the system, as in the past, chose to intensify its operations, as if there is no ceasefire, they never withdrew into their barracks.
For the apologist, they would say that these are in response to their enemy's continued offensive. They would even say that their enemy does not even respect their own ceasefire, if not justifying their action as a necessary move such as occupy communities and conduct procedures enough to consider as a human rights violation.
And if so, is this the 'revolutionary government" being babbled about? That "revolution", more of a "thermidor" so to speak, is sort of a neo-Arroyoite or even a neo-Marcosian outcome as each and every individual end being killed or abducted due to mistaken identity or because of its belief. It is neo-Arroyo in a sense that it had to accommodate neoliberals like his economic team of Dominguez and Perenia, and at the same time Neo-Marcosian for as it romanticises the "glorious past" such as a militarist one this time led by a trigger happy uniformed thugs.
Perhaps because of all the events surrounding the administration and its shift to the "reaction", what more that it is redescribed as a "revolution" by its apologists, lies its militant, or even a "revolutionary" response that most of which costs lives. As said earlier, there are numerous actions brought about by the system, and the ones killed by the system, be it armed or unarmed, regardless of who they are yet serious in their zeal, are political soldiers who truly devoted to a patriotic and social cause. They called for a fresh ethos within society and for emergence of a generation who willing to take part in the construction, innovation, and liberation of society.
The system, however, in spite of recognising them, chose to be indifferent and at the same time destroying them. They preach the “virtues of individualism” while at the same time babbling about collective unity; the wonders of capitalism is greatly enphasised while invoking terms like social Justice or any other statement enough to divert people from conquering the state.
And these are alongside the idea of destroying them with impunity, what more that they are shown names and be treated like pests as if “they earned their lesson”.
As a writer, like most of the concerned, would say that in those kinds of scenarios shows that from a continuous resistance lies immense sacrifice. Be it mind or in sinew, those who chose to resist contributed much that sometimes affected their lives, and yet they chose to be committed as they put their "love" in it no matter how mainstream media may still insist how worthless their fighting is especially if one of them is killed or captured such as a young faced yet grim and determined being. But in spite of those challenges, these political soldiers seriously devoted its own time and energy to spread the awareness of patriotism and social emancipation to each and every affected class not just by firing every weapon against the attack dogs of the system alone.
Sounds ideal and at the same time impossible especially if the youth takes the goal of struggle. But reality urges them to do so knowing that they, along with affected sectors, sees that in seeing truth from every fact, urges them to do the impossible tasks, including those of admitting the fact that a worthy death leads to a thousand ones willing to take over theirs.
Otherwise, if the present order prevails, no matter how they preach “change”, or even that “revolution” of theirs, it actually invokes “change” for the worse. And obviously, the more people ridicule or oppose the system, shows how it is growing daily more unacceptable, daily more unbearable. And since Chesterton was right that "The modern tyrant is evil because of his elusiveness. He is more nameless than his slave. He is not more of a bully than the tyrants of the past; but he is more of a coward.", then make each and everyone who is aware be prepared.
Confronted on every side by various forms of injustices, disenfranchisements, and exploitations, for sure one would ask: “what can you do?” You can’t just move on for that and ignore the reality, but instead: fight, fight, and fight again! True that modernity brings improvement with all the state of the art things particularly those of gadgetry, but to see still an exploited order particularly those who create these things deemed "modern", then perhaps let that modernity point against those who exploit than remain being spineless and contented. Like the ones who fought and died lies the fact that reality unfurled the banners of truth, freedom, service, sacrifice as more and more be willing to take part in a struggle no matter what the system and its apologists insist how “worthless” it is.
All in all, for all the martyrs and for the living but still fighting for the cause of national and social liberation, here's an inspirational quote:
FIAT PAX IN VIRTUTE TUA,
ET ABUNDANTIA IN TURIBUS TUIS.
ET ABUNDANTIA IN TURIBUS TUIS.
MAY PEACE BE WITHIN YOUR RAMPARTS,
AND GREAT PROSPERITY BE WITHIN YOUR TOWERS.