“So much for a Nation’s ‘Continuing Past’
while people fighting for a Future to win”
(Or “Thoughts after Bongbong Marcos’s visit to the United States
While supporters still yearning for 20 per kilo of rice”)
It’s been few months since the second Marcos regime had started. Described as a thermidor or even a restoration (sorry France), this regime, despite opportunities to appear “anew” chose to continue that of its predecessor- albeit trying to be ‘lite’ and yet carrying the same baggage of controversies that lingers even today.
This may sound strange- for as the 31 million voters still swayed by the promise of restoring that “glorious past” to that of a 20 peso per kilo of rice, this regime chose to remain as that of its predecessors: feudal-neocolonial in foundation and neoliberal in it’s perspective.
How come? As remnants of the landed gentry remains significant both political and economic, catering the interests of international capital particularly its overlords from Beijing and Wall St., and recent newly-passed laws further consolidate interests particularly that of claiming to be “for economic recovery”; that in turn means higher taxes and repressed working conditions for the working masses while tax cuts and perks for the privileged few.
And yet these 31 million voters still yearning for a 20 per kilo of rice. Teachers were even promised salary increase from that once-standard bearer claiming to be for ‘unity’ and yet these rather fell on deaf ears if not hearing VP Duterte as Education Secretary telling that “raising teacher’s salaries in public schools puts pressure on private schools”, so why on earth have to promise what they perceive as impossible? Is it to snare people for votes? So much for the bullshitry especially after the Education and Agriculture departments having confidential and intelligence funds (150 million for DepED, 4.5 billion for DA)- claiming national security for a reason.
So much for the continuing past especially with Marcos along with Duterte restored to power. By claiming the need to restore order and greatness it is all but continuity of repression and corruption as everyone faced and felt. Profiteers continue to profit to and fro silently while its propagandists blaming the opposition for all the woes yet failing to look at their backyard! Apologists would still cling to their narrative, and yet failed to win hearts and minds of concerned folks who just wanted freedom, peace, land, bread, and justice.
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Speaking of Wall St., Recently, president Bongbong visited the United States in an attempt to curry favour with the Biden regime for investments and businesses to set up shop in the country.
Like a vassal to its lord, he affirmed the country’s subservience called “friendship”, a step back from Duterte’s pretending aggressiveness towards that country. This affirmation would include maintaining existing “unequal” agreements, from economic to military.
However, from that same visit includes drawbacks- protests demanding accountability for the regime’s antipeople policies and actions, and the few presence of the members of the United Nations during his address in its general assembly showed disapproval despite apologists’ belittling.
In that case people knows that the regime will always be riddled with corruption, repression, or injustice. In fact, the Marcoses still face a US$353 million contempt judgement against him in a US court, arising from the ill-gotten wealth amassed during the reign of Marcos sr.., and to think that president Bongbong enjoys his “diplomatic immunity” this doesn’t escape people’s demand for accountability especially when liabilities arising from that case and its decision.
But obviously Marcos jr. and his apologists will still deny the accusations brought against his family and the 21-year regime of his father that committed gross human rights violations and large-scale plunder; while insisting that same reign as a ‘golden age’ that’s whitewashed of its horrible truths.
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As the concerned saw everything as but continuity of the past, attempts to dispel truth became part of the order’s agenda- and this becomes more than just “fear mongering” but also churning falsehoods and distortions all meant to ‘rally’ people into their banner- that video streaming sites, social media, are heavily “invested” by the administration and its apologists whether to whitewash the atrocities of the regime to that of putting the blame, shame into the opposition for all the woes and yet they themselves apologists failed to address the basic problems that pushes people to revolt against the very order they’re defending.
In an instance, these apologists blame the Cojuangco/Aquino family for the tragic events such as “Mendiola” and “Hacienda Luisita” massacres, and yet they failed to assert agrarian reform to uplift the lives of the landless peasants nor implicate former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (currently an ally of the regime) for tacitly supporting the armed forces and the police to disperse violently the struggling peasants in Hacienda Luisita, what more to persecute them as insurgents.
Even the dispute in the west Philippine sea these apologists blame the Aquino administration for failing to defend Scarborough and Spratlys against the Chinese, all despite the damage brought by the Americans in the Tubbataha reef. And yet they’re mum on Duterte’s, what more of Marcos’s overtures with the Chinese!
The Pork Barrel Scam last 2016 doesn’t even limit to that of then-administration party and its allies but also that of personalities like Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla jr. who altogether end supporting the Marcoses! Even Marcos jr. himself then a senator did gain from that scam worth 10 million pesos! Will these apologists who claiming to “side with the truth” able to criticise their masters? Not even.
Such bullshitries would say that the current regime, as in the past rather disregard defending national sovereignty or realising the aspirations of many in favour of upholding interests of the privileged few even it includes concessions with Beijing and Wall St. while oppressing its own people. From these would say people still wanted a future to win than forcing to content in its ever-continuing past. Every walk of life somehow felt the wonders of today’s setting as the glass-clad skyscrapers of Makati but to think that decades, if not centuries-old problems remain, what more of seeing the order upholding it, would make one think or say that the country is still in it’s continuing past- and it is the task of the folk to take back the future that’s envisioned by its forefathers.