By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines–Honor the unsung heroes — the teachers and poll watchdog volunteers who served in the recent midterm elections, as well as the victims of extrajudicial killings and involuntary disappearances.
This was the Independence Day message of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. Aside from honoring the heroes who helped the country attain nationhood 109 years ago, he urged Filipinos to remember the ordinary heroes.
“In the attempt to showcase some great, mighty and popular personalities as icons of the bayani (hero), let us not lose sight of the innumerable and unnamed bayani of our country’s history,” Lagdameo said Monday in a statement reflecting on the theme of Tuesday’s Independence Day celebration: “Kalayaan 2007: Bayan, Bayani, Bayanihan.”
The prelate cited the volunteers of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections and the public school teachers “who, despite odds, difficulties, obstacles, frustrations and threats, defended the sacredness of the ballot against those desecrating groups.”
Lagdameo added: “In the midst of rampant and wholesale ‘buy and sale’ of votes, there were still those who refused to be controlled by the dictatorship of money. Their small stories are worth noting down on Independence Day.”
A teacher, Nellie Banaag, and a poll watcher, Leticia Ramos, died in a fire on May 15 after five armed men torched a school in Taysan, Batangas, during the counting of votes.
Another teacher, school district supervisor Musa Dimasidsing who exposed cheating in the Maguindanao provincial elections, was shot dead on Saturday.
Lagdameo said in his message that the extrajudicial killings, involuntary disappearances, and cases of graft and corruption should be a reminder to everyone “that while we have been liberated from the control of foreign invaders, we are victims of the abuses and exploitation of fellow Filipinos.”
He added: “There is so much demand for restitution for helpless and voiceless victims. May we not consider the uncompensated victims also bayani ng bayan (nation’s heroes), especially since their appeals are apparently falling on deaf ears?”
The Catholic Church in the Philippines has joined the clamor for “the restoration or return of the victims of disappearances,” the archbishop said in his message.
“Our prayer is that they will be allowed to return safe and sound to their grieving and anxious families, to enjoy basic freedom.”
June 13th, 2007 at 6:00 am
I believe the Magindanao Teacher Supervisor, Musa Dimasidsing, died fighting for freedom for our Filipino voters in Mindanao. As usual, this is being investigated, that although, logic tells, she was killed to silence her, the military or PNP will be going through…their usual route, determining the motive for her killing. Of course we know. These are one of those happenings that speak louder than Gloria’s convoluted, beautifully phrased speeches. We just can’t believe what she says any more; call it independence speech or state of the nations’ speech. Gloria Arroyo has got to go…. We would rather see those dead Filipinos alive than continue to listen to her convoluted speeches that go so much against the grain of truths. All her being is directed to only one intention: to stay put in Malacanang so that she does not have to face accountability the Filipinos would exact from her and her cronies. How she turned to become such a polished convoluted speaker while sowing rosy prediction and sunny future for starving Filipinos amidst increasing injustices, criminalities, and killings…..is beyond me. Maybe because there are enough numbers of Filipinos who are still confused as to what matters to the nation….between aids from foreign countries or self-reliance, between truth and lies, and between the lawful and the unlawful. The Filipinos need leaders of impeccable integrity, one who can swear to his own honesty and good moral values, untainted by allegation of treason, fakeness, and fraud. This is why her speeches are increasingly getting funnier. There is disconnect somewhere and we are beginning to see, hear, and feel it. Enough of all these trying hard! The Filipinos already know but they can see the threat of guns from anonymous paid killers of those who are supporting her. The scenario is very grim…set against her rosy economic predictions and promises.