By Lester Cavestany, Contributor
INQUIRER.net
IT would always be the same crooks, the same money interests who would take fullest advantage of democracy or any kind of government in the Philippines, while the poor and the brave would always lose out. The batters change in the game of Philippine politics, but the baseball team remains the same and the game remains fixed.
– Ninoy Aquino[1]
As we celebrate the 22nd8th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, it would be good to look back on the wisdom of the man who inspired us to unite as a people and to defend our country against a corrupt government. We are more aware of Ninoy’s oft-quoted, “The Filipino is worth dying for,” but I chose the one above because it is more suitable to our present times.
To fight again another day
After two weeks of excitement about Jun Lozada’s testimony, the opposition has yet to come up with more witnesses and more evidence that will prove the corruption in the Arroyo administration. Even after the show of support that the public has done to encourage more people to come out and testify, no new witness or evidence has appeared.
To be honest, I am a bit confused as to how other leaders can continue to demand for President Arroyo’s resignation when we haven’t even proven anything yet. We are being led to believe that having another People Power Revolution (EDSA III) will solve the problems and issues that our country is facing today. But if we listen to what our great hero Ninoy Aquino said, I hope you will also realize that many of the problems we face today are systemic ones and they can’t be changed by having another EDSA.[2]
Systemic problems need systemic changes
Last week’s Inquirer Opinion-Talk of the Town article, “Poverty reduction: What we know and don’t know,” gives us a concrete example of a systemic problem: the lack of rural development in the Philippines.[3] Nothing much has changed since 1781 when Gov. José de Basco y Vargas introduced commercial farming in the Philippines[4]. Moreover, no authentic land reform has been implemented in our country since the feudal Spanish times. The Americans tried in 1903 when Gov. Gen Howard Taft bought the friar lands in the Philippines from Pope Leo XIII with the intention of reselling it to Filipino peasant-tenants. The good intention never materialized of course, as wealthy Filipino businessmen and politicians (whose descendants still have clout in Philippine society today) stepped in and bought the land and converted them into their private haciendas.[5] And as they say, the rest is history.*
In a country where 70 percent of the population live in rural areas and where 2/3 of the people get their livelihood from agriculture, we must make sure that we have programs that promote genuine rural development. This is just one example, but it is a major one. Other systemic problems include public education, economic development, good governance, population control, environmental sustainability, peace and order, and many others. Other bloggers have also written their issues in Janette Toral’s Important Issues on Philippines 2010.
Of course somewhere in the wish list for political reform, you will also find fighting graft and corruption. But I hope we can all see that it is a small piece of the puzzle. In my personal opinion, we cannot call for President Arroyo’s resignation unless we have court-admissible evidence against her. Just because some opposition leaders are trying to convince us that President Arroyo is corrupt doesn’t mean we all have to believe it. The opposition leaders bear the burden of evidence. I say to them, Show us proof! Stop using us as your pawns! Stop using the court of public opinion to gain the upper hand. Take your accusations to the court of law and let your evidence, if you have any, speak for itself. And speaking of evidence, what proof or track records have you got to show the public that if you replace the present administration, you will do a far better job than President Arroyo’s government in addressing our systemic problems.[6]
Happy 22nd8th People Power anniversary!
In light of the lack of evidence plus the personal and social troubles that this J-Lo fiasco has caused, I believe that it might be best to set aside our calls for a change in the government and perhaps we should concentrate more on asking for changes in the government and in our country. Unless we are presented with new witnesses or new evidence in the ongoing political raucity, we, the Filipino people, should join the rallies and demonstrations with more focus on the the public outcry for truth and social reforms. I, for one, would love to join in!
And so from here in Hanoi, I would like say “Happy 22nd8th People Power Anniversary!” to all my kababayans in the Philippines and around the world.
Mabuhay po tayong lahat! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
=== Notes:[1] The Martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino Revisited, Joker P Arroyo
[2] Systemic problems have been with us even before the presidency of Pres Arroyo; even before 1565 when Spaniards who left from Mexico led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu; and even before 1521 when Magellan claimed our archipelagic country for Spain and called it Las Islas de San Lazaro. [3] “Poverty reduction: What we know and don’t know,” By Arsenio M. Balisacan
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 16 Feb 2008
[4] In Search of Southeast Asia: A Modern History. David P. Chandler, William R. Roff, John R. W. Smail, David Joel Steinberg Robert H. Taylor, Alexander Woodside, David K. Wyatt, David Joel Steinberg. Allen & Unwin. Sydney, N.S.W. 1971 [5] The US Congress passed the Cooper, or Organic, Act of 1902, which authorized the American commission to sell Philippine government bonds to finance purchase of the friar lands in the Philippines from the Vatican — Bound to Empire: The United States and the Philippines. H. W. Brands. Oxford University Press, New York. 1992. * Atty. Ma. Gracia Rinoza Plazo has recently started an online forum to discuss agrarian reform issues. Please join the discussion and share your inputs. [6] Mom knows best! My Mama wrote a comment in my post, Sundin ang Utos ni Supremo. Also posted in www.lestercavestany.com
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February 28th, 2008 at 4:23 am
You want change?
Start with yourselves.
Love begets love..hates begets hate…
Work hard…talk less…
Dont forget where EDSAI and II brought us…as those who dont know history, are tend to repeat it..
Dont be fooled and used again..
You have only one life..enjoy it with your family, while they are, or you are still around..dont waste your life with these political zarzuelas and circus..
Even the time you spent writing your blogs, its more worthwhile if spent with your love ones. cheers
February 28th, 2008 at 3:42 am
Pasasalamat at Paalaala
Sa mga Obispo, maraming salamat po. Pinaiiral ninyo na ang bagay na politikal ay para sa politika. Nandoon lang kayo bilang gabay at panalangin.
Sa mga mahihirap na pilipino, salamat din at hindi kayo nagpagamit sa manggagamit.
Sa peoplepower na 2 alam ninyo na kayo ay kasama sa pagbayo, pagsaing, paggatong, ng maluto, sila sila lang ang kumain.
Salamat din sa mga kababayan whether local and abroad, na nagbigay ng maaanghang na salita at opinyon, kahit pangpalengke ang sinasabi, at least you voiced your voice.
Paalaala ko sa ating mga kababayan na kung kayo ay may mabuting trabaho, pagbutihin nyo na lang ang trabaho at wag ng sumali sa politika dahil ang politika para sa politiko.
Kaya nga tayo nageelect ng kongresista at senador para sila ang bahala sa political part of our lives at wag na tayong isali pa sa mga people power kuno.
Katulad ni DWSD secretary noon, she had the opportunity to serve the poor on her capacity, pero nagpagamit, bumaligtad, sikat noon, wala na ngayon, background na lang.
Katulad ni Rose Bud, tinik noon, siit na lang ngayon at marami pang iba na naging infamous to oblivion.
Ngayon nga si Lozada, bida kanina kontrabida na ngayon. Sa susunod extra na lang at komik na lang ang labas.
Kay Ginang Cory, the perennial people power lady, dalawa na ang apo mo kay Kris, nakakatuwa di ba. Ang sarap mag-alaga ng dalawang apo kesa sa 85 million na pilipino.
Sa mga senador at kongresista, tinawag kayong mambabatas at hindi para maghanap ng butas.
Para naman sa aking sarili, balik simbahan po ako kahit galit ako sa ibang pari na manunulsol ng kadiliman,para manalangin na sana ay patnubayan pa si GMA na lumaki ang kanyang pangarap sa mga pilipino.
February 28th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Correction:
I MAY BE BORN AT NIGHT - BUT NOT LAST NIGHT.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Nakatutuwang isipin na kahit papaano ay may mga kababayan pa rin tayong kalmado at nakikitang hindi pa ngayon ang panahon para hingin ang pagbibitiw ni PGMA. Pagkakasi nanonood ako ng balita, parating “Gloria resign now!” ang napapanood ko e. Salamat po sa lahat ng mga nagpahayag ng kanilang pananaw tungkol sa problemang hinaharap natin ngayon.
Tulad nang nangyari noong EDSA2, napilitan ang taong-bayan na ipakita ang kanilang pagkadismaya noong hindi binuksan ang ebidensya sa senado, sana ebidensya (o ang pagsupil nito) pa rin ang maging batayan ng ating pagkilos-protesta. Sa ngayon kasi wala pang gaanong ebidensya.
Jun, malamang nga magkagamitan ng impluwensya kaya nakakatakot ding idaan sa korte ang kaso. Pero ito kasi ang nasa batas natin ngayon e.
Gagayahin ko na rin si Mang Godo sa pananalangin. ‘Tulungan niyo po sana kami para mapili namin ang mga tamang pananaw at desisyon at magawa naman ang nararapat na aksyon. Amen’
February 27th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Go prosecute GMA in the proper forum but not in the Senate which is becoming the court of the monkeys!
There is only trial by publicity in the Senate, and groups like Black & White, the communist militants and ABS-CBN are the only ones enjoying the drama there!
At least JDV had told one true fact in his past interviews: “There is also corruption in the Media”