Why do people stay in their homes instead of going to Mendiola

Dr. Carol Araullo was interviewed today (12 July 2008) by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. What she said was both interesting and a revelation. For the first time, it jibed with what the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) thinks about our current situation.

Despite the high prices of oil and food, it is not incendiary enough to foment riots. Nor revolutions. Nor anything violent. That's whay ISAFP Chief Prestoza said and that's what revolutionaries like Araullo also believes in. So much for revolutions. It's time to eat.

Why?

Well, Araullo thinks that Filipinos are too busy earning a living for them to mind going to those Black Friday rallies or even make those noise barrages. In fact, Araullo reveals that even activists right now are too busy thinking about how to support themselves that they forgot to go to Mendiola to support those League of Filipino Students (LFS).

I understand where Araullo is coming from. That pragmatic thinking might have arisen from the small number of people going to their rallies. Despite those scenes of rallies and demonstrations here and there, no sizeable number of ordinary folks have gone out of their homes to march with them.

And you know why?

It's not that people are hungrier than angry. No. People are just waiting for a group from among their ranks to rise up and call for a genuine revolt. People are tired of groups waging struggle in the name of "isms". They're tired blaming imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism for their problems. They already know they're being schemed by those in power. They already know that its the government who's digging their graves and choosing the ones most fit to benefit from a Noah's Ark proposal.

There's no one who can provide them with proper guidance and direction. They can't trust the Genuine Opposition simply because, in their minds, they're not genuine enough.

They're quite hard to support the Black and White Movement because they don't think along those lines. And surely, they can't swallow those Villars, Legardas and Escuderos around since they know these people are only after their votes.

So, what to do, but wait. Wait til a new figure coming from the oppressed classes rise up and lead a true New Revolution. We can liken the People's wrath to water. Its amorphous yes, yet, it follows a certain trail.

Carol, the people will rise up in due time. It's just a matter of time before you see those people expressing their anger one way or another. It might not be thru rallies or demonstrations. No. It might not even be thru those prayer rallies. It deadens them.

Lynchings? Nah. Too medieval. Try a coup.