YOU Fight For What is Right (Part 2): The Unfinished Revolution

One of the many things that middle aged professionals like me wanted to know is--what really were the reasons why people went out to fight Marcos. When Ninoy died, I was then 12 years old. And when the first EDSA revolution broke out, I was in high school. Though I tagged along with my aunt when she decided to go there on the very first day.

Yet, when the Young Officer's Union or YOU surfaced in 1989, I was then studying at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Admittedly, my ideological persuasions were quite different from what these young officers fought for when they unleashed those attempts against President Cory Aquino.

However, in the last EDSA, I was fortunate to be close buddies with one of them when I covered the tumultuous EDSA dos as a journalist. I think it was God's plan since my thoughts about revolutions and revolts crystallized. For me, the synthesis of my original thoughts on Mass Advance Offensives or MAO as a strategy with that of the original YOU line is one perfect example that revolutionary platforms are one and the same which is the pursuit of the Cause of the People. As we often say, the Supreme Law is the Cause of the People.

I can liken our relationship with that of an acolyte learning the arts from Scipio. All throughout these learnings I learned and cherished one thing---iustum enim est bellum quibus necessarium et pia arma ubi nulla nisi ni armis spes est.

Undeniably, the revolution which started in 1988 is still an unfinished business. Despite two decades of civilian rule, the same problems we had before still face us like festering boils. And the reason is clear---we allow nincoompoops to govern our affairs. We allowed the domination of the elite, a class so vicious and rapacious that the direction of our Fatherland is nearing a precipice. We must save the Fatherland from complete and utter destruction. And only ones who can do that is us, the successor generation. The onus is upon us. The weight of the responsibility is borne by us. There is no better time to fight for what's right than Now.