My loyalty is to my country, not to Pnoy

I don't know about you, but whenever someone asks me where my loyalties lie as a Patriot, I'll tell them that my loyalty is with the Filipino People. 


I may agree with most of the things President Noynoy Aquino does or I may even declare that my thoughts are often more Socialist than any other, but when loyalties are being asked, I declare that I am loyal to the Filipino People, not to someone or some political or ideological aggrupation. 


That's why many people are somewhat puzzled by the twin announcements of Generals Danny Lim and Senator Antonio Trillianes IV. General Lim and Trillianes were granted freedom by the courts after President Aquino signed an amnesty proclamation for them. A few days later, Lim was quoted as saying (in a RAM reunion) that he will cooperate with the present administration. Trillianes told the same thing yesterday. Trillianes admitted being a partner of the Aquino administration and will stay as not as an outside critic but as an active partner of the new administration. 


I often wonder why I remain as an active revolutionist. Simple: I belong to the masses and am part of the masses. I was not born with a proverbial silver spoon in my mouth. I understand the condition of the Filipino Masses. That's why whatever I write here, crooked, funny, interesting or just plain simple here, I write it as that so that I may be understood not just by the elites or the middle class who reads this blog (thanks!), but moreso by those who belong to my class. 


In fact, I don't need to tell the masses that they are oppressed. They know it already. I am writing stuff so that the middle and the upper classes may clearly understand the condition of the poor folks in the ground. 


And I am under the impression that these two highly esteemed Patriots and gentlemen at that, also took the least taken road for just one cause---the Cause of the poor Filipinos. 


Many people identified themselves with the Cause of the Bagong Katipunan and its predecessors, the RAM and the YOU, because their dream of seeing a New Philippines arise from the old, is a "dream that shall never die". 


Many believe in the cause of the Bagong Katipunan because it reflects the age-old yearning of the Filipino to see this country become great again.


Politically, one links or ascribes himself with this administration because, for one, this administration strives or at least tries to be progressive--something which previous administrations never even thought of being. 


Pnoy, for all his so-called "neophyte blunders", at least blunders or errs on the side of Right, instead of wrong. Others like Arroyo blunders on the side of Wrong and immorality.


However, one thing that I often ask myself is this---where will the struggle go and up to when will we, those who want to regain the glory of this Country, struggle? 


The answer lies as simple as the sun sets in the West and rises in the East--it is when the opportunities present in this society become equal--when the poor and ordinary Person working or non-working would be able to say that he enjoys the same rights as those working and filthy rich. 


When one Filipino can proudly say that his country belongs to the elites, when his country takes care of its people the same way as the People take care of their government, that, I think is the sign, of the setting of the revolutionary Sun. And that scene, I pray, happens during my lifetime. 

Oplan C.U.R.E.

Mrs. Arroyo has called for an emergency security meeting with her cabinet to discuss the elections. Executive secretary Leandro Mendoza said, the administration is fully committed to ensuring the highest preparations for a clean elections. However, some quarters are not convinced. 

A source, who refused to be named, confirmed that Defense secretary Norberto Gonzales is currently going the rounds, meeting with battalion commanders of the AFP shortly after PMA Class 1977 meeting with Liberal party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino. The meeting, says a source, was nothing official nor even suspicious. It was not even a "gripe session." (Curiously, PMA Class 1977 was purportedly the class behind Nacionalista party standard bearer Manny Villar. Did they move out of NP and into the loving arms of the LP?)

Meanwhile, another source says that the administration is planning the establishment of a junta before May 30, the day when Congress supposedly opens its session. This junta, says the source is to be a countermeasure against a possible "people power" to be instigated by certain quarters close to Liberal party bet Noynoy Aquino. 

The question is---will PMA class 1978 participate in this junta even after one of them assured me that they are all constitutionalists and will just abide with the duly-constituted civilian authority whoever that may be?

Will PMA Class 1978 stay in the sidelines and just let these things " move as naturally and as normally as possible" or will they be the actors in this political drama?

That's probably why former president Fidel Valdes Ramos and his gang are slowly appearing again before the media, propping themselves up again and just recently, held a dinner to get international support for their plan.

For one, if a group OTHER THAN the group of Norberto Gonzales hatch and execute a coup, that will surely be welcome development for the people. 

A junta by this administration will be strongly opposed by the People. All sectors will unite and will fight this junta, including this writer. 

Lakas and the Binay group to join Noynoy Aquino

Senator Noynoy Aquino is sure to become the strongest presidential candidate, even stronger than Villar or former president Joseph Estrada if two major political forces merge or coalesce with the Noypi movement anytime soon.

And the possibility is higher than expected.

Yesterday was as historic as Mar Roxas announcement a few weeks ago when former speaker and Lakas original founding member Jose de Venecia Jr. and fifty other Lakas "originals" denounced the merger of their party with that of KAMPI. Since it merged with the administration party of Mrs. Arroyo a few months ago, Lakas originals led by de Venecia Jr. and former president Fidel V. Ramos have insisted that the so-called merger was illegal and was not approved by the majority of the party members.

Actually, a source, an original Lakas-CMD leader, said that the reason why they are protesting against the merger is the apparent attempt by KAMPI leaders to further raid the Lakas-CMD ranks. As far as the COMELEC is concerned, Lakas-CMD is the dominant party and the purported merger, the animal named " Lakas-Kampi CMD", is still not a recognized political party.

Now, most of the Lakas party leaders want to merge with the Noynoy for President Initiative or Noypi. Many of Lakas members believe that Noynoy represents the most viable candidate who is able to present an alternative agenda.

Noynoy is expected to announce his bid for the presidency today at the Kalayaan Hall of Club Filipino.

If Lakas breaks away from Kampi, that would dilute the vaunted power and strength of the administration machinery.

Another possibility is the break-away of another group, this time from the UNO ranks. Noypi members are courting Makati mayor Jejomar Binay to join them. Another source, this time from Binay's camp said that there's a 100% chance that Binay will join Noypi.

RAM Col. Robles apologizes to Cory Aquino Family

Yesterday, one of the original members of the Rebolusyunaryong Alyansang Makabansa or RAM, Col. Rex Robles tearfully expressed his apologies to the family of President Cory Aquino. Robles, who led RAM's special operations team, revealed that their group nearly assassinated Aquino at the height of coup attempts in the late 80's. To understand the context of Robles' revelation, let's revisit History for a while.

Shortly after the EDSA revolution, then Defense secretary Juan Ponce-Enrile decided to break away from the Cory Aquino government. I still remember the photo of Enrile splashed as the headline of the Philippine Daily Inquirer then. Enrile was photographed walking down the steps of the palace. Enrile had a serious policy disagreement with Cory.

Immediately after that, a series of coups happened. The first ones were led by Marcos remnants. The serious ones were launched by the RAM-SFP-YOU, a group which was formed in 1983.

Robles was part of the RAM. He was one of those who sacrificed their futures for the pursuit of a better society. Yesterday, however, Robles revealed what really prompted them to take strong military action against Arroyo. Robles said their group feared that Cory's government was turning into a Communist-inspired one.

I ask Robles--so that's the only thing? Hindi ba masyadong mababaw?

The Continuing Revolution

On May 10, we will be commemorating the death of the great Plebian Andres Bonifacio. This is not marked as a holiday in any of our calendars. Yet, it bears remembering here, since that treacherous death signalled the new chapter in the Katipunan revolution. As what fellow Historian Ambet Ocampo wrote in his book on Bonifacio, his death led to a shift in leadership, from the worker's class to the propertied class. With Bonifacio gone, pseudo-revolutionary thought permeated within the Katipunan, promoted by Filipino peninsulares and intelligentsia, the likes of Paterno and Aguinaldo. These propertied men tried to erase the millenarian character of the revolution and attempted to pattern the revolt with Western models. The adoption of Western war tactics paid off, but, these concepts carried conceptual baggages like diplomacy, truce and sell outs. History is replete with instances of sellouts by the Filipino propertied class to subvert the pure Filipino concept of revolution.

Despite these attempts at diluting the millenarian nature of the Katipunan revolution, manifestations of Katipunan revolts mark every chapter of Philippine history. The mark of these revolts bear noting, since these are not just agrarian nor worker's based outbursts. Rather, they bear the Katipunan trademark, ascribing the struggle as that of Jesus Christ, with all the markings of the Pasyon written all over it. One such incident was that of Macario Sakay, who led the New Katipunan against American colonialists. Like his forebear Bonifacio, Sakay was a victim of treachery.

Dr. Reynaldo Ileto in his book, " Pasyon and Rebolusyon" (Passion and Revolution) wrote many manifestations of the Katipunan Spirit, as recently manifested in the EDSA revolt. Ileto said that EDSA I and the Katipunan bear striking resemblance due to the millenarian character of these two revolts. It just showed that there is, still, a continuing revolution which claims its roots from the Bonifacio led revolution.

Like its predecessor, EDSA I has its pasyon chapters in it. The birthing of EDSA is the " baptism" chapter. Cory's revolutionary cabinet was like Jesus Christ's formation of his 12 disciples. Enrile's highly publicized resignation as Cory's defense minister was history's version of Judas Iscariot's alleged treachery. And the series of coup attempts made against Cory was like Jesus Christ's passion.

The interregnum (Ramos' administration) can be likened to Christ's descent to hell where he tried to save as many souls as he can. Yet, it was interrupted by an attempt to re-institute a hellish version with Erap's administration which led to an obvious attempt at "re-birth" with EDSA two.

So, we see that our history is replete with highs and troughs, bearing the mark of Christ passion. Predictably, what we are in right now is what I call the "treasorous" stage where former architects of the revolution are reprising their Judas Iscariot roles all over again, much the same way as those propertied class did against Bonifacio and Sakay.

Last Sunday's EDSA picture, showing Enrile, Honasan and the RAM boys sipping tea with Mrs. Arroyo is obviously a painting likened to Da Vinci's "Last Supper" except that the characters show a pseudo-Christ partaking food with Judases in barongs.

It was an attempt to promote a new kind of philosophy rooted in what Mrs. Arroyo termed as "a new kind of boldness". Arroyo's new boldness philosophy is being made as a counter-ideology against the rising and fully gestating true expression of Katipunan revolution.

That picture of Mrs. Arroyo with Enrile and the RAM boys and that Inquirer ad showing various organizations uniting behind the leadership of Danny Lim are filled with meanings. It revealed two competing forces in modern Philippine history, much the same way as those of Magdalo and Magdiwang during the revolution.

However, one obvious question remains---which among the two forces will win it this time? What people don't know is that the real inspiration behind the RAM is actually not Honasan. No. Honasan did played a key role but the ideologues behind that historic movement are not those in that stage with Mrs. Arroyo.

Those who sipped and partook of the poison fruit by Herr Majesty last Sunday are like the Macabebe scouts who betrayed Sakay. They are the inheritors of the ignominious role played by Col. Makapagal who pulled the trigger that killed the Great Plebian in that mystical mountain in Maragondon Cavite.

Like historical traitors, these former comrades will also share the same fate as their father who hanged himself in the tree. When these RAM boys staked their legacies for a fistful sum of gold, they threw their souls along with it. Like those Katipuneros who betrayed Bonifacio, they will all share the same fate as that of Aguinaldo's who died of old age (Enrile?)

What is certain is that light always triumph against darkness. This "show of forces" which we witnessed today mark the continuing, not the end, of this revolution started centuries ago. Mrs. Arroyo's "boldness" speech tried to stab this revolution to death, yet, what she failed to recognize is that no force is strong enough to kill the "dream".

The dream may have died with Enrile, Honasan and the RAM boys of Gloria. Yet, those words etched in the RAM offices in Makati are still pretty much burning within the hearts of the True Patriots of Bonifacio's revolution. With God's help, that dream, will, someday, if not soonest, become a reality.