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. 

S4 or Solidarity for Sovereignty

Yesterday, an alleged anti-Aquino group published a full page ad calling on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do its mandate and protect the interest of the Filipino People. It claims that the recent May 10, 2010 elections was a farce and unconstitutional. It claims that all elective posts should be declared vacant owing to the unconstitutionality of the polls. 


Crap.


Who legitimizes every electoral exercise but the Filipino masses? Who gives legitimacy to a democratic exercise but the very people whom the government serves?


Surely, any attempt to destabilize and/or create situations that would lead to the downfall of this government would end in disaster. For any attempt should be supported by a large majority of the People.


An intelligence source says that the group, which calls itself S4, is just monitoring the people's emotions and views. When Aquino's ratings fall, that, says the source, would be the opportune time for the group to move. 


Why destabilize a government with good intentions? I admit, I am one of those disappointed with the way things are in this government. But, I am not about to go to the streets and call for its downfall. No.


There are still several ways for this government to redeem itself. One of those is remind all these incompetents within Aquino's cabinet to get themselves a conscience and boot themselves out of office, for the sake of Pnoy. 


If at all, this government would fall, it would surely fall by the weight of incompetence of its own people.


And definitely the YOU will not be a part of such an enterprise to declare this government illegitimate. YOU listens to the views and opinions of people. No one right now has the wrong mind to say that this government is illegal. No.


Which government was declared and considered largely illegal by the people? It was the former government of Arroyo who allegedly won the 2004 elections through fraudulent means. 


The YOU will definitely stand by the Filipino People. 

Paranoid AFP 2nd Division must free Morong 43 Now!

They are supposed to be the protectors of the Filipino People. Yet, the way the 2nd Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) acted in response to the order of the Courts for them to release the Morong 43 shows a clear contempt to the rule of Law and of the Constitution which the AFP has sworn to defend and protect. As what former Defense chief Gilbert Teodoro said, the AFP's failure to produce the Morong 43 is "inexcusable."

What are they trying to prove?

The behavior exhibited by the 2nd Division is mutinous to say the least. They have been given an order by a highly competent civilian authority and further given orders from the AFP Chief of Staff himself, General Victor Ibrado to "respect the authority of the court". Why is there a failure to obey the order of the C-S himself?

Is the 2nd Division higher than the Chief of Staff? Is this division of the Army directly contravening the very authority of the Highest Officer of the organization? And is the Army saying or telling us that the C-S is just a lame duck officer, just waiting for his replacement?

The overzealousness of the 2nd division to "produce results" in the promise to "eradicate the CPP-NPA terror organization in 2010" shows you how they will even resort to violating human rights just to bolster their record in the anti-insurgency department. The AFP just gave itself a task, a task which is quite impossible to achieve, yet given after being forced by the Arroyo administration, and that promise is, the total diminution of the CPP-NPA-NDF by year's end.

That's why the officers on the ground are getting extremely paranoid, arresting even health workers in Morong Rizal. These health workers, government employees at that, were attending a seminar when they were arrested. The 2nd division said these workers were Communist sympathizers. 

Whether or not these arrested health workers do sympathize with the Communist ideology, fact is, these arresting officers do not have the right to arrest them.

Firstly, attending a supposed "CPP-NPA_NDF" seminar is NOT A CRIME. It is everybody's right to believe in something, and Communism has been de-criminalized. That is presuming that these health workers did attend such a seminar. Reports say, these workers were conducting a health-related seminar.

Secondly, even if, granting they are sympathizers, this is an inviolable human right. As I said, the 1987 Constitution respects the rights of the individual to free expression. Like how AFP members have the right to join organizations such as the Guardians, Masons and the YOU, these health workers have rights too. 

Thirdly, the AFP only has the right to arrest these workers if they saw them brandishing weapons and declaring or publicly announcing rebellion against the State. Facts are, these health workers did not do anything rebellious nor seditious. They were just doing their jobs when they were arrested by the AFP soldiers.

The means does not justify the ends. And in all likelihood, even the determination of the "ends", there was confusion on the part of the soldiers. And really, I don't blame them.

Imagine being given an "impossible order" to wipe out the Communists before the end of this year? Who will not be crazy enough to arrest everybody just to say that they did, indeed, eradicated the Reds in Rizal?

 

Alex Lacson---a Patriot who deserves to be in the Senate

I remember the times when Alex Lacson and I spent numerous nights talking about our country. It was 1988 when we first met. We were dorm mates. We lived in the same room, together with two others--Hector Halabaso from La Union and another one whom I forgot the name already.

I was a freshman, he was, I think, third or fourth year. We were both political science students. I was then the elected block president.

I learned a lot from him, how dysfunctional our system is and how to cure it. I was then a very young recruit of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and starting to read Marx. Yep, I admit--I was a very avid reader of anything Marxist (and continues to be).

My colleagues over at LFS, I remember Rommel Banlaoi and Jules Calagui used to tell me to distance myself from Alex, since he belonged to a rival political party (Alex and his friend, Ariel Nepomuceno founded ISA or Independent Student Alliance). We were all SAMASA, the dominant political party at that time. I remember it was then David Celdran who was our Council chairman and being true to my self, I joined Celdran's volunteer group.

Despite our differences in politics, we were friends, Alex and I. We shared food, mostly monggo and rice and tuyo. We sometimes debated over Marxism and the rightist ideology. My curiosity pricked, I started reading non-Marxist tracts and that began my "odyssey" so to speak, on numerous ideologies other than Marxism. I admit though that Socialism remained dominant in my thinking, even now. I enjoyed dialectics so much, that I fused it with my studies on quantum physics.

When the Davide Commission (if my memory serves me right) was formed to investigate on the coups d'etat at that time, Alex was a research staff member. It was then that I was able to read may tracts about what ideology the Young Officers' Union (YOU) and the Revolutionaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM) adheres to. Familiar names cropped up--Abe Purungganan, Gringo, Danilo Lim, Ariel Querubin and a young Lieutenant named Diosdado Valeroso. Never in my wildest dreams that I would be able to meet one of these guys in the future and one of them even became my kumpare.

Anyway, I am glad that my "kuya" Alex Lacson is running for the Senate under the Liberal Party. When the Kabataang Liberal was being formed, I was asked to join it. I refused, since I think that I can never work for a traditional political party. Yet, when I met Mar Roxas last year and had supper with him, my thinking changed. And now that "kuya" is running under them, I am thinking of helping them.

Good luck, my friend and make us proud when you're there at the Senate.

By the way, Alex---I am still a Socialist and Revolutionist. :-)

Opisyal na Pahayag ng Y.O.U. hinggil sa Martial Law sa Maguindanao

Nakababahala ang nagaganap sa ating bansa. Isinailalim sa batas militar ng isang Pangulong gumon sa kapangyarihan ang isang lalawigan sa kabila ng kawalan ng basehan dito. 

Ang pahayag ng batas militar ay direktang pambabastos sa Saligang Batas gayundin sa liderato ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas.

Pambabastos sapagkat hindi isinaalang-alang ni Ginang Arroyo kung mayroon ngang sapat na basehan upang gamitin ang kapangyarihang ito.

Pambabastos din sa liderato ng Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas sapagkat bago pa man isinailalim sa batas militar ang Maguindanao, halos sapat na ang puwersang ipinadala ng hepe ng AFP na si General Victor Ibrado upang kontrolin ang sitwasyon.

Sa hanay ng Young Organizers' Union, kabilang na ang Young Officers' Union (Y.O.U.), ipinapahayag namin ang aming mariing pagtutol sa pagsasailalim sa Maguindanao sa batas militar. Ang aksyong ito ni Ginang Arroyo ay palatandaan lamang na nais niyang manatili sa puwesto.

Panahon na upang maipagpatuloy ang aming nasimulang pakikibaka noong 1986. Panahon na upang maipagsanggalang ang Sambayanang Pilipino laban sa mapanira at mapamuksang pamamahala ni Arroyo.

Tumitindig muli kami laban sa batas militar. Tumitindig muli kami upang maipagpatuloy ang pakikibaka ng Sambayanan.

Tumitindig kami dahil ayaw naming muling masadlak sa madilim na kinabukasan ang Inang Bayan.

Patricio Mangubat
Pangkalahatang Kalihim
Young Organizers' Union (YOU)

Carlos Maglalang
Founder at Spokesperson
Young Officers' Union (YOU)

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.

YOU FIGHT for what is Right (Part 1)

On August 8, 1988, a group of young, idealistic and highly patriotic officers and men from the uniformed services met secretly and decided to discuss the future of our country. These officers, who later named themselves as the Young Officers Union, were largely credited for the people's experiment we now know as EDSA revolution. That 1988 founding was actually a full ripening of ideals and aspirations these young officers held when they joined the first RAM meeting on February 6, 1985. That veritable Munich Putsch-like event brought us a new generation of officers who bear the right ideological direction for the New Philippine Revolution.

So many articles and books have been written about the YOU that I decided not to contribute anymore about their history. It is more relevant for my readers to know their causes and their ideological moorings. Yes, it is important to know that the YOU was founded by PMA class 1981 top awardee Diosdado Valeroso with his classmates and with others in the uniformed services. But, I think the more important question is why these men went out of their comfort zones and decided to bond together to fight for their country.

A conversation (among many) that I had with its ideological founder actually triggered me to write this entry. We had the same longing to share this cause to the new generation of officers and Filipinos who love their country and are looking for solutions to our societal problems. Like in 1985, when these officers held their first discussion groups, the same situation exists today. People are asking what ails this beautiful country of 80 million Filipinos? Why, despite our rich heritage, our bountiful natural resources and our patient and hard-working people we are still in a rut?

For these officers, the system remains the root cause of our present problems. We have an unjust system, which rewards the Strong and punishes the weak. It is a system incapable of rewarding honesty and good service and instead, promotes corruption and immorality in service.

It is also a system that promotes a humongous bureaucracy like a big lice that feeds on the public coffers. The parasitic nature of this system is what dissipates the entire energies of the People and puts in jeopardy all reforms or ideas of reforms in all aspects of governmental or societal life.

Truly, reform is not the answer to our society's problems. It is the total eradication of this decrepit system. It is a total and drastic overhauling of the superstructure that is the cure. We need a surgical operation, one that would jolt the elite ranks and make them pee and shit in their pants.

Those were the thoughts of these young officers back in 1988, and these same thoughts, feelings and analysis are being shared by many, not just those people in the uniformed services but also within and among civilian chat circles.

The same conditions that prodded these young officers back then are the same ones that exist today. If the system remains the problem, then, the most obvious answer is simply effect the same solution which, to my mind and those who think along similar lines, is basically a revolution.

We need a dramatic paradigm shift, something that only a revolt could bring to rouse us from our cynicism and pessimism. The old line that the YOU thought then is still applicable today. The mode of struggle, which is a coup-cum-revolution, remains the most viable solution to our present problem. Why?

A coup cum revolution is still the right strategy given that the entire representation or symbolic center of power lies still in Metro Manila. It is simply a trigger that allows the injection of revolutionary elements within the system that leads to its ultimate destruction. You cannot do it with a protracted people's war, no. You need a situation similar to the 1958 Cuban Revolution, which attacked the center from the outside, subvert it and overhaul the entire system.(read part 2)

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?