A Filipino Message

The tremendous adulation and respect lavishly showered to Pres. Cory Aquino from the time she was secluded to the Makati Medical Center, during her wake till her interment should be a message to the enemies of democracy in the Philippines.

Eulogies and anecdotes about Tita Cory as a head of state, a private citizen, as a Catholic, a doting mother and a friend could be written on reams of paper. Memorable stories along these lines in good times and in bad picture the political, religious and private personality of a woman who restored democracy and freedom to a nation once in agony under dictatorship.

Now that Cory belongs to the immortals, it is time for the Philippines to be in their senses and see the reality.

The political situation in the country is unpredictable. No one is sure what comes next before the national elections in May. Will there be elections to start with? Will Mrs. Arroyo remain in power (forever)? Will there be Martial Law or simply said, State of Emergency? (Same dog with a different nomenclature.) Will explosions continue to rock the streets of Manila and other major cities? Will there be another EDSA Revolution?

Political analysts and Op-Ed writers vary in their perception on whether elections will be held or not. Some believe that polls will push through while others have dissenting opinions.

There are eerie signs that Pres. Arroyo wants to extend herself in office. Her cohorts of allies in the House of Representatives are bent in pushing for the amendment of the Constitution so that Mrs. Arroyo could be a Prime Minister. Before the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, we recall, explosions wreck havoc in the streets of Manila. Oppositionists at that time believed that those were part of a grand design authored by the presidential palace for the imposition of a one-man rule. And did anyone forget that Marcos manipulated the Constitution for his political convenience?

Recently, explosions rocked again some major cities of the country. Who can stop wild suspicions that history is now repeating itself?

If Marcos is Mrs. Arroyo in disguise, I believe that there will be no elections. Aside from her uncontrolled appetite for power, Mrs. Arroyo wants to prolong her tenure to buy time to find her minions in the judiciary who will be merciful to her and her husband who are accused of massive graft and corruption and other scandals. No one knows when she will be out from power but everyone expects Mr. and Mrs. Arroyo et al to face charges before the court of law.

Whatever Pres. Arroyo has in mind, she must be very careful in her political adventurism. Filipinos today, just like in EDSA I, are united and possessed with patriotism as brought about by the passing of a well-loved and respected president in the person of Cory Aquino.

That spirit is here to stay and serves as an inspiration for the people to search and elect deserving candidates for the May polls.

Old wounds are opened anew as we remember the sufferings and struggles during the Marcos regime. From nowhere in those difficult times. Cory entered into the scene; faced the dictator in the snap elections; emerged victorious and restored democracy and freedom viciously slain by her predecessor.

That is the eternal debt of Filipinos to Cory and her husband Ninoy who sacrificed more than what could be ask from them.

With 150,000 supporters of democracy giving their final respect to Cory braving the rain, tropical heat, fatigue and long time of waiting to have a final glimpse of her, I believe that these are willing to go back to the streets to fight for democracy if necessary. The Aquino orphans vowed to keep the fight and continue what their Mom and Dad started in preserving democracy and the rule of law. Included in this number are the rich and influential from the business, religious and civil sectors --- the same people who contributed food, drinks, manpower and paraphernalia to the millions fighting for democracy during EDSA I.

A hundred and fifty thousand is an enough seed to warn Mrs. Arroyo that her staying in office longer than her tenure is unacceptable to the Filipino citizens.

As the grateful nation she emancipated bids adieu, most wept in sending Cory off even those in uniform. They were not crocodile tears. And remember, tears can be translated into action in preserving the fragile democracy we live in. In the past and now, Filipinos copiously shed tears because of abandonment and neglect. The government and its leaders who were supposed to take care of them prefer to work for their personal aggrandizement and selfish ends in the midst of grinding poverty. This must be stopped once for all!

Camaraderie, pride in being a Filipino and unity have clasped us once more like the way we were in 1986 People’s Power. Let us maintain this kind of involvement regardless of our stations in life and if necessary, we have to pay the price so that we can bequeath a better nation for the coming generations. Freedom is not free and its price is eternal vigilance. We are one nation, one people with one aspiration: a truly democratic Republic of the Philippines with competent and selfless officials whom all can depend and count on.-30-