By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
www.nordis.net

It is the 25th anniversary of People’s Power I, a historical event where Filipinos from various walks of life came together to end the dictatorial rule of then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. To end the dictatorship was the people’s thirst to achieve social change – economically, politically and socio-culturally.

Among the political issues that the people cried for included: justice to the victims of human rights violations and the restoration of democratic rights and institutions. On the economic aspect, the people urged for the non-payment of foreign debts and utilize the alloted budget for added social services instead; jobs for the jobless, land reform, and an end of foreign domination on the economy.

The change of the administration – from autocratic to liberal – brought hope to the people that these substantial issues would be addressed.

Twenty years passed but the resolution of these issues remained to be a dream for Filipinos. Democratic institutions were seemingly restored. Elections facilitated the entry of new faces to the political scene – albeit from the elite class, as money talks in this political exercise. Violations of human rights continued from post Marcos administration, as the practice during the martial rule was embedded in the state security system. It is no wonder that the precious right to life remains to be most violated as manifested to this day by the extra-judicial killings (EJK), that included journalists and lawyers, all those who disappeared and never to be heard from again. Political dynasties remain a reality, and notably dynasties were creations of the ruling administrations. Remember the Ampatuan dynasty, a noted creation and pet of ex-president GMA, a cost for the votes delivered in her favor.

Even the promises to address unemployment remain a lip service. While the Philippines produces enough professionals to serve its people, most of them end up unemployed. The nursing profession is a concrete example. Last year, data showed that there are 200,000 licensed nurses who were unemployed, and the number continues to grow every year.

But largely, the issue that pushes the Filipinos to suffer economically is the debt payment policy of the government. Nothing has changed since the Marcos time as to the issue on debt payment. Almost half of the budget is channeled to pay foreign debt while the budget for social services, like health, continously dips every year. Add the burden of taxes being imposed keeps growing, like the value added tax, and the skyrocketing prices of basic goods and services. Yet there is no equivalent increase in wages or salaries.

Foreign domination of our economy is concretely manifested in the control of the oil industry. The ‘big three’ subsidiaries of foreign oil cartels benefit from the deregulated oil industry. And their interests are institutionalized in the state oil deregulation law.

Even our remaining natural resources are not spared from foreign exploitation. Foreign mining corporations almost freely rush in to exploit these resources. Like the oil industry, their corporate interests are assured and protected by the Mining Act of 1995. And, Of course it is done at the expense of the people, particularly the indigenous peoples who had nurtured these resources since time immemmorial.

In today’s speech, Pres. Noynoy Aquino, said: “Ngayong umaga, ipakita nating buhay ang People Power at hindi ito nagtapos sa apat na araw noong Peb. 1986. Sa tuwid na pamamahala, at sa pagsugpo natin sa kurapsyon, palayain natin ang bayan natin mula sa kahirapan. Mga minamahal kong kababayan, ang mas maliwanag na bukas ay ginagawa na natin sa ngayon. Sama-sama natin itong isakatuparan.”

This part of PNoy’s speech tried to portray that the spirit of People Power I is alive. For me though it echoes empty promises. If the president wanted to be different from the past adminstrations, he should address substantial issues like: justice for the victims of human rights violations, end corruption, stop foreign debt payments, implement land reform, create jobs for the unemployed, among others. His failure to adopt concrete measures to these issues would not make his administration different from the past. And the spirit of how the ‘EDSA revolution’ came into being would remain a figment of the imagination. # nordis.net

By MARY LOU O. MARIGZA
www.nordis.net

Here is my take on the events the past months: The youth provided the driving force and warm bodies to topple dictators and despots from Tunisia to Egypt and are still at the forefront in the political tsunami that is encompassing the Middle East. The young people used all means available at their command to flood the streets in their numbers, encourage others to civil disobedience, prod the women to leave the comforts of home to spark the flames of the battles and manufactured the weapons to be used against the machines of the state however crude and single-shots these weapons proved against the technology of the police and army instruments.

Who would have thought that these young people who have been so enamored with their cellphones, computers and the apps they provided would use these same gadgets to call to arms their compatriots? Who would have thought YouTube, Twitter and cyberspace would be the “tambuli” of their revolutions? Who would have thought they could force the issue and create political upheavals in countries awash with oil and propped by imperialists’ business greed? Who would have dreamed they would rage against the regimes as one magazine called it?

These young people have known no other ruler than those they toppled. These young people have known no other government than the repressive and coercive ones they overthrew. These young people were given no hope and no security while their rulers lived in ostentatious filthy display of ill-gotten wealth. These young people saw their dire poverty and lack of employment while their rulers amassed mansions, jewelry and expensive cars then raged and stormed the centers of power. It did not matter to them that they faced the full force of the military might of the autocrats, they have awakened and are ready to make their stand.

Egypt has a history of fervent nationalism. It was this nationalism that propelled it to be a power-broker in the Middle East years earlier which was also fueled by the idealism of their young leaders. It is this nationalism that propelled their youth to rise up and overthrow the usurper of nationalism, Husni Mubarak.

It is Les Miserables over and over again. “Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men? It is the music of a people, Who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart, Echoes the beating of the drums, There is a life about to start, When tomorrow comes! Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Beyond the barricade, Is there a world you long to see? Then join in the fight, That will give you the right to be free!”

Even here at home, our experiences with political upheavals were fueled by the youth. The heroic Filipino-Spanish war was led by our youthful heroes and martyrs. Wasn’t our own General Gregorio del Pilar a 24-year old “veteran” of battles? Wasn’t Macario Sakay, a bearded young man who defied American domination? The Filipino-American war was fueled by young generals and soldiers and young Muslims who valiantly made sacrifices to regain freedom. The First Quarter Storm of the ‘70s was a youth revolt joined by the urban poor and labor. The historic Diliman Commune pitted the idealist activists of UP and other university students against the METROCOM of Marcos. They might have been defeated in this battle but they eventually won the war when most of these activists joined the People Power to topple the Marcos dictatorship later.

The prisons of Marcos were filled with young people, student leaders and organizers, labor union members, women activists. The victims of Marcos’ death squads were largely young people. Those who remain missing to this date are men and women who were at the prime of their life when they were abducted.

Again and again, the young people joined the working class, the urban poor, the marginalized, the women and the Filipino masses in the overthrow of despots and instituting political change. These young people are continuing the tradition of their heroes, to fight for justice, freedom and democracy even at the cost of their own future and life.

In these days of the Great Recession and economic uncertainty, it will be the youth who will take on the burden of the next decade. The crunching crisis their parents are experiencing will be their cross to take and hopefully take it with the optimism and hope that started their revolutions and change their lot for the better.

If their elders are so corrupt and have held on to power like it was theirs for life, we have hopes our young people will rise up, make their stand and hold these lamentable elders accountable. Sadly our generation has failed to provide them with models they could emulate. Horror of horrors, they have heard investigation after investigation of corruption, and not one was convicted and jailed and made to pay for their rapacity. Sadly, these rulers have even returned to new positions claiming the country had been prosperous during their watch. What a sorrowful state we have bequethed to them. We sorely need raging against the machines of greed and corporate interests.

I have every hope in our youth. # nordis.net

By LAYAD EKID
www.nordis.net

It was People Power Revolution 1986 in Baguio.

I remember this military officer who spoke at the Cathedral Ground. I do not remember what exactly he said. But he was apologetic of what has become of the military institution that he has faithfully served. He spoke softly and humbly – a rare image of a military officer. I remember he spoke of reforming the military.

News of military abuses was common. The assassination of Macliing Dulag; the Be-ew Massacre in Abra; the brutal beheading of three NPA guerillas in Bakun, Benguet which included Fr. Nilo Valerio even after they had been killed in a military raid were just few of recent high profile stories then.

As an activist, I knew people who had been illegally detained and who experienced first hand military brutality. I heard of communities suffering from a de-facto military government especially in remote communities where there were strong resistances against extractive government projects.

The revolution did not give me much hope. I was more worried that with Marcos out, Filipinos would relax their guard on what was going on in this country. Gen. Fidel Ramos, former chief of the notorious Philippine Constabulary and Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile becoming heroes of EDSA were ominous. They were through and through lapdogs of the dictator and an overnight conversion were unthinkable.

Right after the revolution, the military tried to package itself as New AFP to distinguish itself from the abusive and mercenary image it developed under the Marcos years. It got rid of the prefix later because the reform process supposedly has been completed or the word, it realized, will continue to remind the people of its old character – one of course does not like to be reminded of its negative characters especially if ridding them off is next to impossible.

Recently, two friends Pepe Manegdeg and Marcos Bangit, working with non-government organizations and people’s organizations were summarily killed. Indications pointed to the military as responsible. Another friend, James Balao was arrested in broad day light by agents of the military. He remains missing to this day.

In 2008, six officers of the Philippine National Police were caught in Russia in possession of 105,000 euros (P6.9 million). The case known as “euro generals” remain in the Office of the Ombudsman. One of them was even promoted to a one-star rank position equivalent to a brigadier general in the military.

Today we are again exposed to high-stake corruption in the military which started with the family of one general caught with a rather large volume of dollars in a foreign land. General Angelo Reyes had to kill himself in order to save the reputation of a military institution that was never new, never reformed after EDSA. Twenty-five years after EDSA.

* * *

Joke: Gen. Angelo Reyes was made to believe that the P50 million “pabaon” he received was in line with his being the “best of the best of the generals.”

Few days before he shot himself, he felt betrayed by the military institution he served faithfully. He just found out – Generals Cimatu and Villanueva actually received bigger “pabaons.” # nordis.net

By KATHLEEN T. OKUBO
www.nordis.net

One hundred two years ago on February 23, an Ibaloi won a landmark case in the colonial US Supreme Court over his inheritance – ancestral land. It came to be known as the Doctrine of Native Title or simply as the Cariño Doctrine. Several ancestral domain claims have actually been won by peoples in different nations by this doctrine except by this Ibaloi and his people. That is the significance of this date – February 23, 1909.

This Ibaloi, Mateo Cariño did not live to see this victory in court for he passed away on June 6 1908. To this day his descendants have yet to receive the title to Ypit-Lubas. Nevertheless, historical records show Mateo and two of his brothers (Juan Oraa and Juan), along with some cousins as also having been in the lead of the revolution against the Spanish and American invaders here in the defense of this mountain home, even when these invaders had already conquered a vast area of the present territories of this country.

Six months after Cariño winning in the Supreme Court, the Charter creating the city of Baguio was promulgated and therefore the September 1, Baguio Day. This charter widened the land area taken for the city from the native settlers without due process. These laws took away the very livelihood of the native settlers and marginalized their ranks. Several of the natives did not give up the fight to recover their lands. This battle has been waged through five or more generations to this day. Now, that city charter that has formalized the land grabbing is being amended by a draft city charter now in congress and being lobbied in senate.

Noted by one lawyer, the proposed new charter is putting the power to dispose of these natives’ ancestral domain in the City hall. It is perpetuating the practice of town site applications, state reservations, land sales without respect for the ancestral domain, ancestral lands or the doctrine of native title. This therefore further marginalizes the already marginalized. What has the dissipating number of Ibalois in the city have to celebrate then?

In the commemoration of Ibaloi day, apparently many of the planned politicians invited to grace the program did not make it, besides other schedules and being non-Ibaloi, it could have been different on an election year. This time there were more pigs butchered for a more limited gathering of representatives.

Relevant to the commemoration was the exhibit of the paintings of Sofia Olga Anton and the launching of a book, “Ibaloi conversations on identity, community and well being”, a collection of stories written by Ibaloi descendants of different clans from the different Ibaloi settlements in the city. The paintings were about actual people and events in Olga’s exposures that depicted cultural practices of the local Ibaloi communities that can be preserved and further nurtured for the community’s continued survival and health. At the exhibit, Olga was there to bring those interested through the exhibit and told them of the events that made the show a reality with the stories behind each frame.

The subjects of the paintings include a backyard garden patch which an Ibaloi yard is never without, and traditionally was planted with camote, aba, and kape only but now as in her paintings it was colorful with flowers and temperate vegetables along some traditional plants. The solibao and kalsa (long Ibaloi drum and gong). The southwest side of the mountain range encircling Baguio. She told of the “tonton” or tracing of one’s ancestry or bloodline, during a pashal-shaak, pan a adivay, (visit or a casual meet to warm-up or keep up ties); she also shared stories of nuntan da abayag (of long time ago) that she remembered. With a tone of regret she also mentioned that “nowadays, we do not have time anymore for these, pan a adivay, panaaspul”. It was quite a collection of paintings and it was sold out.

The book and the exhibit was with the support of the Philippine TK Network, EED-TFIP and the Aspulan as part of the commemoration of the Ibaloi Day in Baguio City. # nordis.net

By REV. LUNA DINGAYAN
www.nordis.net

“Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.” — Isaiah 1:23

Three P’s

Pasalubong, Pabaon, and Pakimkim: these are the three P’s traditionally practiced in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as exposed by Lt. Col. George Rabusa. This Former Budget Officer of the AFP was able to muster enough courage to expose the anomalies after going through painful and difficult experiences in his life believing that these were God’s punishments for all his wrongdoings and his lack of courage to expose and to stand for the truth. He knew for sure that it was wrong for him to serve as accomplice of the generals in amassing great wealth for themselves out of the AFP funds. But he chose to close his eyes and ears simply because he himself was benefitting from the anomalous financial transactions. Until such time that he lost almost everything that he got by dishonest means, including his health. Thus, he realized the need to recover whatever remaining dignity he has in his life as a humanbeing by exposing the truth and nothing but the truth.

The three P’s are usually resorted to by those in power when they felt insecure in terms of the support and loyalty of the line agencies of the government, especially the armed forces. A martial law government, whether declared like the Marcos Regime or undeclared like the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Administration, would badly need the unwavering support of the military in order to survive. The three P’s are needed to maintain military support.

However, the negative consequences of these anomalous practices are quite staggering. For instance, the AFP modernization is far from being realized because the funds that are supposed to be used for such purpose are diverted to the personal accounts of the generals and their accomplices. Besides, it is highly immoral to see generals wallowing in riches while the rank and file foot soldiers are wallowing in poverty and destitution. Even if the three P’s are regarded as tradition, it is perhaps a tradition that is supposed to be consigned in oblivion; for it is graft and corruption plain and simple. This traditional practice must be stopped, not only in the AFP but in all the other line agencies of government, if we want our country to prosper morally and economically.

Three P’s in History

The three P’s were also seen practiced in Biblical times. The ancient city of Philippi, for instance, was inhabited by retired generals of the Roman legions who were given vast tracts of lands as pasalubong, pabaon, and pakimkim of the Roman Emperor for their services and loyalty to the Roman Empire. The vast tracts of lands in Ancient Israel were also confiscated by the Roman Empire and were given as pasalubong, pabaon, and pakimkim for the loyal conquistadores.

Take note that even in Philippine history, the so-called encomiendas, and later on the haciendas, were actually pasalubong, pabaon, and pakimkim of the Spanish colonial government for the Spanish conquistadores. No wonder generals of the AFP try to justify the three P’s as part of historical tradition. But it is a tradition that is patently evil and must be left behind.

Prophetic Message

Prophet Isaiah also saw the three P’s prevailing during his time. Thus, says the Prophet, “Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.” (Isaiah 1:23). When leaders in government are friends of thieves or they themselves are thieves, there is something inherently rotten in the whole system of governance. Prophet Isaiah saw this clearly in the government of his time. This is also similarly perceived by the so-called whistle-blowers in the government of our time.

For Prophet Isaiah, the true rebels are not those who are calling for genuine change in government, but rather those in government who are friends of thieves or they themselves are thieves. They are the ones who are bringing down the nation by their own evil deeds. Hence, the prophetic call for repentance is as relevant today as it was before. Says Prophet Isaiah, “Because the LORD is righteous, he will save Jerusalem and everyone there who repents.” # nordis.net