EDSA Dos at Twelve: A Historical Repression

Today is the twelfth anniversary of the conspiracy that ousted Former President Joseph Estrada from Malacañan Palace and put Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the helm of power in January 2001. We commonly know it by the name of EDSA Dos. And no one seems to give a damn to throw a celebration.

I have been observing the internet (Twitter, Facebook, and news websites) the whole day and only a handful posted stuff about the day that changed our Political history. I searched the word “EDSA” on Twitter earlier and I only saw less than 10 tweets (mine included) about EDSA dos. GMA News’ YouScoop tweeted a query, asking their followers about the lessons of EDSA dos but that was it. The results are mostly MMDA’s traffic update on EDSA and some commuters’ rant on how horrendous the traffic situation at EDSA is. 

How come nobody commemorated the events that happened eleven years ago at EDSA Shrine? Maybe because we are too busy celebrating the Sinulog Festival and the feast of the Santo Nino.  Maybe because some of us choose to watch and discuss Les Miserables and Ricky Lo’s interview with Anne Hathaway instead. Or too engrossed with the Atimonan, Quezon shooting and the US Warship that destroyed a part of the Tubbataha Reef.

Or is it because EDSA Dos is considered a nightmare, a dark part of our history that should be forgotten and should never be repeated again? Maybe yes.

Where were you eleven years ago?

I was eleven years old then, a graduating student in Elementary. The last days of the impeachment trial and the mass protest in EDSA Shrine coincided with our third quarterly exams. Prior to that, whenever I go home early from school, I see to it that I watch the impeachment trial. I can still remember how my classmates and I would horse around, imitating the Chief Justice, the Prosecution, and the Defense Panel. The words Objection your honor, overruled, and sustained became a part of our daily conversation.

I remember watching the controversial voting whether to open the second envelope or not with my father. I can still recall how Senators Pimentel and Drilon hugged each other and in tears, how Senator Legarda wept, how Chief Justice Davide removed his judicial robe, how the Prosecution panel resigned and walked out in disgust, and how the aunt of our current President, Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta danced a la dougie in jubilation. Minutes after the controversial decision, the streets are filled with protesters, the car owners are blowing their horns, and the members of the crowd in EDSA Shrine, increased in number.

The next day, I remember my father putting up a printout of JOE’S COHORTS in the windshield of our car as a sign of protest. It is a mnemonic of the Senators who opposed the opening of the second envelope - Jaworski, Oreta, Enrile, Santiago, Coseteng, Osemeña, Honasan, Ople, Revilla, Tatad.

Text messaging was a new technology then (there were no unlimited text and calls promos though) and it also helped to spread the message to gather in EDSA Shrine and force the President to step down from office. As expected, ERAP jokes became rampant to taunt President Estrada. The Senators who opposed the opening of the second envelope were also not spared from taunts and heckling. Some of the famous lines then which I can still remember are Tadtarin si Tatad!, Oreta Dancing Queen!, and  Ninoy Aquino’s photo with the lines ‘My sister is not worth dying for’.

The protest to became festive with artists and bands performing at the stage and with the presence of, uhm, some artistas. (The most memorable personality then was President Estrada’s friend, Nora Aunor, who joined the crown on calling him to resign). But if there is one song which I can associate with the protest, it would be Sam the Sham and the Paraoh’s ‘Wooly Bully’ which the protesters sang as ‘Huling-huli! Si Erap! Huling-huli!

Though I was not present with the protesters during that time, for obvious reasons, I made myself updated by constantly tuning in to news programs on television. And some of the memories were still vivid because when I was in high School, my tambayan is our library and I have repeatedly read this coffee table book:

The President was twelve eleven years ago today and his Vice President succeeded him - with the help of the high-ranking military officials, political and business elites, and the Catholic Church led by Jaime Cardinal Sin. Conspiracy, as they say, to oust the President extra-constitutionally, a de facto coup that led to the  proclamation of Gloria Arroyo.

In the later months and years, Erap would be arrested, EDSA tres would happen, Erap would come out saying he was forced to sign a resignation paper during the height of EDSA Dos, and Gloria Arroyo would become the infamous President that we know today.

Was EDSA Dos a historical success? No. Did it play an important part in history? Maybe, but what we learned more are lessons for the future of our country.

A contemporary Filipino writer who goes by the pen name Bob Ong, wrote something about EDSA Dos in his book Stainless Longganisa. He compared the protest in EDSA to drinking antibiotics to cure a disease.

He wrote that it is wrong to immediately go to the street to call for the resignation of a leader - or to immediately drink antibiotic without first consulting the doctor. Time will come that the bacteria would become immune to antibiotics and it would be more difficult to cure the disease. Just like the cancer of our society, the more we use the usual way of cure, that is, to march in the streets and call for change, time might come that the usual way will no longer work for us. And worse, during the time when we really need change.

Many of the prominent personas involved during the EDSA Dos have already expressed their regret on being a part of that event. And maybe, most of the participants in EDSA and in key cities of the country who helped, in a way, put Gloria Arroyo into power in 2001 did the same.

It is said that we cannot change history, and that there are no ifs in it. But we can always carve the future of our country. May the lessons of the events of yesteryears be a guide on making a better future for our country.

Today is the twelfth anniversary of EDSA Dos. Did it already become a repressed memory? Do you still give a damn about it?

Today is the twelfth anniversary of the EDSA Dos. And no one seems to gives a damn to throw a celebration. And I don’t think the woman who replaced Joseph Estrada, who is now detained at the Presidential Suite of Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center, is celebrating either.

Elsewhere:

• When Last the Military Withrew Support (2006) - Dean Jorge Bocobo’s (and Amando Doronilla’s) commentary and chronology of events of the EDSA Dos. Some of the details here are unknown to me until now. This is a must read.
• The Stupidity of EDSA 2 People Power Gulbles Relived (2008)
• ‘Never Again’, says girl holding Bible at Arroyo oath-taking - Remember the girl who held the Bible during Arroyo’s oath-taking in 2001? (This is a thread of comments. Please refer to the post of ‘dokdok’.)

From Apprehension to Comprehension

When I was a little kid, there were two things that come to my mind whenever I hear the words AIDS and HIV. The first was Sarah Jane Salazar. Second, that it was a contagious, incurable, fatal disease, a death sentence of sort, and is something to be feared of.

Sarah Jane Salazar was a prominent figure during the late nineties. She was a Filipino AIDS activist and educator and the second Filipino with HIV to go public. She stirred controversy in 1997 when she was charged with child abuse for having sex with 16-year old Ritchie Atezado without protection. She later bore two children who were both tested negative for HIV. Her partner Rithchie, on the other hand, was later tested positive.

I was raised watching the evening news and current affairs programs (like Brigada Siyete and Magandang Gabi Bayan) and the story of Sarah Jane was like a serye that was being followed during those years. I can still recall the story of a young Arnold Clavio on Brigada Siete that documented Sarah Jane’s life, health, and advocacy. (Arnold Clavio would later become her kumpare when she asked the latter to be her child’s godfather.) In June 11, 2000, Sarah Jane died of AIDS complications.

Watching the stories of Sarah Jane and other victims, I saw AIDS then as something to be feared of. Seeing the images of victims from Africa and Cambodia, who have lost their appetite, thin, very sick, and abandoned by their loved ones added my fright to the disease.

Because of my fear of HIV/AIDS, I developed these beliefs. It has no cure. If you contacted it, then you must count your remaining days on this planet. You will be abandoned. You will be hated. You will be feared. It’s the modern-day leprosy wherein the victims must be isolated from the public.

But that was before I was educated on the disease. That was before I see things differently. That was before I expose myself to different stories of hope, survival, compassion, and love.

My first experience of awakening was when I watched one episode of Hirayamanawari (I’m not sure if it is that program or some other educational program during the last glorious days of quality local television programs). There was this boy (played by child actor Eman Abelada) who accidentally contacted HIV after undergoing a blood transfusion while undergoing an appendectomy. After being tested positive for HIV (and later, AIDS), his friends, due to their ignorance of the disease, started to isolate him for fear of contacting the same disease for they thought that mere physical contact can bring AIDS. The young boy died at the end of the story but thanks to the doctors and his parents’ help, his friends understand more what HIV and AIDS are.

With that simple presentation, the way I view the disease changed. It also thought me the importance of the support of the patient’s family and friends.

Fast forward to year 2000, I was in Grade 6 when we discussed HIV and AIDS in school. If my memory serves me right, it was included in our Science and Health subject. Our teacher, who happened to be one of my favorites, tackled the basics of the disease and on how it would be prevented. She even let us do a skit on how to avoid contacting the disease (infected needles, blood transfusion, etc.). Though included in our school textbook, for obvious reasons, we did not demonstrate how to practice safe sex then.

It has been more than a decade since I stopped fearing the disease. And in those years, I have encountered numerous movements, groups, and advocacy to raise the awareness to the disease.

In today’s world where sex can be as casual as a fist bump, various ways and movements to help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS have sprung up. Safe sex, condom, protection, you name it.

Safety. It’s as if it is stupid to go on a joust with another knight without your armor, it is also stupid to have sex without, er, protection. 

Though some of the ways, beliefs and advocacy challenge my personal beliefs (and faith, if you may permit), I believe that we can all agree on a common ground wherein our similarities will help us fight together for a good cause:

Awareness. Education. Understanding. Empathy.

Awareness. In the course of history, battles are won primarily by acknowledging the peril, danger, and the possible aftermath of attacking the enemy. Before all the planning of military tactics and possibleattack, one must first acknowledge that there is an imminent threat or danger. The same thing goes with HIV and AIDS. they do exist. We may not have a cure yet for it but that doesn’t mean that we cannot do something about it.

Education. In my opinion, if there is one thing more fatal than the disease itself, it would be ignorance. HIV and AIDS have been here for quite sometime now and there are a lot of people who are willing to shed light on this feared disease. Know the disease. Know its symptoms. Know its cause. Know how to possibly avoid it. Your paranoia over the disease might be the cause of your early demise. Be educated. Call it a cliche but still, prevention is better than cure.

Understanding. Being aware and educated of the disease is not enough. There are HIV positive patients whose sufferings are doubled because of discrimination and the wrong and lack of understanding of the disease. I believe that there are bad things in this world which are brought primarily by misunderstanding. And we can be a part of changing these things. 

Empathy. It is the capacity to recognize and share feelings that are being experienced by others. Unlike sympathy, empathy is like putting ourselves in the place of others. It is more personal. By putting ourselves into the mental shoes of another person, especially the victims of HIV and AIDS, we will know them better. It is only then that we can show wholeheartedly our love, support, and compassion.

I will not preach here about the different ways to prevent HIV and AIDS. I will just leave it to the experts. And I know that you are educated with the basic knowledge about the disease.

It doesn’t matter to me if you are a supporter or a critic of safe sex, condoms, and other protection. I believe that no matter how HIV and AIDS volunteers/counselors or your religious institutions teach you about how you use your personal and sexual freedom, the decision is still up to you.

An international group of scientists has traced the ancestry of the virus that caused AIDS back to strains found in African monkeys. If we will believe Charles Darwin’s theory, we humans are descendants of the earlier species of monkeys. But there are two things that differentiates us from this creatures aside from appendix - freedom and intellect.

We are creatures endowed with freedom and intellect. We are the ones who drive our own life. We have the control of our body. We are free to choose an option. We are intelligent creatures.

The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections, zero deaths from AIDS-related illnesses, zero discrimination. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is praising the drop in new HIV cases throughout the world. Unfortunately, it is the opposite for the Philippines. You may have seen or read it on the news over the past weeks and months that the Philippines is one of the countries where the number of new HIV infections has increased by over 25%. While the threat of HIV and AIDS has been decreasing on the other parts of the globe, our country (together with 2 others in the SEA region) is now being categorized by UNAIDS and UNICEF as “having an expanding epidemic.” Isn’t it ironic?

Now what? Are we just letting the percentage of new infections increase? Of course not. We can all be a part of information dissemination and education about HIV and AIDS. What’s the use of our country being a social media capital of the world if we don’t use our power for a good cause? And with a beacon of hope manifested by the decrease of new infections in other parts of the globe, I think it’s a huge step to finally reverse the rate of new infections if not totally wipe out HIV and AIDS on the face of this planet. Just like small pox. eh?

As we commemorate today’s World AIDS Day, let us be aware of the disease, be educated on how to prevent it, understand the victims, and empathize to help them fight the disease. Together, we can defeat this. I hope this year’s celebration is one of the last ones.

Spread the love. Spread the word. Spread the knowledge. Not the virus.

Elsewhere:

• Getting to Zero- Philippine STAR’s editorial about the World AIDS Day 2012.
• I am no expert when it comes to AIDS and HIV but you can talk to my good old Tumblr buddy Gelo (@pananaghoy), an HIV counselor from the AIDS Society of the Philippines. You can also visit his blog and see the other important links on his page.
• The AIDS Society of the Philippines - The AIDS Society of the Philippines (ASP) is a leading association of individuals from the government, non-government agencies, and the private sector, with a common unifying interest in preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS.
• Take the Test Project - they provide adequate information about HIV and AIDS and make HIV test more accessible to everyone.

Three Years After

This day marks the 3rd year, the 1,096th day of the gruesome Ampatuan Massacre, a horrible event in our history where 58 people were killed, 34 of whom were journalists or working for the broadcast industry. Justice is yet to be served, but do you still care?

It seems like the attention of the public on this issue is slowly going to the depths of the abyss of the forgotten. It’s in one of the infamous characteristics of the Filipinos. We have a short attention span. We tend to forget our past easily. Mabilis makalimot. Mabilis magpatawad. Or it is being overshadowed by other news and events.

I partly blame this mentality in our Teleserye culture. For years, or for decades, we have been fed by these drama series shown every weeknights. The stories, though made of recycled plots and formulas, are fast-paced. We are not given an ample time to process what we have seen. We are bombarded every night by the same stories to the point that most of us hardly remember the development of the story, the plot, and the characters. Most TV series abroad are shown on a weekly basis. After each episode - with a definite plot and development - viewers are given an ample time to think, to scrutinize, to discuss, and to process what happened. That ample time, in my opinion, is the way people remember what they have received. And in a larger view, I view this as the way of constantly remembering events that affect our lives in general. 

Or perhaps we no longer care about the issue anymore? As I write this piece, the local Twitter trending topics are filled with obscure statements of support for these pseudo-reality love teams and famewhores and other unimportant, self-gratifying topics that would make oneself ‘known’ on the cyber universe. I have always believed that the trending topics on Twitter in a particular country reflects its people’s priority, interest, and views. It’s a tragedy that these fantards behind the so-called ‘famewhore trends’ on Twitter seem to be more influential than the people behind the voices of reform, vital information, advocacy, and policy making. What a shame! 

Whenever there is a viral sensation sweeping online, most of the Filipinos (or those with access on the internet which, I think, is a substantial number) rally behind that thing - giving opinions, fumed reactions, and emotional outbursts. Like an angry mob during the medieval era holding torches and pitchforks, storming the house of an alleged witch or heretic. Take for example the Amalayer brouhaha last week. Almost every Filipinos with social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter expressed their two cents on the issue. It even caught a national attention when the news programs and news portals made a story out of the Amalayer incident.

If we can stand, forgive me for the term, united on this Amalayer thing with lesser significance, then why can’t we do the same with the issues of health, education, poverty alleviation, information, and social reform? Why can’t we do the same thing to rattle the authorities, the justice system, to call for justice for the victims of the Ampatuan Massacre and other extrajudicial killings?

By letting this event just pass us by our consciousness, it would appear that we are condoning the perpetrators of this crime. Or depriving justice to the victims and their families. Or killing the fifty-eight (58) victims repeatedly. The victims’ death will not be given justice if the perpetrators of the crime are not prosecuted and punished.

The victims of this gruesome massacre died doing what is right - the victims, in the sense of a change of leadership by means of a lawful and honest election and the mediamen, by telling their (victims’) story and by acting as our eyes, ears, and mouthpiece of that event.

This massacre is caused by the warlord’s struggle to keep their power and to protect their self-interest against any possible threats. Bad politics, bad leadership, and people continuously feeding these beasts by means of the culture of tolerance, impunity, and patronage politics. But we have seen that it is not impossible to have a good, efficient, and selfless leader to rule among us.

One of the factors why these horrible events happen is because nobody seems to be punished. People choose to be silent for fear of retribution. People choose not to speak out to avoid trouble for them and their family. We are allowing the culture of impunity in our country

Impunity. Kawalang pakundangan. It’s like saying “Go ahead, kill everyone who are against your plans! Shoot the story tellers! We allow murder in our country! No one is punished by the way.”

And we don’t want it that way, right? So what can we do as an ordinary citizen?

1. Never forget. Let us always put the Ampatuan massacre into consciousness. One way of doing it is to post something about it every 23rd of the month for everyone to see (on Facebook, Twitter, and in your blogs). This will help those who have forgotten to remember. You may notice, especially those who frequent on my blog, that I see to it that I post something every 23rd of the month to commemorate the Ampatuan Massacre and to raise awareness for those who seem to have forgotten.
2. Be an educated and wise voter. The Ampatuan massacre is an election-related violence which involves (an alleged) private army. Choose your leaders wisely. Do not be swayed by their goods during the campaign season. Yes, we can always say our criticisms against these politicians via our tweets, blog entries, and Facebook posts. But do you know what’s more powerful? Our vote. One single vote can help kick the ass of these ‘powerful’ men of power.
3. Be vigilant. Stay on guard, be watchful. Let us be our brother’s keeper. And let us keep an eye on the proceedings of the trial (even if it takes 55,000 years, according to Atty. Harry Roque). Let us not lose hope even though it may appear that there is no end in sight for the trial. Believe. Have faith. By means of our watchful eyes, we can achieve justice.

Earlier this morning, I watched the first part of Patricia Evangelista’s documentary ‘58’. Word cannot describe how I felt after seeing those mutilated bodies of the victims. Yes, I used to see gruesome scenes on the movies and TV shows that I watch but this one’s different. It’s real. Nakakapanlumo. Nakakapanghina. 

It is painful to admit that the wheels of justice in our country are not well-oiled, causing it to roll slowly. And it is more heart-wrenching to know that the witnesses of this massacre are either being killed one-by-one or being abducted never to be seen again.

But let us not give up, let us not lose hope. As cliche as it may sound, the only way for evil people to triumph - or the culture of impunity to prevail in this country - is for good and responsible people to do nothing.

Let us chase Lady Justice no matter how exhausting, no matter how it seems to be hopeless, and no matter how long it takes.

Justice for the Victims of the Ampatuan Massacre. Never Forget. Never again.  

Photos courtesy of Union Journalists of the Philippines - UP Diliman and John Silva’s Facebook post and Inquirer.net, the website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Elsewhere:

• 58 (Fifty-eight) - A documentary by Patricia Evangelista and Kiri Dalena aired over ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) on the Nov. 23, 2009 Ampatuan Massacre.
• No End in Sight to Trial of the Century - “Three years after the gruesome Maguindanao massacre, proceedings against the accused in what has been described as ‘the trial of the century’ grind at a snail’s pace and have not even reached the  halfway mark.” (Inquirer.net)
• The Bravest Citizen Journalist I Know: The Maguindanao Massacre Boto Patroller - The story of the Maguindanao Massacre first broke out from a report of a Bayan Patroller. This is the story written by BMPM Head Arlene Burgos.
• Special Report - Interaksyon.com’s feature on the third anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre. It includes the timeline of the events, an infographic about the massacre, the key events in 2012 about the trial, and other related stuff.
• #TalkThursday: Remembering the Maguindanao Massacre - “Rappler.com talks to retired Lieutenant General Raymundo Ferrer about the Maguindanao Massacre and the prospects for peace in Mindanao.”

Myosotidium

"What are your hobbies?", the interviewer asked me.

"I write", I told him with my signature smirk, "I watch movies and TV series, I play the piano, guitar, and drums. But I write most of the time"

"I would be happy to read some of your works one of these days", he smiled as he continued to browse and read my curriculum vitae.

______

Yes, I write. Or I used to. It has been months now since I last wrote a decent entry on this blog. I may have some articles written and saved on MS Word but most of them are unfinished and I can't seem to my mojo to finish them.

Until one rainy afternoon, out of boredom, I grabbed my copy of Gerry Alanguilan's critically-acclaimed graphic novel Elmer. Even though I have repeatedly read and finished that comic book, I still browse and admire its way of telling a story. Perhaps to get an inspiration from chickens.

And then it came to me. On one part of the story, Elmer Gallo wrote in his diary that one should write because it is important not to forget. That message inspired his son, Jake Gallo, to write a book about the story of his father and the story of how chickens fought for their rights and equality.

It is important not to forget. Back when I was still in School, I used to keep a journal. I wrote there my reflections, dreams, and even those one-paragraph ideas that would eventually be the basis of my full-length article, short story, and other things that are worth writing and publishing (for our school publication, at least).

I had ideas, great ideas, and to borrow Jake Gallo's lines, "great ideas that would make great movies", that were eventually lost just because I forgot it. Because I did not write it. Because I just let them slip past my consciousness.

Sayang naman.

I don't want to make a promise to myself, or to this blog, or to you, whoever you are who stumbled upon this page, that I would start writing more regularly. I believe that is is a slow process of recovery, of getting used to it, of making it a habit.

But for now, write. Write even the smallest things. Write even the craziest one-liners. Write on any medium - on a piece of paper, at the back of the receipt, or at the calendar hanging on your wall.

Write as if no one will read your work. Write for yourself. Write for the universe. Screw your readers. You don't owe them anything yet.

Write.

Because it is important not to forget.

Kaleidoscope Memories

For twenty pesos, you can take a peek at a different world filled with colors, shapes, and patterns. Spin it, twirl it, shake it, and let the beautiful world unfold before your eyes.

It was the kaleidoscope. It was the twenty-peso kaleidoscope that my father gave me when I was about six years old. It was about six inches long whose tube has a green color with drops and sprays of other different colors that looks like the psychedelic variant of jawbreaker candies. Back in the days of my childhood, of simplicity, of actually exploring on real things, I considered my kaleidoscope as something of great value. I brought it to school, brag it among my friends, and played with it whenever I got bored with my action figures.

As I grew up, I shifted my focus on other things. From the small peephole of the kaleidoscope, I focused on other bright, moving, and colorful things of the real world. I got engrossed with other things that are "in" during my growing up years - action figures of Gundam robots, computer games, and mini 4WD race cars among others. I totally forgot about my kaleidoscope.

Sadly, I can no longer find that kaleidoscope that my father gave me when I was a little boy. Maybe it got lost in our old house. Or maybe my parents gave it away, together with my other childhood stuff, during the time when I was away for eight years, studying. Odd as it may sound, I felt that something was also taken from me with the loss of that kaleidoscope. You may argue that why whine on that cheap toy when I can always buy a new one. But there is something on that green, psychedelic-looking, six-inch tube. It has a sentimental value. It has good memories with it. It reminds me of the days of me being innocent and carefree. It reminds me of the good old days of my childhood.

Then, there is this anthem by Francis Magalona called Kaleidoscope World. It was a song included in his 1995 album Freeman and later included in the compilation album, Best of FrancisM. Though I admit that it was already a bit late when I discovered this song (I think I was already in High School or about six years after it was originally released), I immediately fell in love its subtlety, catchy chorus, poetry, and its message.

The chorus, with its utmost simplicity, speaks of the vibrant and colorful message. Who would not love the lines "Every color, every hue is represented by me and you. Take a slide in the slope. Take a look in the kaleidoscope. Spinnin' round, make it twirl in this kaleidoscope world.." ?

We all have different interpretations of songs. My understanding may be different from you or the composer. I saw Kaleidoscope World as a song of harmony and unity. It is the perfect example of "unity in diversity". We may be different by race, color, social status, age, gender, intelligence, and power but we all form the beautiful and colorful shapes and patterns in the kaleidoscope. Together, just like the pebbles, papers, and other stuff inside the kaleidoscope we can form a beautiful world, a harmonious dimension, and a colorful humanity.

Perhaps, this is Kiko's legacy not only to the Filipino people but to the whole world. This song, if only its spirit is lived and understood by most people, can be an anthem of change. This song can be a catalyst to inspire more people to accept each other despite of our differences. By this song, together with other great songs that speaks of peace, unity, and harmony, the world will know peace.

I first met Francis when I was about four years old. My kuya, an artist, was busy then painting a portrait of Francis Magalona in a one-eighth illustration board at our old kubo. The face was familiar. He's the man behind the infectious patriotic song Mga Kababayan Ko. And I have watched him on the movie Mama's Boys with Ogie Alcasid, Michael V., and Anjo Yllana.

I saw Francis as a revolutionary young face that will achieve great heights. He challenged the conventional music style of his age. His music paved way for the unification of the then-opposing sides of Pinoy hip-hop and rock by experimenting on the merging of rap with rock music. After all, music is the language that should unite us, not divide us.

But more importantly, I saw Francis as a young man, whose heart is united with his beloved land. He redefined patriotism. He made it easier for the youth of this generation to appreciate and understand. And he showed us how great a race and nation we are.

Pride. Identity. Meaning. Perhaps, he saw that before we can shout to the world that we love our country, we must first know what it really means to be a Filipino.

I saw Mga Kababayan Ko then as an anthem which promotes Pinoy pride and identity along with the songs Ako'y Isang Pinoy by Florante and Tayo'y mga Pinoy by Heber Bartolome (and later recorded and reinvented by the Man from Manila himself). These three songs, together with our regular Monday school anthem Ako ay Pilipino, were my first inspirations to love my country, to appreciate my Pinoy identity, and to be proud of my ancestry. And this was long before Pinoy Ako by Orange and Lemons and Noypi by Bamboo.

He may have gone at a young age but what is more important is that he had lived his life with meaning. He has influenced a whole generation. He has inspired many with his music. And with that, he is already immortal.

For the past months, I have always been stuck in front of a clean paper, staring at it for hours, unable to write. Maybe it's writer's block or lack of creative juices. Or maybe I fear that my readers would not appreciate my work. That is the reason why this blog has been "dead" for a long period of time.

As I have mentioned above, it was only during High School when I discovered Kaleidoscope World. the funny thing is, during the time when this song was originally released, it was also the time when I have been so engrossed with my kaleidoscope. I came up with this article earlier this morning when I tweeted about kaleidoscope and whether the kids of today know what this is. It is inspired, of course, by Francis Magalona's song. I asked myself, when was the last time when I actually held and peeked at a kaleidoscope? What happened to my old kaleidoscope?

And then it came to me. I suddenly remembered the happy memories associated with my kaleidoscope. I felt young again, energetic, and full of dreams. That nostalgia brought me inspiration. And I didn't realize, I was already writing this piece.

Perhaps, all I need is a little push from Kiko. Or his song for an inspiration. And just like a kaleidoscope, all I have to do is to spin it round, make a twirl, to see different patterns, colors, and shape.

I now see things from a different perspective. 

Mabuhay ka at maraming salamat Kiko! Maligayang kaarawan!

Kickass photo courtesy of scarypet.deviantart.com 

Two Years after the Bloodbath

Exactly two years ago, on the day after the bloodbath at the Quirino Grandstand, this was the headline of The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Yesterday marked the second year of the infamous Manila Hostage Tragedy where 8 Hong Kong tourists died when dismissed police officer Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus carrying 25 people in an attempt to get his job back.

Yesterday’s commemoration may have been overshadowed by other issues and events (Sen. Tito Sotto’s alleged plagiarism and his staff’s moronic defense and the sudden death of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, to name some) but this tragic event in our history is still fresh in my mind, as if it happened just recently.

I was then in between doing my editing works and procrastinating on Tumblr when the news broke out the morning of August 23, 2010. Having seen a similar situation years before when Jun Ducat held hostage preschool students in a bus, I told myself that this will also come to a peaceful end. I even exchanged some good laughs and ideas with an online buddy, Tita Marj, about the possibility of creating a biopic for Captain Mendoza and guessing who would be the best actor to portray him (I personally chose Efren Reyes Jr. and Spanky Manikan for the role).

The whole afternoon and early evening went by with me tweeting and posting some stuff on Tumblr about the hostage crisis, my opinion, my rant against Captain Mendoza, on how would it affect our image to the international community, and being glued on the evening news on television, monitoring the events.

And then the unexpected came. The whole country - and perhaps the whole world - was in shock.

Most of us, I think, were glued then on the television and have watched the events that lead to a bloodbath. Those who have no television during that time resorted to social media, blogging site Tumblr included, for updates. My dashboard became a news feed of sort, thanks to the Tumblristas who posted the events (and opinion) on the blogging platform. (There was even a pun created during that time on David Karp’s cyber empire. Tumblr became ‘Tumblr Patrol’ in reference to the blow by blow posting of events just like in the news program ‘TV Patrol’.)

After the tragic event, the eyes of the whole world were glued to our country and the then two-month old Aquino administration was put under the spotlight of local and international ridicule. The Pinoy culture of ‘mas magaling ang miron’, ‘sisihan’ and ‘turuan’ were seen days after the event. Memes about how pulpol our policemen were spread on various social media. Angry Facebook users stormed the Facebook page of President Aquino (that lead to its early demise and reconstruction). And to make things worse, photos of policemen and students who were taking pictures with the ill-fated bus spread on the internet (that added to the anger of the citizens of Hong Kong.) 

It has been repeatedly said that no one wanted this to happen. Our country has repeatedly apologized to the victims. But is an apology enough? No. Is justice served to the victims? Apparently, even after two years, not yet.

Yesterday, the families of eight Hong Kong victims who were killed in the hostage crisis stormed our consulate in Hong Kong as they demand for an apology from our Government. And two years after the tragedy, Hong Kong has not lifted its ‘black’ travel warning that discourages its residents from travelling to the Philippines. (It was originally issued on the day of the hostage taking.)

I understand the grief of the victims’ kin. Two years after the event, only one among those who were recommended to be accountable was punished and sacked from office (the alleged extortionist ex-Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III who is one of the causes of captain Mendoza’s outrage). I personally read the recommendation of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) soon after the document was made public and I was disappointed to learn that some of their recommendations were not followed by the Palace. For instance, they did not follow the recommendation of the IIRC to sanction PNP Chief director General Jesus Versoza, Manila City Vice Mayor Isko Salvador, and DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno (the latter, allegedly, was saved because he was the President’s shooting buddy).

But to be fair, I commend the current administration in their efforts in their drive against corruption. We do not want to make another Captain Mendoza among the civilians and our servicemen. It will be remembered that one of the reasons why Captain Mendoza hijacked the bus was the alleged corruption (and bribery for his pending case) on the Office of the Ombudsman.

Two years have passed and although justice is yet to be fully served on the victims, we can see some changes on the system. There’s already a new Ombudsman in the person of Conchita Carpio-Morales. With the sudden death of Sec. Jesse Robredo, the clamor of the public for a clean and honest governance has increased. With the appointment of the new Chief Justice, Maria Lourdes Sereno, hopefully, there is a drastic change in our judiciary. And with the active participation of the people through social media, I think, we are getting closer to the dream of having a clean system.

But before all of these good things to materialize, let us not forget that there are grieving relatives of the victims, there are accountable persons who are yet to be sanctioned, and there is still an elusive justice that is yet to be served.

And I hope this would never happen again. Never again.

Elsewhere:

• Manila Hostage Tragedy Survivors call for an Apology from Philippine Government- Two years after the tragedy, the cry of the victims’ families remains the same.
• Who were Accountable for the Manila hostage Crisis?  During the commemoration of the first anniversary of the tragedy, GMA News Online looks back at the personalities held liable for the tragedy and examines if justice has indeed been served to the eight victims of dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza, who was himself killed in a police assault viewed live worldwide.

Chasing Lady Justice

This day marks the 33rd month, the 1,004th day of the infamous Ampatuan Massacre, a horrible event in our history where 58 people were killed, 34 of whom were journalists or working for the broadcast industry. Justice is yet to be served, but do you still care?

It seems like the attention of the public on this issue is slowly going to the depths of the abyss of the forgotten. It’s in one of the infamous characteristics of the Filipinos. We have a short attention span. We tend to forget our past easily. Mabilis makalimot. Mabilis magpatawad. Or it is being overshadowed by other news and events.

As of writing, the nation is in grief with the sudden demise of a great man, a great leader, and a great family man, DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo (together with two pilots Jessup Bahinting and Kshitz Chand). He was known to be one of, if not the best Secretary the DILG has ever had. His programs and reforms, most notably the Seal of Good Housekeeping, kept the municipalities and cities striving to perform better. 

Or perhaps we no longer care about the issue anymore? As I write this piece, the local Twitter trending topics are filled with obscure statements of support for these pseudo-reality love teams and famewhores. I have always believed that the trending topics on Twitter in a particular country reflects its people’s priority, interest, and views. It’s a tragedy that these fantards behind the so-called ‘jeje trends’ on Twitter seem to be more influential than the people behind the voices of reform, vital information, advocacy, and policy making. What a shame! 

By letting this event just pass us by our consciousness, it would appear that we are condoning the perpetrators of this crime. Or depriving justice to the victims and their families. Or killing the fifty-eight victims repeatedly. 

The victims’ death will not be given justice if the perpetrators of the crime are not prosecuted and punished. A great man’s death would be in vain if his good works, programs, and legacy are not carried forward.

The victims of this gruesome massacre died doing what is right - the victims, in the sense of a change of leadership by means of a lawful and honest election and the mediamen, by telling their (victims’) story and by acting as our eyes, ears, and mouthpiece of that event.

Personally, I think Sec. Jesse Robredo gave as an example of what it takes to be a leader - that you can lead and uplift people’s way of lives without the use of violence and intimidation; that you can be a great and beloved leader despite of the the notion of the general public in politics as dirty; that you can lead a city for a long time and still be loved and trusted by the people; and that you can be a leader in its truest essence - a servant-leader.   

This massacre is caused by the warlord’s struggle to keep their power and to protect their self-interest against any possible threats. Bad politics, bad leadership, and people continuously feeding these beasts by means of the culture of tolerance, impunity, and patronage politics. But we have seen that it is not impossible to have a good, efficient, and selfless leader to rule among us.

One of the factors why these horrible events happen is because nobody seems to be punished. People choose to be silent for fear of retribution. People choose not to speak out to avoid trouble for them and their family. We are allowing the culture of impunity in our country

Impunity. Kawalang pakundangan. It’s like saying “Go ahead, kill everyone who are against your plans! Shoot the story tellers! We allow murder in our country! No one is punished by the way.”

And we don’t want it that way, right? So what can we do as an ordinary citizen?

1. Never forget. Let us always put the Ampatuan massacre into consciousness. One way of doing it is to post something about it every 23rd of the month for everyone to see (on Facebook, Twitter, and in your blogs). This will help those who have forgotten to remember.
2. Be an educated and wise voter. The Ampatuan massacre is an election-related violence which involves (an alleged) private army. Choose your leaders wisely. Do not be swayed by their goods during the campaign season.
3. Be vigilant. Stay on guard, be watchful. Let us be our brother’s keeper. And let us keep an eye on the proceedings of the trial (even if it takes 55,000 years, according to Atty. Harry Roque).

It is painful to admit that the wheels of justice in our country are not well-oiled, causing it to roll slowly. And it is more heart-wrenching to know that the witnesses of this massacre are either being killed one-by-one or being abducted never to be seen again.

But let us not give up, let us not lose hope. As cliche as it may sound, the only way for evil people to triumph - or the culture of impunity to prevail in this country - is for good and responsible people to do nothing.

Let us chase Lady Justice no matter how exhausting, no matter how it seems to be hopeless, and no matter how long it takes.

Justice for the Victims of the Ampatuan Massacre. Never Forget. Never again.  

Elsewhere: 

• 1,000 Days without Justice - Interakaksyon.com’s comprehensive page  about the Ampatuan Massacre, the continuing battle of the bereaved family members, and the continuing search for justice.

Photo courtesy of Philstar.com’s editorial cartoon.