To What You Answer

Oh Rosalind! how your presence

Lingers in my mind, the touch

Of your contemptuous skin leaves a mark,

Love of your cold lips which have now

Forsaken me scars what beats within.

Hope, oh sweet hope, that you are

Beatrice, withholding your feelings

For fear and not for absence

Longing as I do, yet careful,

Willing, as I am, and yet more.

Or are you Juliet? Harking for

What you cannot have, the eternal

Damsel, destined to a doom lit just down

The path a ways and approaching.

Pray, oh pray as I pray, you are not

Annabel, as cold and gone as the sea

By which you lie in eternal respite.

Or, perhaps , you are not Rosalind.

You answer not to Beatrice, nor Juliet,

And Annabel is nothing more than an

Obscure reference from a time long gone.

Nay, you are none of these, immortalized

By other men in their hearts and by their pens.

You are something more, immortalized by the

Reverberations in my scoundrel soul

Of your voice, damning my will and whispering

Softly, in my ear: “There is no other but you.”

All the President’s Men

Rarely a day passes that a big article about the “presidentiables” of one party or another dominates the front section of the Philippine newspapers. Due to the moving-up of the candidacy filing deadline to November, the political parties are scrambling to find their squeaky-clean, telegenic, “Time for Change” standard-bearer. After all, in the Philippines, the Presidency is the key to true power.

However, if they hope to create real change, the reform parties should try their best to contest the congressional elections. One important step towards a healthier Republic is a lower house that is more independent of the executive branch. Currently, the House is populated mostly by Administration allies and members of virtual Noble Houses from the provinces that do little to improve the Republic.

Any effort to change the composition of the lower house may seem futile, considering the vast amount of resources and coercive power the incumbents and their allies hold. However, defeating entrenched political dynasties has been proven possible – see Gov. Ed Panlilio’s victory in Pampanga as proof. In reality, any change in the lower house this time around will be incremental at best. Still, it is important to take the first step towards creating a more responsive, responsible lower house.

Rediscovery

On paper, the Filipino is free. He has a Constitution promulgated by “the sovereign Filipino people.” He has a democratic form of government. He has freedom of speech, of religion, of industry, of property – on paper, every right necessary to foster a just, strong society.

Yet, everywhere, the Filipino is in chains. He is chained to a system of government that makes only the appearance to be democratic, a system ruled not by the will of the people and the logic of great statesmen but by whims of a select few in the shadowy background. He is chained to an economy that produces substantial wealth that is never shared with the starving masses in the slums and on the streets. He is chained to a culture of institutional corruption that saps the idealistic virtue and spirited hope from the young and the wizened alike.

There have been instances in Philippine history where the chains seemed poised to break. The best example is the EDSA Revolution of 1986. In a great show of courage and determination, the Philippine people worked as one to topple the man that seemed to be holding the ends of the chains. For a fleeting while, the idealism and hope that had been missing for so long from our country had returned. The focus of the entire world turned to our usually overlooked archipelago as they applauded our great deed of courage. “For a few extraordinary moments, the people of the Philippines proved their bravery to the world, and to themselves,” proclaimed TIME Magazine in its article in honor of its 1986 Person of the Year, newly instated President Corazon Aquino.

This feeling of hope was short-lived. Over the years, as the excitement of EDSA I faded into history, the status quo was re-established. New public officials, as inefficient and unresponsive as the old ones, took office. The masses were still poor and repressed. Corruption returned as the order of the day. The chains had become brittle, but they did not break.

The great tragedy about EDSA I was that it was seen as an end, not as a means. Democracy is worthless if it is not nurtured and cared for by the people. As a form of government, hapless democracy is more dangerous to liberty than the most brutal despot. Truthfully, we did not fulfill our duties as citizens in a fledgling democracy. Thus, the current state of things.

Where have the Filipinos of courage gone? EDSA I was only 23 years ago, a mere generation or two removed from the current. Can it be that these men and women of noble disposition have all perished from this Earth? It cannot be so.

So where, then, are the Filipinos of courage? It seems the vast majority of them are hiding, allowing their virtue and idealism to sleep. Perhaps they have reason to. After all, it is an immense endeavor to stand against the tide of seeming inevitably. In its long history, the Philippines has known nothing but repression, whether it be by foreign colonial powers or by our own citizenry. There are few stories of Philippine antiquity for us to look to for inspiration. All in all, it seems as if it is a futile struggle.

If these are the reasons why the Filipinos of courage have gone into hibernation, then they have forgotten themselves and the definition of courage. Courage makes no concessions to ardor, hardship, futility, and all the like. The courageous stand strong, armed with virtuous conscience and unwavering resilience.

Philippine men and woman of courage, show yourselves! Do not merely fiddle as the Republic burns slowly around you. You are the last, best hope of our people, and as such must take upon the responsibility of breaking the chains that have held us in bondage for so long.

As a people, we stand at a precipice. One false step and we, and the Republic along with us, will descend into the familiar abyss of tyranny and chaos. This, however, is not the other option. Far off in the distance, just within eye’s reach, stands another cliff wall. If we take the one arduous, all-compassing gap, we can grasp the cliff wall and propel the Republic to a transcendent height.

Filipinos of courage, I challenge you to take that leap. For if you leap, your countrymen will discover within themselves the inherent courage that has been repressed for so long. They will leap with you. At few times in our history have the Philippine people had such an opportunity to build something more. It is not that we have much to lose if we refuse to act – if we act, we have so much to gain.

Again, Filipinos of courage, I implore you – reveal yourselves! Whether you are an established public figure, a simple everyman, or an idealistic youth, it does not matter – discover your courage once more. The fate of the Republic lies in your noble hands.

He has put to hazard his ease, his security, his interest, his power, even his … popularity …. He is traduced and abused…. He may live long, he may do much. But here is the summit. He never can exceed what he does this day.

– Edmund Burke in his eulogy for Charles J. Fox, House of Commons 1783. (The inspirational quote at the start of Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy)

23 Years After EDSA: A Reflection

We were exiles in our land — we, Filipinos, who are at home only in freedom — when Marcos destroyed the Republic fourteen years ago. Through courage and unity, through the power of the people, we are home again.

Twenty-three years ago tomorrow, President Corazon Aquino delivered these words of great hope and passion upon assuming the Philippines presidency in the wake of the 1986 People Power Revolution. The peaceful overthrow of the great tyrant, Ferdinand E. Marcos, sparked international curiosity and admiration. Oppressed peoples all over the world felt some of that same hope coursing through Filipino veins. When Aquino addressed a joint session of the United States Congress, the lawmakers, many clad in Aquino’s signature yellow, gave her a raucous ovation. TIME Magazine even named her 1986’s Person of the Year, writing that:

Whatever else happens in her rule, Aquino has already given her country a bright, and inviolate, memory. More important, she has also resuscitated its sense of identity and pride…. in February [1986], for a few extraordinary moments, the people of the Philippines proved their bravery to the world, and to themselves.

Twenty-three years later, EDSA One seems to be a distant memory. The great hope felt during that time is woefully absent from our hearts. The only stories found in international publications concerning the Philippines are about corruption, poverty, or Manny Pacquiao. The Philippines has once again been relegated to one of the “dustier corridors” of human consciousness.

Part of the blame lies with us. It seems that, caught up in the commotion of liberty and justice, we began to see freedom as an end rather than a means. After fifteen years of despotic rule, we were so enamored with our newfound freedom that we did not mind the responsibilities that freedom entails. Thus, the Philippines finds itself in an awkward adolescent phase, struggling to realize the potential instilled in itself by its rebirth twenty-three years ago. Once, a Filipino of great promise delivered this bold proclamation upon assuming a position of great power:

This nation can be great again. This I have said over and over…. This is your dream and mine. By your choice you have committed yourselves to it.

This proclamation came from none other than Marcos during his First Inaugural Address in 1965. Perhaps the biggest regret about Marcos should not be the wrongs he committed, but rather the good he could have done but did not. Before his Kurtzian transformation, Marcos seemed to possess the vision and sense of action that could have made the Philippines a premier Asian nation. That Marcos was consumed fully and totally by the heart of darkness is a sayang that stands alone in modern Philippine history.

In that same speech, Marcos claimed that the Filipino “had lost his soul.” This seems to be a thought shared by many – even Jose Rizal once said the Filipinos were “a people without a soul.” Yet truly, the Filipino does have a soul. It is a soul carved not from divine grace, but from oppression, disappointment, and injustice; it is a hearty soul, built to withstand the misfortunes so often thrown at it. It is a soul that makes the Filipino cynical by nature, but unquestionably durable; it is a soul that possesses infinite promise. With a tool as powerful as the Filipino soul at our disposal, we must take it upon ourselves to fulfill the greatness inherent in our nation and its people.

At the end of that First Inaugural Address, Marcos tasked the nation with this:

We must renew the vision of greatness for our country…. This is a vision that all of you share for our country’s future. It is a vision, which can, and should, engage the energies of the nation…. We must harness the wills and the hearts of all our people. We must find the secret chords, which turn ordinary men into heroes, mediocre fighters into champions…. Not one hero alone do I ask from you – but many; nay all, I ask all of you to be heroes of our nation…. Come then, let us march together towards the dream of greatness.

Thus is the challenge. Let us revive and fulfill this vision that Marcos identified, then subsequently destroyed. Only then will the legacy of the People Power Revolution be solidified– for then, the Filipino will truly be worthy of his freedom and his soul.

Quote of the Day

And although it seems heaven sent /We ain’t ready, to see a black President

– Tupac Shakur.

I think Tupac would have been glad to be wrong on this one. Congratulations to the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama.

Party and Principle

The Liberal Party of the Philippines is certainly the most sophisticated and legitimate political party in the Philippines, in regards to its organization, structure, coherency of platform, and history. Recently, however, the LP seems dangerously close to departing from the very traditions that make it the Philippine standard of what a political party should be. This danger stems from the tendency of the LP to focus all of its attention on one man – Senator Manuel Roxas II.

There is nothing wrong with Sen. Mar Roxas – he is a quality public servant who deserves to be mentioned alongside the other “Presidentiables.” What is troubling is that the LP, more than 16 months before the May 2010 elections, has practically already designated Mar as its presidential candidate and has begun to focus all its energy on promoting the Mar brand.

This is somewhat understandable. After all, Mar is the grandson of former President and LP founder Manuel A. Roxas. Combine his storied lineage with a solid credentials, a marketable personality, and political savvy, and Mar looks to be the ideal LP standardbearer for 2010.

But what about the other LP members? Liberalparty.ph, the party’s official website, lists 35 LP members other than Mar holding elected office, including other big names like Sens. Francis Pangilinan, Benigno S. Aquino III, and Rodolfo G. Biazon. Yet on the front page of that very same website, the activities of Mar dominate the space.

Let us compare the LP website to that of the triumphant Democratic Party of the United States of America. There is a lot of mention of President-elect Barack Obama, and with good reason. However, there are several other stories clearly linked concerning other important DP figures and policies.

LP must be careful not to become a personality cult for Mar. With a potential “time for change” feeling poised to flow from the US election straight into the Philippine election, the LP can be very successful across the board and, more importantly, implement their proposed policies and make a real difference. Sen. Roxas should not be merely anointed the LP presidential nominee because his father founded the party and he is the president of it; rather, Mar should be subjected to a formal, competitive selection process. A man and politician of Sen. Roxas’ calibur will surely be able to earn the nomination based on his merits, and not merely because of his name. The reputation of the Liberal Party as a legitimate political party may very well rest on this, and, really, more legitimate, organized political parties are exactly what the Philippines needs.

On Foreign Soil

An hour north of Metro Manila in the Pampanga province lies the Clark Freeport Zone, the remnants of the former U.S. Clark Air Base vacated by the Americans in 1991. You can tell that the CFZ was built for Americans – the roads are large, the grass is trimmed, and the design of the place has a sense of order that would feel familiar to anyone who had stayed in the United States for an extended period of time.

We stayed overnight at a villa in one of the large country club/tourism condos. The compound was huge – it took 5 minutes just to drive from the main gate to our villa. There were restaurants, bars, and even a full casino. As we drove by, I noticed that some of the villas are placed alongside the golf course, and that the villas were very uniform-looking. It was as if I was driving down the street in my old neighborhood in Glendale, Arizona.

Due to special economic provisions maintained even after the Americans vacated the place, CFZ has several duty-free stores selling American-made goods that are so hard to find in Manila. At one of the sporting good outlets I bought a vintage Mariners hat – common in the US, but absolutely rare and thrilling for me (fitted baseball caps are hard to find in Manila). I would have bought the Tom Brady jersey also, but it was over $120. Maybe next time.

I’m back in Manila now, which is fine, but I would like to take more trips up to Clark, or to Subic, where the old US naval base is. It’s fun to go to those places every once in a while, to remember where I’m from. Going to Clark or Subic is almost like going back to the US just for a day – an instant homesickness cure of sorts.

We’re Going Streaking!

Tuesday at noon, Alpha Phi Omega held their annual Oblation Run at the University of the Philippines Diliman. The Oblation Run is the event in which APO pledges run naked around the campus. And I mean naked. No leaves or socks covering sensitive areas. All natural, all the time.

The event, which originated as a form of protest during the Martial Law era of President Marcos’ reign, is a spectacle that must be observed by every Iskolar ng Bayan at least once. At noon in Palma Hall, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of students, as well as representatives from every major network from ABS-CBN to GMA, pack the steps outside and the space inside the building, waiting for the Oblation Men to run by in their uncensored glory.

In reality, the Oblation Run is more like an Oblation Walk, since the rose-carrying pledges tend to have a tough time navigating the crowd, especially inside Palma Hall. Still, it was definitely a unique sight. Perhaps more entertaining than the run itself was the reaction of the girls crowding around the Oblation Men – they either screamed with glee, or looked away in embarrassment and turned red as tomatoes. All in all, the Oblation Run is a fun, quirky, and perhaps a tiny bit perverse tradition that is unique to UP.

Mob Rule in the Philippines

Since President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, the Philippines has been ruled by an unelected leader for 23 of the past 36 years – Marcos (1972-1986), Corazon Aquino (1986-1992), and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001-2004). The past 36 years of Philippine “democracy” have been rife with controversy, scandal, and chaos. Stable democracy in the Philippines has largely been a myth.

In the Philippines, mob rule is the name of the game.

The EDSA Revolutions of 1986 and 2001 are two of the most important events in Philippine history. Both, particularly EDSA I in 1986, are hailed as glorious triumphs of democracy. In fact, neither were truly democratic.

EDSA I can be excused despite being non-democratic. There was no democratic process through which the people could choose their leaders. There was no alternative to revolution. The fact that the transition of power was largely bloodless and relatively peaceful is a large credit to the Filipinos of that time.

The problem with EDSA I is that it set a dangerous precedent for destabilization and instability in the Philippine political system. Despite its correctness at the time, EDSA I was still undeniably an exercise of mob mentality – the whims of the three million Filipinos standing along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue decided the course of a country populated by over 80 million, meaning that less than 5% of Filipinos decided to overthrow Marcos.

EDSA II has little in common with EDSA I other than the street on which the “revolution” was centered. EDSA II was the realization of all the dangers set in place by EDSA I, a complete breakdown of the due process of law and Democracy. In hindsight, EDSA II was a hasty exercise of mob rule. The overthrow of President Joseph Estrada – a properly-elected president – without even the completion of the Senate impeachment trial was questionable, despite the allegations of corruption.

The most damaging legacy of Marcos may be the severe disruption he did to the democratic process of the Philippines. The tumultuous thing we have here masquerading as “democracy” can hardly be called that. Without reliable elections and more political stability, the Philippines can never be a truly democratic country.

The rising uproar over the attempts of Administration-allied Congressmen to make a “Charter Change” (Cha-Cha), which may potentially extend their terms and that of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo beyond the 2010 term cap, calls forth all these memories of political instability in the Philippines. If Cha-Cha somehow is passed into law, public outrage coupled with the intense unpopularity of President Arroyo could very well result in yet another EDSA Revolution.

If this is the case, the road to mature democracy in the Philippines will only grow much longer.

IC News, Issue #1

Here is the newsletter I slaved over for many an hour (click on the picture to prompt the download screen):