What Jed Mabilog failed to See

The Ilonggos’ fervor towards Jed Mabilog is a phenomenon what most political scientists would call “new face look”. He enjoyed a popular and relatively high rating among Ilonggos. After many years of the same political clan lording over the city, the people simply wants a new face regardless of political disposition and/or political affinity. Well aside from this, let’s give credit to Mayor Jed’s charisma being his reason for close affections to the Ilonggos.

But when choosing our leaders, d0 we consider a person’s position on different issues confronting us everyday? Example on the policy of economic development versus the welfare of the people? Or on the issue of public service over the interest of big businesses? Or simply on the issue of listening to people’s concern on livelihood, health, social services, etc. etc. etc.

Now that nine months have passed, I think this is the ripe time for me to say this. I am outraged with the City government’s way of dealing things around here. I know how politics work in the city and I know where to put myself. But sitting and waiting in vain while people are getting lambasted by the city government is simply intolerable. Watching people getting arrested for a crime they did not do is worse than barbarism mixed with impunity! And to top it all off, basking in political career over the real and true situation of the people is utterly disgusting.

Months ago, it seemed the city government is unfazed with the series of would-be-intentional brown outs of PECO and through the instigation of Panay Energy Development Council (PEDC). This gave way for the immediate operation of the Coal Fired Power Plant and in an instant, PNOY would be arriving in the city for the expected inauguration of the 254 mw power plant. Now why am I jumping off and shouting against this? Tell me, have you ever been to a consultation between the City government and the would-be affected people? Or have you heard the city telling us of alternatives other than the coal plant? Or do you even know how PEDC secured their ECC and business permits, despite of the strong opposition from the community?

Photo Courtesy of BAYAN Panay

I’ve just learned through a Facebook conversation with Mayor Jed that the CFPP is operating without a business permit. Yes, the Coal Fired Power Plant started operation last December 8, 2010 under a temporary business permit, prescribed by law to be allowed only for 60 days. Do the math. For 3 months and a half, does that still constitute 60 days as prescribed by law? Or does the City simply bows down to P4 Billion investment of Global Business Power Corporation? The reason why I’m against the Coal Fired Power Plant is not because I don’t want the city to develop the way other tiger economies have, but because it’s not the right way especially people are affected as collateral damage.

Last February 2010, 8 fisherfolks from Brgy. Ingore were illegally arrested on charges of qualified theft and trespassing. They were in fact along the shorelines of Brgy. Ingore doing what they do since birth, fishing. But since PEDC came to their peaceful community, their lives are at the mercy of the coal plant. They were arrested for trespassing on the “property” of PEDC, in fact in order to get to the shoreline you really have to pass through the service road of PEDC from the community proper. We also found out that a part of the livelihood of these people is selling scrap metals. Along the way they found lose metals when sold can be a big help to their daily survival. But the chief of security of PEDC argued they were in the territory of PEDC and stole those steel metals. Talk of double jeopardy eh? Kami na gani na dulaan trabaho, punggan pa kami mabuhi! Ano gusto nila matabo sa amon? Mangawat na lang guid tuod? (We already lost our living, and now they are stopping us from surviving! What do they want us to do? Become real thefts?) Exclaimed Nay Angeli, one of the 8 arrested.

We exposed this situation. We tried talking to city officials and even sent a letter to Mayor Jed. But one councilor said, there’s nothing the city can do about it because Global Business invested more than P4 Billion. Now it’s clear. Not only is the city biased against the people, but moreso they are hungry for empty investments. Empty? Because it does not directly uplift the livelihood and condition of the people, instead their investments can only be felt by who? I honestly don’t know. We still experience brownouts. Distribution charges will go up by October. Health of the people are put at risk. So, I try to question why is the City so insistent in defending the Coal Fired Power Plant? Is it because big people are behind this project? How much is their share of corruption? And is it that “big” that the city is willing to sacrifice its’ people over the gigantic investment of Global Business?

But here’s a bigger issue, the problem of the Iloilo River Development Project. In my previous statements, I did commend the city for pushing for the cleaning of the Iloilo River. But why does politics have to be involved when the problem is environment? Or am I just playing naïve given that this City was built on politics? The demolition of many establishments show how serious the city in addressing the problem of the Iloilo River Basin. They say siltation is causing the river to become shallow making it prone to overflowing. But why limit only to physical establishments along the river? Pepsi Cola, Big Hospitals, Plastic Factories and other industrial plants are throwing 1M cu. tons of waste in the upstream of Iloilo River. This was even supported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. But why focus on small people? Especially those 80 small fisherfolks who rely their living in small nets to capture shrimps along Iloilo River?

photo from Exploreiloilo.com

We found out that a Japanese and/or Singaporean company is willing to invest multi-million of pesos worth of project in Iloilo River by constructing a water sports complex. Isn’t that fancy? I wonder how much Sen. Drilon would tell us the investments would be? But this fiasco turned out to be a political one, again, when Mayor Jed bows down to Mr. Yee, a close ally of Congressman Jerry Treñas. So we begin to look at the bigger picture. Is Mayor Jed a victim of politics in the City?

So we challenge the City government. No we do not say that you’re wrong. We are saying that you’re policies are wrong. And we already said it before, being the Mayor or in the leadership is not a house party like you thought it would be. You want our understanding and help, first you have to listen to the legitimate demands of the people. You want alternatives? We’ve been giving you alternatives, but you prefer the easy way out. You don’t want enemies, who wants it anyway? What we want to happen here is to correct the errors of mismanagement, we don’t want to abolish the city. Not the way you deal with MIWD.

To Mayor Jed, open your office to the people and listen to them. Maybe you’ll find wisdom among these poor lost souls.

Unexplainable sensation of Joy!

I never imagined a life that is so vulnerable! Always resolute to weakness. I make myself strong that others see me as a man undoubtedly firm and full of conviction. But now, I bow before you, very meek and unable to break through.

As I face my inevitable downturn, I look back and remember when I was different. Compare the present me from the previous. The once mighty proud lion is now a gentle and tame young boy. Yes, I have loved before, enjoying the conscious realization of unexplainable feelings and value the very essential periphery of life. But now, why is it different? Why I succumb to the fulfilling foolish reactions, still unexplained by human logic, yet devastatingly enjoyable! My passion of love is still the same, though, but I give a little bit more credit to what “love” I have now.

“The once mighty proud lion is now a gentle and tame young boy. Yes, I have loved before, enjoying the conscious realization of unexplainable feelings and value the very essential periphery of life.”

Let me put it this way, I’m foolishly, madly, desperately, vigorously, intimately, passionately, and most of all, truthfully in love with you. The fact that I’m in love with you this way, sets a difference with how I’ve loved before. The explicit and vulgar expression that I love you is so much that I irrationally detest my years of principled existence. I have never questioned the essential experience of bourgeoise love as much as enjoyable as it may seem, but with you, I don’t care anymore. I’ll do whatever I have to do, and set the standards of making you the love of my life.

To me, you’re like the epitome of goddess Athena, coming down to the mortal world and radiated me your everlasting beauty. You make me smile. You make me laugh. You make me giggle everytime you smile. You make me cry, not because of pain but out of the abundance of love you’ve given me. You make me sing, although I usually don’t sing. You make me twist and turn everytime before I go to bed, thinking would you be still there the next day? You make me gaze, a forever and ever gaze of your face so angelic and pure. You make me dream, wishing and hoping the dream would come true. You make me fly, up above the clouds to reach the heavens and enjoy your warm embrace. But most of all, you make me love, the love that only you can make.

Now that this realization has come to its moral ground, let me raise this conscious act of loving again. The virtue of sacrificing everything just to have you is never comparable to the fact that you gave me a fraction of your life. I am nothing as compared to your other vestigial bandwagons. But you chose to stay. My insecurities can never compensate the success of the western wind to detest your insatiable vagrancies against me. The sensitive side of me rejoices as you remain fundamentally strong by my side.

But I wonder, though, whether your concept of whirlwind romance still prevails between us or is this the culmination of your seriousness and fidelity? Sometimes, you make me think whether love is at its purest and absolution that encompasses us or is this plainly and purely empirical? I doubt, and I will doubt further. Not unless our vow of commitment penetrates the level of satisfaction between me, you, and everybody else. I want you mine, I want you mine bigtime! But I hardly see the conclusive generalization for this to feasibly happen. It’s as if I am crawling already among rugged stones just to reach and satisfy your demands. But I will never be tired, a kilometer or two, or even a mile and swim the vast oceans, just to have you. All I’m wanting is the exclusive isolation of loving me and me alone. Give me the confidence I’m asking and understand my complete human behavior of imperfection.

Now and forever, I shall nurture this fact of emotional outburst and will forever be thankful for it. Let this kind of feeling grow amidst the failure of perfection and saturate within our hearts as we celebrate the love we both share. I know that we can make it, make it to the very last drop of sand in the hourglass and fulfill our passion of love. You know what we’ve gone through and you know what we need to go through. Hang on tight as we battle out rough seas and enjoy the roller coaster ride of the promise of love. I bow before you once again. I bow not because I adore you in its plainest content, but I bow before you out of respect and love. Stand by me as we face many challenges, holding your hands next to my heart, we will have the power of commitment that can forge unity and bind the majestic glory of love.

I love you. No other three words can best this feeling. Love me as well, as I know you do and I know you will.

The Problem with the Trying Hard Social Democrats

When Social Democrats started saying that the efforts of the National Democratic Movement in exposing their desperate attempt to co-opt the people, particularly the students, to their skewed principles in the disguise of empty reforms, they start to disillusion and align themselves to the fascist regime of the ruling class.

screen caps from Gibby Gorres wall

Let me outline their accusations against SAMASA, KABATAAN and STAND UP. First, they ignore the legal distinctions of National Democratic organizations by putting them on the same platform with that of the CPP/NPA/NDF. Second, they contextualize the National Democratic struggle as being blind to the democratic spaces provided within the framework of the mainstream politics. Third, they propose that the doctrines of JOMA and Mao are simply slogans of protest to hype the agitation and practice this method since the breakaway with them. Eventually, with all efforts to sound like a theoritician (slash) historian (slash) intellectual, they review the failure of the ND movement as the same with the failure of Stalin. Lastly, they challenged Pagbutlak to a head on debate.

The problem now with their accusations is the mismatched framework to start with. In a spectator’s point-of-view, they sound like the fascist state in their efforts on counter insurgency and in bringing down the National Democratic Movement. Putting the legal framework of student organizations on the same platform with the CPP/NPA/NDF, on one point can be a commendation, but on the other hand puts the organization’s safety and security at risk. Now that extra judicial killings and other state-sponsored terrorism on activists are once again rising, it will come to no surprise that the lives of activists are put in danger. And we have AKBAYAN, SCAP et. al. together with the AFP to be blamed for. And I thought they advocate for human rights protection? Remember Etta Rosales? or is she simply grandstanding on the issue?

Next, on their blatant ignorance that the ND movement is discounting the democratic space within the present status quo. Again, are they blind with current events or are they simply lost in translation? The efforts of Kabataan Partylist to participate in the rotten electoral system in order to register the interests of the students against tuititon fee increase and budget cuts is enough evidence that the ND has great recognition with the democratic spaces provided. But if you put AKBAYAN as your standard of embracing the democratic spaces in status quo, then that is where the ND differs from the Social Democrats. The appreciation of AKBAYAN with the democratic spaces in status quo is to fully rely and co-opt with the ruling class. Now, common logic would tell us that the ruling class will never give in to the demands of the basic mass (i.e. land reform, wage increase, and greater state subsidy). Their class character is the law of society that tells us, contradiction exists. The problem with their paradigm is to depend on the beaurucracy. If that is what you call “democratic space”, then I would rather resort to a “revolutionary space”.

On their note of categorizing the doctrines of JOMA and Mao Ze Dong as simply sloganeering and lie-peddling, it is not only a crime against history, but a crime against their own intellect. The principles and doctrines of Prof. Sison and Mao Ze Dong are the very foundations of the Revolutionary Movement of the Philippines since the 60’s. It is a well-analyzed school of thought that developed through the years with varying levels of struggle. The National Democratic Movement is a reflection of their doctrines, and not just simply a slogan or an agitation. But this does not hold the underground movement being parallel with the above ground movement. Assuming but not conceding on your argument, let us put this analogy then to your benefit, If SAMASA is to NPA, then AKBAYAN is to RPA. Am I right? Now, I am in no position to judge the NPA nor the RPA. But isn’t it that the RPA are now reduced to simply goons-for-hire and assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines? Aren’t you supportive of their socialist doctrines? Isn’t it that the de facto group of the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB) separated with your group because of Financial matters rather than principled discourse? The moment that you put malice in the words of Prof. Sison and Mao Ze Dong, you have to look first on your own backyard.

Next, they try to compare the failure of the ND movement to Stalin’s period of retrogressiveness. I suggest that you review again the Russian revolutionary struggle. The history of Joseph Stalin is not limited to the period of the Bolsheviks autocratic regime. Although, in this period, not all credits are given to Stalin alone. Trotsky was seen as being behind the shift of the Soviet Union from genuine socialism by introducing collaboration and co-optation through his literatures. Similar with that of Akbayan et al. But Stalin conceded with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and self criticized being his tactics were wrong and led a rectification movement within Soviet Union. Now, it may be true to your analogy that the ND movement is similar to the story of Stalin. Yes, the ND did rectify from the errors of opportunism and insurgency, the same way, Stalin rectified from both left and right opportunism. Therefore, your framework of Pagbutlak’s differentiation of Democratic Socialist and Social Democrats is totally opposite to what the real history of the Soviet Union really was.

And to be frank with it, the Social Democrats are masters of propaganda and collaborationism. Their so-called policy of reforms are actually remnants of their ideological breakaway from the national democratic movement. They are like parasites to whoever administration there is. In the start of Ramos’ administration, it can be recalled that one great Social Democrat in the name of RUben Torres was appointed Executive Secretary. Even under the stinking administration of Erap Estrada and GLoria Arroyo, top positions were held by Social Democrats. And now that Noynoy Aquino is in office, majority of his cabinet are social democrats. Now, we wonder why they insist on collaboration but fail to resolve the issues of society. Instead, they are pushed to quench the policy of reform and draft a somewhat acceptable imperialist imposition of neo-liberal globalization. In effect, they try so hard to reach out with the masses when in fact they contradict with the interest of the people.

And so I suggest to them, stop contradicting yourself because you are already full of contradictions. Yes, I challenge you to a head on debate on issues ranging from politics, economics, society and even on theories. But make sure not to make yourself a laughing stock when you fail to answer my questions.

Completely Ironic

Here’s one thing I really find ironic, calling yourself independent, more so neutral, but telling the whole world you are aligned with the social democrats!

I know Partido sang Mainuswagon nga Bumulutho (Party of Progressive Students) or PMB is a long running political party whose core principle is to spite the national democratic left through the Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (Student Defenders for the People) or commonly known SAMASA. But aligning yourselves with SCAP is completely shameful. To me, this has come to no surprise. But telling students that you are independent minded and neutral on the different issues of society is the ultimate expression of being traitor to your own principles.

The social democrats through the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), so the whole PMB will know, is a break away faction of the National Democratic Movement. Ideologically, they have rejected the principles of the democratic revolution and made misleading assessment on the basic characteristics of the Philippine society. Within the organizational framework of the social democrats (AKBAYAN, SCAP, MASP) and former member organizations like San Lakas, Alab Katipunan (AK), Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) cannot even unite on a single banner of genuinely serving the people. I say former member organizations, because they cannot even consolidate on a common principle, resulting to a defunct leadership of the social democrats.

Today, we only hear these organizations everytime money comes in. Ever heard of the Php 4 Billion Pork Barrel alloted by PNOY to AKBAYAN? Why don’t they rechannel that fund to the slashed budget on education? They claim to be pro-students in the first place, right? And isn’t it more ironic, putting the leaders of your organization on top government positions, it’s like playing tag-you’re-it all by yourself! You claim government failure to address poverty and there, you put the president of your organization as Chief Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs! Talking of being ironic! Akbayan’s chairman Emeritus Etta Rosales is so noisy when it comes to Marcos related Human Rights violations, and even with PGMA’s administration, but have we ever heard her condemn the Hacienda Luisita Massacre? Now that’s what I call a classic boot-licker! What about the defunct faction of San Lakas et al, do they still exist? No honestly, it was an honest to goodness question, do they still exist?

The Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) is one of the proponents of the Magna Carta (sic) for students (sic). But have you ever heard of their proposed Magna Carta? They even recognize Tuition Increase as a vital instrument in developing quality education. What’s the essence of being a magna carta that violates the very interest of the students, quality and affordable education? They also promote “pro-active” activism by allotting specific spaces or areas inside campuses for rallies and student protests. Now, when did the right of expression became limited? It’s like protesting the fascist rule of OSA in the canteen!

Historically speaking, the concept of Social Democracy can be traced to Socialism. Karl Marx and Frederick Engels even contributed to the development of this concept. But why is PMB so allergic to socialism? or to give justice to the term “allergic”, they confuse themselves with how socialism works. In socialism, education is no longer commercialized and is banned from being source of super profits. But here they go positioning to be pro – Tuition Fee Increase. If they ally themselves with SCAP, it’s basic that they recognize and ally themselves to the principles of the organization.

Now, here’s my question, does everybody in PMB even know the principles of SCAP? I am no scap member but I can tell them the principles of SCAP. It’s a complete shit. Here’s my challenge to PMB being a former UPV CAS student, your principles of being student-centric should reflect on the real interest of the students. But making yourself a puppet of a pseudo-student organization is simply stupid.

Now that election in UPV CAS is near, I believe PMB should think twice in allying themselves to SCAP before they tell the students they are worthy to be elected in office. For PMB members, you may post your response. I’d love to hear them.

Cheers! For SAMASA, feel free to tag yourselves and share this.

After Vietnam then what?

I knew from the start that PNOY’s trip to Vietnam will be a record-breaking, smash-hitting, top-ranking beauty treatment for his government. Taking advantage of his ardent new administration it was easy for him to make GMA’s recylced foreign policy look brand new.

PNOY with other ASEAN leaders during the 17th ASEAN summit

One thing I’m sure of is his gesture of further opening the Philippine Economy to foreign invasion is a desperate sign that the Philippines is nowhere near pogress or development. I dunno whether he is playing it dumb or simply has no idea of Philippine general information when he procalimed we can learn a lot from the Vietnamese on how to run our own Agriculture. Isn’t it that we were the ones who taught them (vietnamese) how to develop  their agriculture? This statement coming from the head of state of an agriculture based country is a proof that he is incompetent for the job.

PNOY delivering a speech in Vietnam

But let me now argue on the merit that indeed his visit to Vietnam to attend the ASEAN summit will bring (sic) development to the country or not. His various meetings with ASEAN leaders including the Prime Ministers of Japan and New Zealand was tagged by Communications Strategy Secretary Ricky Carandang as a sign of new friendship to these developed countries. In an interview with Inquirer.net he also said PNOY was able to deal with various cooperation agreements and assistance from Japan for Filipino nurses and the P21.4 Billion Road Improvement loan. He also boasted of PNOY’s position in calling for the immediate release of Myanmar’s detained Democracy leader Aung Saan Suu Kyi. And to top it all off, he said PNOY has offered to host the six-party talk on the dispute between South Korea and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea). All these aggrandized PNOY’s second official foreign trip and first ever ASEAN meeting.

But despite of all these, why am I against the government’s optimism and fanaticism with the ASEAN, particularly PNOY’s lost ambition of the ASEAN helping the Filipino people? Well, I guess my answer would be the Dependency Theory of Hans Singer and Raul Prebisch (a.k.a. Singer-Prebisch Thesis). In their thesis, both Singer and Prebisch argued that the flow of natural resources of an underdeveloped country to a limited number of rich states will further enrich the latter while the former will remain impoverished. Putting this to the ASEAN perspective, obviously the Philippines is the latter while Japan, New Zealand, China and other developed countries engaged in bilateral economic agreements with our country is the former. I do understand PNOY’s train of thought while doing all these bilateral agreements. He may be thinking of “what the heck, as long as I can show something to the Filipino people when I get back home!”.

The bilateral trade agreement with Japan is an already rotten policy of GMA under the Japan – Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), which ironically PNOY voted against when he was still a senator. Japan’s response of reviewing their policy for Filipino nurses as part of the trade agreement is not enough to compensate the dumping of supply of overproduction to our country. Not only that it is not enough, but is insulting for us Filipinos to restrict our foreign policy with Japan to trading Filipino Nurses as exported goods. SHAME!

But all (dis)credit does not go to PNOY alone. From the very start, the ASEAN is already a by-product of the US-led Imperialist Characteristic of Politically dividing the world into sub-regions for greater influence and military advantage. No wonder the US can never be absent in any ASEAN meeting! Simultaneously, PNOY responded with boot-licking to the US by embracing the CIA-tailored counter insurgency program by extending OBLII and further ratifying the Visiting Forces Agreement. So by reason of affiliation, the Philippines’ role in the ASEAN is sanctified with the US’ benediction and influence. And so, this made me realize the ASEAN is simply a disguise for the US to subjugate the freedom loving peoples of Southeast Asia. Hah! Further, the ASEAN’s direction of becoming an economic bloc as prescribed by their previous conferences is tailored again to disguise the US’ intention of putting a solid competition against the rampage of the Chinese economy against the western market. Imagine China now being an economic power in the world market and US is afraid of the Chinese takeover. Talks have been made under the Shanghai Cooperation of developing the markets of Hong Kong and China to overtake the western market’s influence over Asia. This made it clear of the US’ intention of putting ASEAN as a shield against them. But China’s involvement in the ASEAN affairs poses a threat to the US and putting further the Philippines in a game of tug-of-war. But I believe it is obvious that this government will remain faithful with the US and will forever bow down to their interest.

So, why am I against the Philippines joining the ASEAN again?

Two things. First, politically we remain at the mercy of the US being the highest market supplier of ASEAN countries and in effect we remain resilient with our Foreign Policy towards them. And second, economically we are put at the disadvantage of directly controlling our trade agreements with other countries as it is deemed useless to present a fair trade agreement with the ASEAN.

So, all those promises of development PNOY has brought home is incomparable to the disadvantages he has brought upon to the Filipino people. I am ashamed of the President of the Philippines and I ashamed that you are proud of him.

Rotting out ROTC

While doing my nightly routine of checking my Facebook account and watching the late night news, something caught my attention that I immediately turned into it. The usual voice of Arnold Clavio of Saksi (GMA7) announcing the banner news on the revival of Mandatory ROTC instead of the now – NSTP, made my spine shiver for a moment, thinking “what the hell?!”.

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), for me, is already a desperate tactic of the Armed Forces to infiltrate the minds of the students against the cultivation of revolutionary thoughts inside the campus. Hearing DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin saying that the Armed Forces needed a mobilizable force in times they “needed” it, is a blatant suggestion that the AFP is losing its battle in whoever enemy they’re against with.

I write this entry because I’m confused. For how many times have we heard the Armed Forces saying that they are winning the battle against the insurgent New People’s Army (NPA) and the secessionist Moro Islamis Liberation Front (MILF), and now they “need” a mobilizable force? Mobilizable force for what? In times of disasters? I don’t think they are the most capable group of people to help in times of disasters. So again, we raise this question: mobilizable force for what? In case we declare war against China? Vietnam? or North Korea? or the other way around? Oh c’mon! I really think what Sec. Gazmin meant in his statement was an off-shoot of the military’s frustration to actually crush the existing civil war in the country. A realization that no government admited, a realization that the reactionary forces never admited, believing that they had the best policy to combat a revolution. So with this desperate actions of the Armed Forces, it made me believe more that they are actually losing against the New People’s Army or the MILF. Ha! It just all makes sense then.

Back in my elementary years, I was made to believe that the Armed Forces of the Philippines will protect us from anything. That they are ready to die for the Filipinos, that they will defend the country no matter what it takes, etc. etc. yada, yada. But now, I ask myself, who will protect me from them? In case the military will hunt me down because of my “so-called” revolutionary ideas, will they gun down their own men? Everytime I walk around the city or find time catching the latest movies, I always feel somebody is following me. A friend of mine once mentioned to me I was being watched by some elements of the Intelligence unit of the Armed Forces, well for whatever reason she had for telling me or how she got that information, it’s enough proof already to send chills to someone, especially to somebody who is against the government. It’s really ironic, really, for the Armed Forces to aggrandize themselves as protectors of the people, if for a fact they are attributed to the deaths of more than a thousand activists in just a span of nine years! And none of these cases were ever resolved. Shame!

Now that the issue of a mandatory ROTC is being revived, it made me wonder more why the state instrument for all military operations, the Armed Forces, is so adamant in reinforcing this law? Let us review the history why it was abolished then. Remember Mark Chua of UST? Everybody back in 2002 knows very well what happened. A promising ROTC officer who exposed the perils of its own organization (corruption and tyranny) got killed by suspected members of the Armed Forces themselves. He was summoned to Fort Bonifacio for some tactical briefing (sic) but was found dead along Pasig river two days after. Now, why would we point our fingers to the AFP? Oh yeah, his commandant which happened to be a ranking officer of the AFP was suspended from UST and is carrying the blame for the “AFP is corrupt” on their foreheads! The shame and tragedy poor Mark Chua brought to the AFP. Tsk. Tsk.

taken from http://www.stetvip.org/.../images/ROTC_logo-120x152.jpg

The AFP’s so-called military discipline is neither the best answer why there’s a need to revive the mandatory ROTC! I always believe that discipline is key to national progress or something like that. But shaping the active and dynamic nature of young individuals through military discipline is purely barbaric! I personally think that military discipline is not the best method for disciplining anyone. Rather, it creates fear and hamper individual rights for self – preservation and dignity! I’ve never been a fan of Machiavelli anyway, so no need to argue with me why I don’t believe in military discipline. I always think that once people understand the need to obey and follow orders, it is enough reason already for discipline to happen, rather than impose, obey before you ask and give me 10 drops kind of discipline.

So if you ask me, I don’t think ROTC should exist in the first place. If we need an academic moot to cultivate nationalism among the students, what we need is emphasis on the historical dynamics of why and how this God-forsaken country became poor! Teach the fresh young minds of what happened before martial law, how economic policies transformed a neo-liberal globalized economy for our country! Explain how the ruling class lorded over Philippine politics since our pseudo-independence in 1946! We don’t need the military to teach us how to become nationalists through their barbaric methods. What we need is a scientific and direct overhaul of our education that really fulfills the requirements for nationalism.

Sec. Gazmin with Gen David and President Aquino

So to Sec. Gazmin and the whole AFP, prove to us your different from your predecessors. But if you allow yourselves to be devoured by you warlike methods, people will defy you. And of course, to everybody’s favorite (sic) President Noy Aquino, if this is your so-called daang matuwid, I’d rather choose the crooked path instead.

Cheers to everyone!

DEFIANCE and DISSENT

I want to start off with a new blog. My old one is no longer active, but for whatever reason let me share it to everyone instead, www.lrporquia.wordpress.com

I developed my interest in writing since I was in highschool, but this tendency of procastinating made me ineffective as a writer. But hey, everybody’s saying people change, so let me start off again with a new blog, a new pen and new thoughts in mind.

Writing to me is like showing off, a cat walk on the ramp. But instead of brandishing clothes, writers’ try to fancy their audience with their words. The most pragmatic, down-to-earth words are the more appealing and easily understood. But sometimes, we try to intellectualize our write ups with some scholarly words. It’s like doing a fashion show with Vogue, Prada and Mossimo put altogether into one fantastic show. That’s why, most trying hard writers, like me, end up sounding like a douche bag.

But enough with that crap, let me tell you now about my blog. Why I even bothered doing one and naming it Defiance and Dissent. You might say, I’m trying to be cynical, to have some cyincal kind of title with some cynical attitude in writing. Well, I’m no cynic. I have different ideas on mind, I might be indifferent to some but I very much jive with the group.

Once upon a time I promised myself to be a famous writer. But I ended up shouting on the streets. I also said to myself I’m going to be a great lawyer, winning debates on cases and all that jazz. But now I’m trying to win the debate against the government and with some ideologically crooked self-proclaimed leftist. But one thing’s for sure though, nothing will stop me from becoming a blogger, err trying to become a blogger.

Defiance and Dissent are synonymous. According to the Meriam-Webster dictionary, defiance is defined as disposition to resist : willingness to contend or fight; while dissent is defined as difference of opinion. So why name a blog that is so antagonistic? Simply because contradiction exists. In a society where the culture of political positivism is highly endemic, contradiction will surely exist. Hence, let me be one of those people who nurture contradiction and alter society with my ideas.

My idea of liberating one’s mind is not like how the movie Inception portrays it to be, rather it is when we explore the possibility of a new idea under a highly influenced society of backward thoughts. Again, putting myself in a skirmish of ideas, it’s like going into battle with only a limited number of soldiers on the same ranks as mine.

So why choose the Oblation? The very symbol that the UP is so proud of? Well, as ironic as it may sound, it reminds me of my “maturing” age. The time when I entered the real world of activism and chosing a path I won’t be able to retrace no more. A liberating idea that will forever be liberated.

So, as I begin my writing career on this isolated world of blogging, let me throw off my hat and say cheers to everyone.