REPOST

REPOST

 

          Initially, I don’t know which of the numerous titles coming out of my mind to use for this blog post. At first I was thinking of just titling it “Untitled.” Then again, this was a repost of a piece I wrote in my Facebook page about a year ago. That Facebook page was “erased” without explanation or prior notice from FB Philippines.

          The piece was titled “Open Letter,” and posted on Facebook on September 8, 2018. It’s about my past experience as a journalist during Cory Aquino's repressive Yellow Regime, and my present observation as a socio-political enthusiast. It’s about freedom of speech and freedom of expression. It’s about telling the real story behind the false facades and political hypes. It went viral for a while. And I thought nobody was reading my posts.

          Today, one year after, I’m republishing – reposting - it here on my blog.

 

“Ito ay open letter sa mga bumabatikos, nang-iinsulto at lumalait sa pagkatao ni Pangulong Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Kung tutuusin, dapat kayong magsaya at magpasalamat dahil may kalayaan kayong gawin ang mga bagay na iyan na hindi nangyari sa mga nakaraang rehimen.

Ibabahagi ko sa inyo ang ilan kong karanasan bilang manunulat.

Noong rehimen ni Cory Aquino, nagsusulat ako sa mahigit isang dosenang publications, magazines and newspapers. Sinasabi noon na ibinalik daw ni Cory ang demokrasya at kalayaan sa pamamahayag. Malaking kasinungalingan iyan. Tatlong pagkakataon na lang ang babanggitin ko:

1. Sumulat ako ng dalawang environmental articles para sa Philippine Free Press. Yung isa tungkol sa logging sa mga watershed areas at yung pangalawa ay tungkol sa Philippine Eagle. These are my first submissions for the publication. Ipinatawag ako afterwards sa editorial office. Ang sabi nila ipa-publish ang mga articles ko if..... (A.) Gagawin kong first-person narrative ang mga articles (No problem with this). (B.) Tatanggalin ko yung mga papuri ko kay Marcos at batikos kay Cory (Dito ang problema). Pinuri ko kasi si Marcos dahil sa kaniyang environmental concerns at binatikos ko naman si Cory dahil sa kaniyang environmental neglects. Kumampi sa akin yung isang editor na lalaki. Sinabi niya na “Philippine Free Press sila at dapat bigyang laya ang both sides of the issue.” Pero hindi pumayag yung dalawang babaeng editors.

Naalala niyo ba noong panahon ni Marcos na pinagtatanim ng mga tree seedlings ang mga kadete sa high school at college sa mga watershed areas sa Angat, Ipo at La Mesa. May foresight si Marcos. Nakita niya ang mangyayari sa hinaharap. I also saw this and I wrote an article about it. Malalaki na kasi ang mga punongkahoy na yun at nila-logging ng mga maimpluwensyang kapanalig ni Cory. I gave a warning in my article that if it continues, magkakaroon ng flooding sa Bulacan, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon at Navotas, at magkakaroon ng water shortage sa Metro Manila. My articles were not published because I did not compromise. Well, what Marcos foresaw and what I predicted in my article happened and is still happening.

2. I wrote an article with regards to Cory stopping the Metro Manila flood control projects of Marcos for MOD magazine. Detalyado yun. EXCERPTS: “Out of vindictiveness, Pres. Aquino is sacrifing the lives and livelihoods of the people of Metro Manila..... If the Flood Control Projects of former Pres. Marcos are discontinued, in a decade or two, there will be massive flooding and inundation in more than 70 percent of Metro Manila. Nakiusap as akin si Mrs. Sioco (editor-in-chief ng MOD) na baguhin ko ang article, to make it “suggestive of solutions rather than critical.” She admitted to me years later na nagkaroon ng mahigpit na “pagbabawal sa pag-critize kay Cory.” Well, again, what I predicted in that unpublished article happened and is still happening.

3. I submitted a dissertation depending Senator Jovito Salonga’s stand in favor of the removal of U.S. military bases in the Philippines. Remember that Cory was for the “Status quo” – that the bases stay. Kaya nga natanggal si Sen. Salonga sa pagka-Senate President dahil sinuway niya si Cory (Just imagine, kapartido pa nila). EXCERPTS: “Pres. Marcos was branded by activists as a U.S. puppet, and these same activists helped put Pres. Aquino in Malacañang. What would they say now that Cory is for the retention of the U.S. Military Bases? This she did in gratitude for the Americans who helped deposed Marcos and put her in power. Would they venture to say that she is ‘a puppet in the making’ or ‘an already-puppet in disguise?’ Poor Senator Salonga took the brunt of her anger, when the ‘nationalist’ (though he’s a Liberal) lawmaker insisted that ‘the Americans should go.’ He got booted out of the Senate leadeship..... But Mother Nature decided for herself what is best for the Philippines when Mount Pinatubo erupted and the Americans quickly scampered out of Clark and Subic. I don’t think Cory can do anything about that. Thank God! Hahaha!” Again, my dissertation article was never published. Editor Bernie de Leon told me that if he published it, “mame-memo kami!”

I’m still lucky. Senator Salonga lost the Senate leadership and lost the support of the Makati Business Club for his presidential bid for disobeying Cory. Worst, my friend Lean Alejandro died for criticizing and organizing a nationwide rally against Cory. Same happened to Rolando Olalia.

Kaya inuulit ko, sa mga bumabatikos, nang-iinsulto at nanglalait sa pagkatao ni Pres. Duterte, pasalamat kayo at malaya ninyong nagagawa iyan ngayon.

Ito pa ang mga dapat ninyong pagmuni-muniin:

Unprecedented ang dami ng mga bumoto kay Pres. Duterte. Kaya nga anomang plans ng pandaraya sa kaniya ay hindi nagawa. Hanggang ngayon, napakataas ng tiwala ng taong-bayan sa kaniya. Kaya kahit anong batikos ang gawin sa kaniya, wa-epek!

Bakit napakataas ng tiwala ng taong-bayan sa kaniya? Marahil may nakikita silang tama. May nakikita silang aksyon. May nakikita silang ginagawa sa bawat dumarating na problema. Hindi katulad ng mga nakaraang rehimen.

Bakit sa kabila ng mga pagbibiro niya sa mga kababaihan ay iniidolo pa rin siya ng mga “ilaw ng tahanan,” mga masang kababaihan? Marahil may nakikita silang tama. Bale wala sa kanila ang pagbibiro. Ang mahalaga sa kanila ay ang mga programa ni Pres. Duterte para sa ikabubuti ng kapakanan ng kababaihan. Pag-amin nga ng isang kaibigan kong taga-Gabriela, hirap silang makapag-anyaya ng mga sasali sa kanilang rally.

Coup d’etat? Isang malaking kaululan iyan. Bakit? Si Pres. Duterte ang naglaan ng pinakamalaking budget para sa modernization ng AFP. Walang corruption sa pagbili ng BAGONG mga gamit. Hindi katulad ng galing sa U.S. na bulok at pinagsawaan na ng panahon. Ang galing China, bago!, Ang galing Russia, bago! Ang galing Korea, bago! Ang galing Israel, bago! Ang galing Jordan, bago! Itinaas niya ang sahod at social benefits ng mga pulis at militar.

So, sinong baliw ang tutugon sa panawagan ni Trillanes na maaaring magbunga pa ng civil war? Sawa na rin ang lahat sa paulit-ulit na nangyayari sa ating lipunan. Sawa na sa paggamit ng mga traditional politician (trapo) na kapag nasa posisyon na ay wala ng pakialam sa taong-bayan. Sawa na sa mga balimbing at laging palpak (LP) na pulitiko. Sawang-sawa na ang taong-bayan! Kaya nga kung maranasan ninyo na ma-bashed sa social media dahil sa panglalait niyo sa pangulo, katibayan lang iyan na maraming taong-bayan ang panig sa kaniya.

Kung totoong ginagawa niyo ito ng wala kayong napapalang anoman. Aba’y magsuri kayo at baka kayo’y nagagamit lamang upang magkaroon ng pagkakabaha-bahagi sa ating lipunan. Ito ang gusto ng oligarkiya, ng naghaharing-uri, ng mga pasista at imperyalista, divide and conquer.

Kung may tinatanggap naman kayong kabayaran sa inyong pagbatikos at panglalait sa pangulo, matakot kayo sa ngitngit ng taong-bayan at matakot kayo sa parusa ng DIYOS.

Nasusulat (Unawaing mabuti): 'Pasakop kayo sa palatuntunan ng tao ayon sa kagustuhan ng Panginoon; sa pinakamataas na namumuno, sa mga gobernador, na sinugo ng DIYOS upang magparusa sa mga nagsisigawa ng masama at magbigay kapurihan sa nagsisigawa ng mabuti. Siyang kalooban ng DIYOS, na dahil sa pagawa ng mabuti ay inyong mapatahimik ang kamangmangan ng mga taong palalo. Mamuhay kayo sa kalayaan, subalit huwag ninyong gawing balabal sa paggawa ng masama ang inyong kalayaan, kundi gaya ng mga alipin ng DIYOS. Igalang ninyo ang lahat ng mga tao. Ibigin ninyo ang pagkakapatiran. Mangatakot kayo sa DIYOS. Igalang ninyo ang sa inyo’y namumuno.' – I Pedro 2:13-17, Ang Banal na Kasulatan.”

 

          The next paragraph was a post of gratitude to the many who liked, praised, commented on, and shared my “Open Letter,” two days later.

  

“Sa dami ng mga comments ninyo, hindi ko kayang sagutin lahat. Lubos akong nagpapasalamat sa inyong lahat. Karamihan sa mga nag-like ng aking open letter at nagbigay papuri ay hindi ko naman kakilala o FB friends. Sinulat ko ito dahil sawa na rin ako sa mga nababasa kong pambabatikos at panglalait sa ating pangulo. Wala na nga silang naitutulong sa ating bansa, nanggugulo pa. Mabuti sana kung meron sila kahit katiting na naitutulong sa bayan, sa mamamayan, sa pag-ahon sa kahirapan, sa paglaban sa kriminalidad. Wala eh. Puro lang sila puna at ngawa. Tama na! Sawa na ang taong-bayan! At nitong nakaraang araw ay nabasa ko ang tala sa Bibliya (I Pedro 2:13-17). Maliwanag ang sinasabi at hindi makapangangatuwiran ang sino mang tao kung siya ay KRISTIYANO at sumusunod sa aral ng Banal na Kasulatan: Ang mamumuno ng bayan na nagpaparusa sa masama ay itinalaga ng DIYOS.... At tayo, kahit binigyan ng kalayaan, hindi natin dapat ginagamit ito sa paggawa ng masama..... Dapat nating igalang ang sa ati’y pinakamataas na namumuno.”

MEMORIES OF THE YELLOW REGIME



MEMORIES OF THE YELLOW REGIME
(THE LONG-HIDDEN TRUTH)

          One can consider the events that happened after the 1986 EDSA Revolt – when the oligarchic leeches grabbed political power and deposed an elected president, Ferdinand E. Marcos (1917-1989) – to be among the grimmest in Philippine history. Let’s look at it at the perspectives of artists, caricaturists and photographers. 

          Not even a year after the de facto government of Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino (1933-2009) took over, the Mendiola Massacre happened on January 22, 1987. It will be remembered in Philippine History as the Black Thursday when unarmed farmers were fired upon by the police, soldiers, and PSGs killing 17 and injuring several dozens more. Though the media were supressed, the grim memories and gruesome mementos of that infamous day will not be forgotten. Most of the photographs and documentations of that darkest of days were either confiscated and destroyed, or deliberately revised to mislead the public. Only a few remained intact to unveil the stories of horror and brutalities committed during the so-called Yellow Regime. Very few mainstream journalists during Cory’s reign – Louie Beltran (1936-1994), Renato Constantino (1919-1999), Melinda Liu, Catherine Manegold, Luis Teodoro, Rigoberto Tiglao, Luisa Torregosa – had the courage to tell the truth.

Pictures of the grim Mendiola Massacre through the lens of photojournalist Luis Liwanag.
(January 22, 1987)

 

A few more surviving memories of the Mendiola Massacre, the legacy of the Yellow Regime.



          Quite unknown to the general public, Cory Aquino’s regime committed hideous records of human-rights violations. From March 1986 to December 1991, the number of warrantless arrests and detention reached nearly 16,000. Extrajudicial executions numbered 1,733 cases, including 189 that occurred in 1990 alone. Only in recent years that much of the hidden atrocities of the Cory Regime were being uncovered, together with that of her son, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s deeds of graft and corruptions. History, indeed, will always correct itself. Tribulation and karma will in time reach all those who are the real culprits of injustices.

Happy Birthday Cory.
Three days after the grim Mendiola Massacre,
coffins were laid on the foot bridge leading to Malacañang,
as birthday gifts to a yellow fascist leader.

          At the onset Cory Aquino was branded by both local and foreign media as the “bringer of democracy” in the Philippines. The color yellow, her color, became the pigment of hope. It didn’t take long, however, before the masked evil started to show its face. All of her regime’s promises of reforms never happened. The government did nothing to alleviate the suffering of the people. The price of commodities skyrocketted to more than sixty times its value barely a year after. The oligarchy allied to Cory’s regime entrenched themselves in politics, media and utility businesses. The rich became richer and the poor became poorer.

Flying Galunggong.
Prices of commodities skyrocketed beyond the reach of the common tao,
including the so-called poor man’s fish, galunggong,
that soon it was sarcastically dabbed as “Cory fish” by activists.

 

          Graft and corruption became the order of the day, as the political leeches imprisoned by the Marcos administration were released and given political tenure in Cory’s government. Scalawags in the police and military also freely abused the citizenry. Cory’s allies were holding the power and the rein in the tri-media, and because of this very little if any of the abuses were made public.

 

          President Cory Aquino was for the retention of the US military bases in the Philippines, despite the abuses committed by the American servicemen. Senator Jovito Salonga (1920-2016) and several nationalist senators defied the president and pushed for its removal. Mount Pinatubo erupted on June 12, 1991, as if Mother Nature is declaring that the Philippines be freed from the “bald eagle’s claws.” It could also be interpreted as a warning to the incumbent powers-that-be that there are greater forces watching over the nation.

The Many Faces of Mount Pinatubo’s Eruption.
For several days since June 12, 1991, Philippine Independence Day,
the volcano dormant for more than 600 years came to life,
and became one of the strongest volcanic eruptions in recorded history.
(Pilipino Reporter #283, July 21, 1991)

 

Glimpses of the destruction brought about by Mt. Pinatubo’s Wrath.
(Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 19, 1991 and Philippines Star, August 1991)

           The US military bases in the Philippines were established through the Parity Agreement in 1947, which allowed the United States to establish and operate air and naval bases in the Philippines for a period of 99 years. This agreement also started the Philippines’ so-called “mendicant foreign policy.” Interesting to note that it was President Manuel Roxas (1892-1948), one of the founding fathers of the Liberal Party, who initiated this policy. Claro M. Recto (1890-1960) and Jose P. Laurel (1891-1959) opposed it. President Roxas even made a public speech of loyalty (according to Recto, more like subserviency or sycophancy), “kissing the American anus,” at the Kelly Theater on April 15, 1948.

          After the abolition of the 1935 Constitution, and the ratification of the 1973 constitution, then First Lady Imelda Marcos’ visited Cuba. She learned from Fidel Castro (1926-2016) that “after 30 years, any lease agreement between sovereign nations concerning land occupancy becomes permanent, and may only be abrogated by mutual consent.” This was based on Cuba’s experience regarding the Guantanamo Naval Base. That is how the base inside Cuba became US property, since sovereignty was absolute within the premises of the said base, and the lease agreement cannot be unilaterally terminated. Upon knowing this, she immediately told President Ferdinand E. Marcos knowing fully its parallel consequence on Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base. Thereupon subsequent amendments and provisions in the Constitution were made and new agreement drafted such that the military bases became renegotiable every five years. In reality, it is President Marcos  that we should thank for the removal of the US military bases (It was considered as one of the prime reason why Pres. Marcos was deposed).

          This made it possible for the Philippine Senate in 1991 under Jovito Salonga to vote for the removal of the bases. President Cory Aquino was for the status quo; she doesn’t want her benefactor to leave. Aquino, in a vain effort to make the Senate ratify the treaty extending the Military Bases Agreement, even led a march to the Senate with around a thousand of her supporters to lobby for the approval of the treaty.

          We should also bear in mind that it was during Cory Aquino’s regime that the American soldiers in the military bases had their heydays raping Filipino women and children, and she and her government didn’t lift a finger or say a word in protest of these gruesome crimes. The same holds true with our oversea domestic helpers raped by their foreign employers. The words of Aquino’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Raul Manglapus (1918-1999) – “If rape is certain, relax and enjoy it!” – still reverberates to this day from our country’s darkest moments.
          Despite Aquino’s lobbying, however, the Philippine Senate, by a vote of 12-11, rejected the proposed treaty to renew the military bases agreement. The 12 senators, whom the media later dubbed the “Magnificent 12,” were Senate President Jovito Salonga and senators Agapito Aquino (1939-2015), Juan Ponce Enrile, Joseph Estrada, Teofisto Guingona Jr., Sotero Laurel (1918-2009), Ernesto Maceda (1935-2016), Orlando Mercado, Aquilino Pimentel Jr (1933-2019), Rene Saguisag, Wigberto Tañada and Victor Ziga. They signed Resolution 1259 of Non-Concurrence to the proposed treaty. “The treaty is defeated,” so announced Salonga at the time.
          Senator Salonga, who has headed the 23-member Senate for five years and clashed frequently with President Aquino, for his part, paid a price for his defiance of the yellow widow’s wishes. The nationalist senator (though he was also a Liberal Party member just like the Aquinos) was voted out as Senate President and his financial backer in the business community withdrew their support for his presidential bid.

The underground Mitsa Komiks (1991-1992):

The messages of the illustrations are very clear!



          I remember submitting a dissertation defending Senator Jovito Salonga’s stand in favor of the removal of U.S. military bases in the Philippines.

EXCERPTS: “Pres. Marcos was branded by activists as a U.S. puppet, and these same activists helped put Pres. Aquino in Malacañang. What would they say now that Cory is for the retention of the U.S. Military Bases? This she did in gratitude for the Americans who helped deposed Marcos and put her in power. Would they venture to say that she is ‘a puppet in the making’ or ‘an already-puppet in disguise?’ Poor Senator Salonga took the brunt of her anger, when the ‘nationalist’ (though he’s a Liberal) lawmaker insisted that ‘the Americans should go.’ He got booted out of the Senate leadership..... But Mother Nature decided for herself what is best for the Philippines when Mount Pinatubo erupted and the Americans quickly scampered out of Clark and Subic. I don’t think Cory can do anything about that. Thank God! Hahaha!”

          My dissertation article was never published. Editor Bernie de Leon told me that if he published it, “mame-memo kami!”

          Senator Salonga lost the Senate leadership and the support of the Makati Business Club for his presidential bid for disobeying Cory. He could have been a very good president. 

A tribute to Senator Jovito Salonga from the Claire Delfin Media (left),
and the banner headline of Philippine Daily Inquirer December 13, 1991 issue (right).



 

          Another instance for which I was indirectly a party in interest is that of my friend Lean Alejandro (1960-1987), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) founder. Sometime in July 1987, about two months before he was killed, he invited me to eat pansit malabon to talk about “something.” July was, incidentally, both our birth month. He told me that he was disappointed of the outcome of events and was planning a nationwide protest rally to air these disappointments. I told him to be careful as Cory’s regime and the leeches around her are very vindictive and the rule of law does not yet have grounds to stand on after the EDSA Revolt.

          I still remember what he said to me: “Isang kabalintunaan naman na ngayon pa ako papatayin kung kailan naitatag ang sinasabi nilang demokrasya.” (It’s ironic that they will try to assassinate me now that they said they have established democracy.) In answer, I reminded him of what happened to KMU leader Rolando Olalia, who was assassinated just a few months after Cory’s ascension to power. We both felt cold shivers ran down our spines that instance.

          On September 17, 1987, Lean Alejandro announced that BAYAN will launched a nationawide protests and demonstrations. Two days later, he was cold-bloodedly assassinated. Some speculated that hitmen from the so-called “Yellow Army” did it. It’s been more than three decades and the case is still unresolved.

BAYAN Founder Lean Alejandro
on the cover of PHR Update International Edition
(September 1987)

 

          Much of the military especially those stationed in Northern Luzon and Mindanao were still loyal to President Marcos during the Yellow Regime. And those that helped put her in power were disgruntled by her refusal to cause reforms. So, Cory asked for protection from the powerful Democratic bloc and liberal politicians in the US to protect his presidency against the expected unrest from the Philippine military. The same people that planned the ouster and caused the abduction of President Marcos to Guam and exiled him to Hawaii. That’s why no coup attempt ever made it to second base. As they say, in imperialistic parlance, “no attempt to grab political power will succeed without blessing from Uncle Sam.”

A caricature on the US-Aquino master-puppet collaboration
from the once independent left-leaning newspaper, Malaya,
before a change of management in 1987 turned it
 into a subservient pro-Aquino media.

 

          The vindictive persecutions of the Marcos Loyalists, common people, who went to the streets to air their grievances regarding the harassments and discrimination by the Cory Regime, and their unwavering call for the return of the American-exiled duly-elected president of the country, were etched in the street walls and corridors greater than any blasphemous monuments built to commemorate a “fake” revolution.

Editorial Caricatures of Danny Acuña
on the plight of Marcos Loyalists under the Cory Regime.
(Tonite, August 7 and 9, 1991)

          The students, the masses, the common tao, the left, and even the military finally realized that they were used; they were tricked and duped by the yellow fascist-oligarchy into participating in the overthrow of the Marcos government. Soon “EDSA,” apart from being a grim reminder of the rule of darkness and symbol of disunity, chaos and hardship, started to have a different connotation. It became a byword in barbershops, carinderias, talipapas, in the campus, in the streets, in jeepney talks, that when you say na-EDSA it came to mean naloko (fooled or tricked) or nadenggoy (duped).

 

 

WALL PHOTO:

A 12-year-old Mangyan boy showing fired bullet shells – remnants of the Mendiola Massacre, the grim and unforgettable legacy of the Cory fascist regime. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Sabangan)