Wednesday, July 19, 2006

A Call for Unity and Sacrifice

It’s been a year after the Garci tapes first surfaced, and we are still hopelessly divided as ever. Each side appeal to the other to join their cause, both claim to represent the majority. The anti-GMA forces base their claim on survey results which consistently show that a vast majority believe GMA cheated. Pro-GMA forces claim the people have spoken – they have not responded to the opposition calls for protest. They conveniently forget that neither have the people responded to their call to move on.

The truth is we are in a political gridlock. And the situation will continue to worsen unless we see a breakthrough in the current impasse.

It is unreasonable to expect GMA and her allies to budge. Therefore, the only option left is for us within the anti-GMA camp, who claims to be motivated by love of country, to make the supreme sacrifice by abandoning our quest for the truth. After all, truth is a small price to pay for progress.

Let us heed the admonition of the bishops. They discourage us from pursuing impeachment, convinced that it will fail, and will only dismay every citizen. Besides, they question the motivation of some groups in our rank. In effect, they’re saying we might inadvertently abet the return of Erap, the succession of Noli (whom they probably see as incompetent), or worse, the ascendancy of the communists. So, let’s not waste our time and energy on impeachment.

While at it, let’s ask the poor to stop filing cases in court. They will only be dismayed since we all know it takes money to win a case. They will do all of us a favor by unclogging the dockets in our court system. The wheels of justice will finally grind faster, especially for those with enough money to influence the court decisions.

And what’s all this talk about asking the US government to deport Bolante so he can finally testify at the Senate hearing? We all know that he will simply deny all allegations, just like Garci did, and nothing much will happen. We will only be dismayed. Let’s not waste any more taxpayers’ money on all these Senate inquiries in aid of legislation.

On the other hand, the bishops want us to continue denouncing the palace-led people’s initiative for charter change. They find the haste by which Malacanang is pushing this rather alarming. I wonder why they do not find the alleged cheating and the subsequent cover-up efforts by the palace equally alarming.

I also wonder why they have decided to fight this one when the very same groups whose motivation they question are fighting this one, too. I guess it’s because non-partisan groups like One Voice and Kapatiran, are endorsing it. They have no agenda (just like many of us in the anti-GMA camp, anyway) and they know what’s best for this country. Let us join them and speak with one voice on this issue.

While at it, let’s also heed the repeated appeals of the “top 600 women” and businessmen like Donald Dee for us to stop all forms of protest. They only scare investors away and imperil the economy. Let’s not nitpick on the issue of cheating. Everybody cheats anyway. Some of them even expect us to be thankful for GMA’s cheating, because it saved us from an FPJ presidency. The end justifies the means.

Let’s not bother to have elections in 2007 and 2010. In fact, let’s not have elections ever. Everybody will cheat, anyway. And we run the risk of our mindless masa voting another incompetent movie personality into office. Let’s just leave the future of this nation to these all-knowing non-partisan groups. Never mind that the rest of our people do not agree with them. They know better.

Some of them actually believe that what this nation needs at this time is a benevolent dictator. And they cite Singapore’s success under Lee Kwan Yu as the best example. No wonder they eagerly embrace GMA’s all-out war against the leftists. Never mind the unabated killings (they’re all communists, anyway) and escalating human rights violations. They are but small sacrifices that we can offer in the altar of national progress.

Of course, GMA supporters will not openly admit that she is a dictator, even though she has repeatedly violated the constitution with CPR, EO 464, and PP 1017. But we can all agree that she is benevolent. Just ask the Comelec officials who met at her house and the congressmen who voted down impeachment last year. But then again, the bishops may not agree. P20,000 in an envelope can hardly be considered benevolent.

I call on my colleagues in the anti-GMA movement to stand down and join the majority of our people who believe she cheated but have decided not to do anything about it. That is the most patriotic thing to do.

Never mind that we are breeding a new generation of Filipinos lacking in moral scruples, where lying, stealing and cheating abound. You cannot eat morality. Never mind that our rights are curtailed and our basic liberties trampled. You cannot drink democracy. National unity, at whatever cost, is our only hope for a better future and a strong republic.

How times have changed. I remember, right after EDSA 1, people proclaimed, “Never again!” Now, all we can say is “Never mind!”

Enteng Romano III
Convenor, Black and White Movement

P.S. – please pass this on to everyone you know who are actively involved in or even remotely supportive of the anti-GMA movement that they may be enlightened and do the right thing for the sake of our nation.

6 comments:

pinoy said...

Hi Mr. Romano,

Your "forward this letter" was titled A Call for Unity and
Sacrifice. Obviously, you wre referring to a sarcastic form of unity
and sacrifice. With the way you worded you letter, I don't think a
single soul will heed your call.

Yes, I believe GMA cheated in the last election and I do mind. In as
much as I would like to seek the truth, the people who lead the quest
for the truth are simply not worth my trust. They, each and
everyone, have their own agenda outside the truth. That is my
perception.

You've had your Black Friday antics. Where has it led you? Some
media mileage and a court case? Now you campaign against cha cha and
yet ONE VOICE also campaigns against cha cha but does not want to be
identified with your group.

Yes, ours is a very divided nation. Unfortunately, we never seek to
find that common ground. What becomes more important is each group's
perception of "truth" and whatever political agenda or otherwise is
behind that "truth".

Why we are not out in the streets to seek the truth? Because we
simply don't know whose "truth" are we going to support, is it the
leftist "truth", the centrist "truth" or the rightist "truth".
Whose "truth" is the real one. And the more scary part, what comes
after the "truth".

We don't need a Lew Kwan Yew. Let us hold elections on 2007 and 2010
as scheduled. Let us continue having those protests only if to keep
the government on its toes. And we have decided to do something, and
not not do anything as you sarcastically mentioned. We are taking
that step by forming our own group.

Your group has become a bunch of has been. You may have been at the
forefront of people power in 1986 and 2001 but where has it led our
country? Those people powers has brought our country nowhere. And
yes, we don't need another people power where your group seem to be
very good at. Last February, you tried to entice both the military
and the left to come together to stage another people power for the
nth time. Thank God it did not see the light of day.

Is that the reason for writing that sarcastic letter? Because your
people power last February never came to be? You only have to look
at yourselves why you have become isolated. Sayang.

A great number of Filipinos love this country. We simply don't trust
those politicians. Neither can we trust those noisy people in the
opposition who seem to be more interested in getting media attention
than having their issues known. And neither will the magtataho
relate to what you said for he doesn't have an email address and
cannot read English. Bring your issues where it matters most, the
masses.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Pinoy

Gerald said...

Pinoy, so never mind nalang?

Gerald said...

Pinoy, i don't blame you for not trusting these guys but that shouldn't stop us, the common people, from searching for the truth.

engineerOFW said...

The UNITED NATIONS is useless! Kofi Annan can not even organize and conduct an evacuation convoy for Filipinos, Thais or Indonesians, Maltese or Congolese out of Beirut.

engineerOFW said...

Kofi Annan still gets himself onto international TV, but the UNITED NATIONS remains worthless in Lebanon, despite the presence of 2,000 troops under the UN flag. By the time the UN gets its act together, the need for evacuation will be over and our OFW's will want transportation back into Beirut for their jobs.

Rey Cruz said...

Pinoy, I completely agree with you.

Here is my 1 cent. Too much politics is killing the country. If they run, and they loss - cheating daw. We cannot keep on impeaching presidents till kingdom come, we cannot accuse everyone cheating every elections, we cannot let all losers shout cheating everytime they loss. We cannot keep on inviting the military to launch a coup.Desperation, frustration affects the whole country. Kong talo ka, manahimik ka, wag mo na kaming kaladkarin - sa desperasyon mo.

We just need to be good sportsmen. Kung talo ka, talo ka! Tapos. Support the institutions, work for unity,and good for the country. Wait for the next elections - cheat if you must to win. Pero kong matalo ka, tangapin mo - take it, accept it! Talunan talaga.

Amen.