Why I Voted Joseph "Erap" Estrada (Part II)

(Continuation of "Why I'm voting Joseph "Erap" Estrada")


2. Erap is an Effective, Patriotic Leader

 Contrary to the demonized picture his elitist and hypocritical, unpatriotic enemies paint him out to be, Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada has proved to be an effective, truly patriotic leader that has the heart for the masses. The "Father of the Masses" has carved for himself a rather outstanding track record throughout more than three decades of executive and legislative service.

Outstanding, Nationalist Mayor

In 1971, the Inter-Provincial Information Service voted Erap as Outstanding Mayor and foremost Nationalist. The following year, also for his record as Mayor of San Juan, Manila, he was chosen as Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in Public Administration by the Philippine Jaycees in 1972. The same year, he also won recognition by the Philippine Princeton Poll as the "Most Outstanding Metro Manila Mayor."

Infrastructure development was a mark of Estrada's administration as mayor--including the construction of the first San Juan Municipal High School and concreting of nearly all of San Juan's alleys and roads; renovation and improvement of other school buildings; and building of artesian wells, among others. Erap was so effective an administrator that, even with his accomplishments in infrastructure developments, he left San Juan with P24 million in savings.

Erap also exhibited vision, even early on. he first mayor to computerize assessment of the Real Estate Tax in the Municipal Assessor's Office. He established several foundations and trust funds aimed at providing scholarship and other assistance to the poor. In the movie industry, he is credited with the establishment of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (MOWELFUND), Inc. which has now become a robust organization that provides industry workers with financial and professional assistance.


Outstanding Nationalist Senator

As Senator, he chaired and co-chaired the Committee on Public Works and Committees on Health, Natural Resources and Ecology and Urban Planning, respectively. Among other bills, he was responsible for the passage of the he bills on irrigation project and the protection and propagation of carabaos, the beast of burden in the rural areas. Many farmers continue to benefit today  from his so-called Carabao Bill.

He also proved his nationalism once more while in the Senate, being one of the "Magnificent 12" who voted against the extension of the onerous, imperialistic RP-US Military Bases Agreement. Additionally, even before the vote proper, he produced the anti-Bases film "Sa Kuko ng Agila" in his crafty move to stir nationalist sentiments in a people long mired in 'American worship' miseducation. In 1989, Free Press magazine cited him as one of the Three Outstanding Senators of the Year.


Vice-President and Anti-Crime Czar

As Vice-President under the administration of Fidel V. Ramos, concurrently served as Chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC), in which capacity he ran after kidnappers, illegal recruiters, bank robbers, hoodlums both "in uniform" and "in robes." Unfortunately, when Ramos issued Executive Order No. 221 which significantly clipped the PACC'S operational control over is varied task forces, Estrada was forced to later resign as its chairman on June 4, 1997.


Presidential Accomplishments

As President, Estrada was able to increase the Gross National Product up to 3.6% while raising agricultural growth rate to 6.6% from virtual 0% growth. He was also able to lessen inflation rate, registered at 12% around the time he first occupied Malacanang, by some 3%. All these happened within only 2 1/2 years--and despite the fact that the Ramos administration exited with ZERO savings in the national treasury. AND also despite the fact that Erap took over during the time that the Philippines and practically rest of countries in Asia were still reeling from the Asian crisis.

Another important, but much overlooked, accomplishment of Estrada was his removal of sovereign guarantees on public project contracts, thus freeing the sovereign Filipino people the unjust responsibility of assuming private companies' financial losses while doing business with government. One of the onerous contracts his administration canceled was the $100 million customs contract with the Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS  S.A.) contract. Forged under Ramos' term, it involved  "pre-shipment inspection" (PSI) which has been described as a "global racket" involving players, some of which have been convicted of bribery of high Third World officials.

Estrada showed commitment to cleaning government by ordering wide-ranging investigations of all government contracts from previous administrations and all suspected big-time tax evaders, as well as ordering the immediate relief of corrupt military and police officials. True to his pro-poor campaign line, the deposed and defamed President also undertook an aggressive nation-wide housing program targeting low-cost homes for the poor.


Kind, Self-Made and with Strength of Character

Estrada, in contrast to his Yellow opponent, is a self-made man who built his name all on his own. He built his name as actor all by himself. He won overwhelmingly as Mayor, Senator, Vice-President, and President without his mother or father campaigning for him.

The EDSA 2 and Plunder charge chapter of his life also undeniably reveals his uncanny strength of mind, will and character. Beyond, he showed a level of kindness and forgiveness that most mortals can hardly give to their neighbors. To borrow Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's words:

Despite all the betrayal, the public humiliation, the most vicious and meanest attacks upon his person, name and honor, and the long years of confinement and restriction on his freedom, what I saw in Erap was an inexhaustible capacity for kindness and forgiveness.

Many times when I would visit him under detention, I would be surprised by the people who I found there in his company, enjoying his generosity, hospitality, and even seeking his help and support. I just quietly said to myself: "How can this man bring himself up to even feed these people who betrayed his trust and those who were instrumental in his painful and illegal ouster?"

Such a man able to withstand what he went through, still forgive and hold no rancor, and still run for President not only to redeem his name but also to resume his pro-poor projects is a gem hard to find.

I'm not saying Estrada was flawless. He had his share of what ails Philippine politics but overall, he had the guts to implement a pro-Filipino, pro-poor policy that does not tolerate business shenanigans. A media practitioner Facebook friend sums it up: "Estrada went to jail for loose change, sent by a conspiracy of bigger crooks involved in the counterfeiting of bills, drug and human trafficking, dollar salting etc."

Looking back to the elitist, haughty, derisive, bad-mouthed, judgmental, undemocratic, not spontaneous but conspiratorial impostor "People Power" that was EDSA 2, Estrada can perhaps be faulted for caving in to the seditious mob. In his great respect for the lives of the common masa, he sacrificed his position and the vote of the sovereign people. The result is nine years of reign with impunity by Gloria's cabal of thieves, cheaters, and liars. An evil Illegitimate's reign that not only smashed the Filipinos' moral fiber but, as well, led to unparalleled hunger and killings, and death from extrajudicial executions, warlord-perpetrated massacres or negligence by sheer misappropriation of disaster funds. By opting not to confront the EDSA 2 conspirators and mob, Estrada ultimately did not save Filipino lives but perhaps lost more.

During the campaign, Estrada promised that next time he sits in Malacanang, such a power grab won't happen again. From experience, the modern-day champion of Filipino masses has grown wiser. I believe him and I believe his vow to continue with his pro-poor, practically patriotic programs. That's why I  cast my vote for him and his entire PMP slate.

__________


References
  
Biography. Joseph Ejercito Estrada Site. http://erap.ph/409/about-erap/

Enrile, Juan Ponce. Enrile defends Estrada. 22 September 2009. Ellen Tordesillas Blog. http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=7336

Erap's Famous Speech on U.S. Bases Philippines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXXw_cRzhYo

Transnational Criminals – Part 4: SGS, Pakistan, and the "Pre-Shipment Inspection" Racket. Submerging Markets Site. http://www.submergingmarkets.com/submerging_markets/first_world/

Photo Credits:

http://bluepanjeet.net.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_glFkRxkBeD-eruZDifrNsrsFBHbLAphvlAieVgLQ5MpSh8XqjlvJYByKPHFZxXAiWbLByYnd5VVfnpxcyZZ7dS87QfE0YyZcFawNxPSUQ5V1n0nT54QQzrHyUi0ziXhcJTk5SL8mek/s400/Joseph+Estrada2-+small+file.jpg

VIDEO: Cory Aquino Tributes & the Philippine Story (EDSA 1, 2, & 3)

Companion video to article

"Cory Aquino Tributes & the EDSA 2 Denial Syndrome":

The necrological services on the fourth day of the wake of former President Corazon Aquino struck this column as disconcertingly Edsa 2 in composition and sound, no matter that the VIPs who remained in their pews represented all the Edsa revolts--Edsa 1, 2 & 3. Except for Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the public figures who took the podium were movers or stalwarts of the 2001 "People Power" power grab.

READ MORE

Diatribe on Edsa 2--& why God gave us 'Arrobobastic' Gloria

(Arrobobastic - adj. 1. plunderously bombastic; 2. extremely ostentatious in lifestyle, beyond any reasonable SAL, or Statement of Assets and Liabilities. [See "Gloriastic is the new Imeldific" Philippine Commentary article & comments.] "Arrobobastic" is a neologism derived from the incumbent Philippine President's surname, the English word "bombastic," and "dorobou," a Japanese terms meaning "thief.")

Together, the $20,000 + $15,000 U.S. dinners of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are not the Illegitimate's greatest sin, or alleged sin. Those immorally expensive meals certainly cannot be worse than the alleged-but-widely-believed "Hello Garci"-styled electoral fraud of 2004, nor the NBN-ZTE attempted deal, nor the August 2008 war in Mindanao brought about by the MOA-AD that is said to have been part of Gloria's bid for term extension. At worst, the dinners just constitute the icing on the cake of a sinful presidency baked in the undemocratic urn of Edsa 2.

EDSA 2 - blunder, coup, cover-up

Edsa 2 was simply a big, seditious lie hatched by opportunists in cahoots with those frustrated by the masa vote, a Machiavellian exercise, a "People Power" power grab that disrespected the sanctity of the ballot. A few tens of thousands of emotional gullibles, along with a few conspiratorial leaders, flushed down millions of Erap votes down the constitutional toilet big time. It could even be construed as discriminatory “People Power" coup based on its success in deposing Erap and the non-success of the counter-"People Power" in unseating Gloria four months later.



A more massive crowd that was Edsa 3 tried to undo the sacrilege of the pretender "People Power," but was not allowed. A sinful cardinal categorized them as the "great unwashed" not eligible for the holy Latin privilege of “vox populi, vox dei.” Masa "People Power" was simply 'devoid of political power,' so derided a UP political professor/analyst and Arroyo puppy.

Edsa 2 not only overturned the mechanisms of democracy relating to the presidency as instituted by the 1987. It also operated outside the constitutional framework when it went about the mandated guidelines for presidential succession. Of course, the court of Chief Justice Hilario Davide, the avowed street party-goer circa 2001, later legitimized Estrada's ouster by claiming the most mysterious legal doctrine of "Constructive Resignation," thereby ruling for Arroyo's installation. History, however, will always be reminded of the foresight of a 2001 Time magazine editorial on Edsa 2:

Again, therefore, whatever curious legal construction anyone may now attempt to put on the ouster of Estrada, he was ousted by a military coup, with the connivance of the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, major business groups, and two former presidents.”

God's Purpose for Gloria

Back to the lustfully fine dinners, those nearly P2 M-worth meals fit for a royal power grabber have come to highlight the excesses of a leader brought forth by a grandiosely covered-up coup. When analyzed within the framework of a "divine plan"--which Filipinos are wont to adhere to, is it possible that God gave us the Illegitimate, a.k.a. Gloria Arrobo (says limited edition P100 bills), as a grim lesson never to repeat Edsa 2?

I recently partly concluded a months-long chat debate with a left-leaning Edsa 2 defender who bothered to engage me and who I bothered to reciprocate in my blog's Shoutbox. He finally gave in a bit, at least saying sorry for Gloria's installation and admitting that Erap wasn't given "a chance to defend himself by ousting him." The exchange made me realize that Gloria made it easier to prove the undemocratic fallacy of Edsa 2.

Had Arroyo been anything like Cory Aquino, the Edsa 2 forces would probably still be bragging about the "wisdom" of their move to unceremoniously unseat a duly elected leader. They would probably have convinced the world that even a power grab laced by a gullible mob is righteous.




Had the Arroyo presidency not suffered from the perception of being the "Most Corrupt" in history, owing to the almost endless litany of corruption scandals, the conspirators and gullibles of the fake "People Power" would still be gloating today.

If only her administration had been clean, not seemingly plunderous, and simple in lifestyle, not obviously ostentatious; the Edsa 2 coup would have been vindicated to a satisfying height. Perhaps, then, the cover-up of the Edsa 2 coup by the rich and the rapacious would have been sealed tight.

The excesses and misuse of power by the Edsa 2 President simply made it crystal-clearer for Filipinos that whenever due process of impeachment justice is denied a duly elected leader, the process of impeachment will thereafter be railroaded to deny the people the right to unseat a corrupt incumbent. Just perhaps, the Creator is telling us through Gloria that if the media is allowed to be used to demonize a popularly elected President, that same media will be used to perpetuate a mandate-less administration.

Gloria Arroyo could possible be God's way of drilling down on the fallacy of Edsa 2. Her "Hello Garci" episode could be a grim reminder that when the people's electoral will is subverted through the ouster of a President who held the numbers, the ballot becomes stripped of its sanctity and big-time cheating becomes fair game.

The realm of the divine is perhaps teaching our people that that the short-circuiting of the Constitution by any cult movement against a man popular with the masses deserves a punitive lesson like Gloria. "Lies," the heavens could be saying, "breed more lies and more sins."

Gloria and Erap both profess some divine providence: the power grabber claims "God put me here" while the ousted swears to some purpose from above. Who knows? What is clear is that Gloria's 'arrobobastic' presidency made it easier for the Filipinos and the world to see that "People Power II" was undemocratic and immoral. Sorry to the adamantly unapologetic Edsa 2 people, but your own choice made sure that you won't get away with it unscathed.

___________

References:

Bizarre Legal Doctrine. Manila Mail. http://www.manilamaildc.net/2009/07/22/bizarre-legal-doctrine/

Bowring, Philip. (Putsch). http://www.bowring.net/putsch.htm

Bowring, Philip. Sisters in Power. http://www.bowring.net/megloria.htm

Estrada, Joseph. "If This Can Be Done to Me, Who is Safe?" Time. 11 Feb. 2001. Time. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,99007,00.html

Lee Sr says Arroyo's takeover no boost for democracy. (AP). 23 January 2001. http://www.singapore-window.org/sw01/010123ap.htm

Mydan, Seth. "Expecting Praise, Filipinos Are Criticized for Ouster." The New York Times. 5 February 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/05/world/05FILI.html?ex=1204174800&en=835b6565116a0dd1&ei=5070

Philippines Turmoil Highlights Class-Based Politics.' 1 May 2001. Time. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,108226,00.html

Pulse Asia's October 2007 Special Report's Additional Findings on Corruption-Related Issues (Most/Least Corrupt Philippine Presidents). http://pulseasia.com.ph/pulseasia/story.asp?id=632

Tordesillas, Ellen. Responsibilidad ni Arroyo. 31 August 2008. http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=2709

Photo Credits:

Bulatlat. http://www.bulatlat.com
Pulse Asia. http://www.pulseasia.com.ph/pulseasia/home.asp
Yahoo News. http://ph.yahoo.com/s/258495

Cory Aquino Tributes & the Edsa 2 Denial Syndrome

Companion YouTube Video here:

Cory Aquino Tributes & the Philippine StoryCory Aquino Tributes & the Philippine Story (EDSA 1, 2, & 3)




The necrological services on the fourth day of the wake of former President Corazon Aquino struck this column as disconcertingly Edsa 2 in composition and sound, no matter that the VIPs who remained in their pews represented all the Edsa revolts--Edsa 1, 2 & 3. Except for Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the public figures who took the podium were movers or stalwarts of the 2001 "People Power" power grab.

There were, of course, the touching and insightful anecdotes from Cory's relatives and family or private friends, but the speeches of Congressman Teddy "Boy" Locsin, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, the wife of ex-House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Arroyo party-mate lead prosecutor in Estrada's impeachment trial, Mayor Sonny Belmonte--along with the mentioned seated presence of ex-President Fidel Ramos--seemed much too much a reminder of the 2001 Edsa conspiracy. Lim, it should be recalled, was the Secretary of Local Government who deserted his Commander-in-Chief, President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, during the penultimate day of Edsa 2; meanwhile, Locsin was one of those who actively campaigned for the "withdrawal of support" against Estrada. Fidel Ramos, on the other, is the ex-President Estrada wanted investigated for the "Centennial Expo" scandal but who connived with then Vice-President Gloria Arroyo, ex-President Aquino, Jaime Cardinal Sin, and business and military elements in unseating the popularly elected leader.



Add to this were the speeches of Cory's son, Sen. Noynoy Aquino, and Locsin that seemed to suggest that Edsa 2 was not at all a blunder. In no way was the 2001 "People Power" coup d'état "--of which President Aquino was a key advocate--actually mentioned by the politicians and private and religious speakers who paid the late President a tribute on that day, or the entire wake and burial, it seemed. Actually, the Edsa 2 ousting of President Estrada described by foreign news media back then as "'a defeat for due process," as "mob rule," as "a de facto coup,'" but ridiculously hailed by the traditional local media as a triumph of "democracy and "People Power," was most conspicuously a no-mention in the Cory tribute activities, funeral and media coverage thereof. Like a scourge, a leprous part of Cory's and the nation's recent history. The omission of Edsa 2 in all references to the contributions of the female "democracy icon" to Philippine politics was an almost unwritten rule. Recollections and images of the 1986 Edsa 1 "People Power" bombarded the screens, pages, and programs of news/opinion media but there appeared nary a single reference to the divisive and counter-democratic 2001 Edsa coup.



In recounting her mother's uncanny courage, unwavering love, faith in God, and righteous determination in service of patriotic duty even in the face of military artillery, Noynoy mused how he has not yet seen her "make a mistake" ("hindi ko pa ho siya nakitang nagkamali"). In describing how his stint with Cory as one of her advisers (Press Secretary) had led him to a "moral discovery," Locsin described her as "a woman who never did wrong." Of course, the contexts of these descriptions of Cory as perfect in no way referred to Edsa 2. Noynoy's remarks are especially understandable, coming from a son in tribute to his remarkable and beloved mother.



Then again, didn't Noynoy earlier try to present her mother's apology as having been said in 'jest'? The apology was made during ex-Speaker Jose De Venecia's book launching last December 2008. It was Cory's turn to take the stage and at some point in her speech, looked at Estrada and said: "I am one of those who plead guilty in 2001. All of us make mistakes, just please forgive me."

Can something as serious as a matter of an apology over a conspiratorial ouster be possibly turned into a humor by President Aquino? Even in the supposed context of an exchange of humorous quips, it seemed out-of-character for a sincere, truthful and honest Cory to publicly make any such "joke."


I reviewed the news clip on that famous apology and, based from the late President's facial expressions and slight turn of the head away from Estrada's gaze just before she let out the fateful words of apology, it revealed either a hesitancy or a moment of unease that come from a feeling of regret or some shame. Take note that her apology came after she was diagnosed with cancer. It seemed that even for an honest and sincere person like her, it had to take the diagnosis of an often-terminal disease before the admission of guilt to a great blunder could be made. A blogger earlier wrote that people should just "ask Cory" to clarify whether it was a 'joke.' Well, she did clarify it through her spokeswoman who said that it was indeed said in "jest," "But she's not taking it back". Unless the Cory who apologized wasn't at all the Cory we knew, saying it in jest merely served as the vehicle to express what she had long wanted to tell.

For the latest Philippine news stories & videos, visit GMANews.TV

Based from the feelings of having been "betrayed," as violently expressed by the few remaining but very loud Edsa 2 forces across the blogosphere and the traditional media, President Aquino's apology has been widely read as real. Puzzlingly, a number of these same people also assert it was all a joke. It appears they're out on a damage control operation of sorts to protect their reputation as "decent" and "intelligent" people who definitely knew better than Erap's "less educated" supporters--and Cory's non-withdrawal of support for Edsa 2 was an important component of it.



Edsa 2 Amnesia or Edsa 2 Sanitizing?


Nonetheless, amidst the eulogies and media's pronounced harping on Cory's contribution in toppling Marcos, her succeeding presidency, and her campaign against the Arroyo presidency--while being almost dead silent on her role in the intervening unseating of Estrada and 2004 presidential campaign for Arroyo--the necrological services sounded not only like a silent approval of Estrada's unconstitutional ouster but also a deliberate and dishonest representation of the late President. Cory, after all, tried her best to undo her grievous and misguided support of Arroyo. Firstly, in 2005, she asked for the latter's resignation following the "Hello Garci" electoral fraud expose, befriended and supported the widow of the "defeated" presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., and later, in December 2008, publicly apologized to Estrada for the 2001 "uprising."

Why are these prominent chapters of Cory's public life conspicuously missing in the tributes offered to her? Obviously, the Edsa 2 no-mention that gradually began a few years ago only means that the 2001 exercise is a discredited "People Power" movement. Still, the question is whether Cory's sustained campaign against the present administration's excesses and greed for power can stand on its own in the chapter on her post-presidency? Why, even her anti-Cha-Cha campaign during Ramos' time was hardly mentioned, if at all.



Is Cory a "democracy icon" only because of her role in ousting Marcos, restoring free elections, bringing back the system of check and balances, and helping ratify the 1987 Constitution? Or is President Aquino the "mother of democracy" because she continuously worked to preserve democracy, including through her sincere efforts to undo the damage she helped inflict on it when, in not trusting the system she herself restored, she chose the Machiavellian path and worked for Erap's ouster?

In the first place, would President Aquino have really wanted a sanitized version of her life in a book dedicated to the Filipino people? The religious, the friends, the politicians--they have all been hailing her for being "honest," "sincere," "clean," "moral," and "transparent"--traits reflected in her presidency and in her post-1992 advocacies. Shouldn't it be proper that such uncanny honesty and truthfulness, to be tempered of course by due respect, also mark the eulogies and tributes to her? Wouldn't Tita Cory have preferred to be remembered for what she truly was--unpretentious in her ways and beliefs?



A sober one may get to wonder--are they merely protecting Cory's memory, or protecting their own "reputation" and interests? A case of collective amnesia, or conspiracy of silence? A 2001 New York Times article should remind them how Edsa 2 operated outside the democratic framework:

The man they overthrew, Joseph Estrada, was a democratically elected president half way through his six-year term. The popular uprising took place when it became clear that due process ? his impeachment trial in the Senate ? would not produce the result many people hoped for: his removal by constitutional means.

Cory a "Saint"?

Unfortunately, the sanitizing, nay, sanctifying, bandwagon seems not confined to the local media. Time magazine will feature Cory Aquino once more as cover article, calling her a "Saint of Democracy." In a precursor article entitled "People Power's Philippine Saint," author Howard Chua-Eoan devoted just one sentence to the now discredited Edsa 2—but even misrepresented Aquino's role in it by claiming that "She joined crowds that led to the overthrow" of Estrada. My, my, since when has "led" become synonymous with "joined"?



A Yellow Celebration of Cory

Of course, the fourth day eventually turned multi-colored as two of the Marcos children came to the wake. The earlier days and nights of the wake also showed the broad spectral range of political forces that "Tita Cory's" death managed to unite--a trend seen from the first day of the wake until the historic funeral on August 5, 2009. Every one of every political color came, the more notable of whom was the primary victim of the 2001 conspiracy of which Cory was a party to--President Estrada who came with his cabinet members in full force, along with his wife ex-Sen. Loi and son Sen. Jinggoy. The half-sister of Arroyo, Cielo Macapagal-Salcedo, also attended the funeral mass. Even Arroyo came to the wake in the wee hours of the funeral day.

I'm proud to have been part of the historic funeral, at least part of it. We were actually late for the requiem mass but we reached Roxas Blvd. just after the cortege left Manila Cathedral. As we approached, a sea of near-yellow was coming to our direction--flocks of people in either yellow tops, ribbons, jackets, or caps emerging from the Anda Circle in Bonifacio Drive. Yellow balloons were flying to the air, as some people held or tied similar balloons to their vehicles. We witnessed the yellow and white confetti showers from a green military helicopter flying rather close to ground. For a moment there, it seemed that the spirit of the genuine and original "People Power" were upon us. Actually, I could swear it was.

From our position, in the center island across one of Metro Manila's fire trucks parked along the Manila Bay side of the boulevard, we saw people who lined the streets wave the "L" for "Laban" ("Fight") sign at each other, to those in the funeral procession, and to the VIP, participants' and media vehicles passing by both lanes. People chanted "Cory" or "Laban." We joined in the act of solidarity that felt like a combination of mourning, revelry, and militancy against the perceived enemy of democracy, Gloria Arroyo's government. I remember the media vehicles, banners representing various groups including some militant organizations, and even some Mar Roxas placards/banners that appeared like a show of irreverent politicking. At any rate, everybody just seemed one that day.

The flat-bed truck passed bedecked with beautiful yellow flowers, and in the middle was President Aquino's casket draped in the Philippine flag. Holding back my tears, I stood in silent reverence and muttered "Goodbye, Cory. You were not perfect but seemed to have always done what you think was best for the people." The honor guards looked both impressive and gallant, as befit a funeral for a well-loved former leader of the land. The Cojuangco Family bus, or one of possibly several, passed by the left lane and the "L" sign continued to be exchanged. Pervading the air was the spirit of solidarity behind Cory, her family, and the ideals she campaigned for, as much as the mixed feelings of mourning and jubilation of a public life well lived. It seemed like Edsa 1 all over again--Filipinos united for the common cause of democracy and marching behind the yellow rays of the sun, the revered color symbol of Cory's "Laban" ("Fight") for democracy.

"Laban," "Cory," "Erap"

The trip to Cory's funeral was rather long and hard, given the bad weather, but I had no intention of missing this historic and meaningful moment. I had decided to offer my humble time and presence to her in honor of our country and in recognition of her fallible but patriotic and lovingly heroic campaigns for democracy. Just a glimpse of her cortege, and being part of the crowd was enough, well enough.

Then, we got our unexpected bonus. President Estrada's vehicle approached, as we were alerted to it by others along the island. Oh, girl! Another imperfect but beloved figure! I grabbed the chance and did as others did--reached through the open window and shook the waving hand of a smiling Erap! As he passed by us, some of the small crowd in our position still chanted "Erap, Erap." I unfortunately never got to see Cory close up in person--not alive, not dead (because I chose to attend the funeral than queue for the wake's public viewing) but the case turned out differently for Estrada. Yes, I've seen him before a couple of times but always only from a distance.

It was a mixed feeling being up close to the man I never voted for--not even as Senator and Vice-President--but who became my President after I realized the fallacy of the "Erap Resign!" and eventual ouster / Edsa 2 movement. Estrada is the President I now reluctantly liken to our other national hero, Andres Bonifacio, on account of their being both pro-masa and having been victimized by a conspiracy of the elites. Of course, Erap can't compare with Bonifacio in most respects--much in the similar manner that Arroyo is far, far worse than Aguinaldo. Perhaps, it's a reflection of the times they lived in or the disastrous politico-cultural effect of America's colonization of the country. I'm not sure....

Love and Respect



The outpouring of sympathy or support for Cory was spectacular, as we soon found out after deciding to be part of the "advance party" by moving ahead of the cortege from Roxas Boulevard, to Quirino Avenue, to Osmena Avenue, and to South Superhighway until Makati. The lines of ordinary people waiting for President Aquino's cortege to pass by on the way to Manila Memorial Park were thick on both sides. Old and young people showed ardent and spontaneous feelings of love and respect. There were organized "tourists" from the provinces who carried small and big banners or placards with tribute lines for Cory.


The urban poor carried makeshift placards with touching messages, ranging from the simpler "Mahal ka Namin," and "Salamat, Cory Aquino;" to the more militant "Ipagpapatuloy po namin ang inyong ipinaglaban," and rather poignant Cory quote "'Take care of each other.' --Ina ng Bayan" or something to that effect. I remember yellow balloons also dancing in the air among the waiting crowds along the Quirino Ave. leg of the funeral procession exit, along with yellow plastics tied to one or more pedicabs and other vehicles. A low, single-sitter carriage powered by a beautiful brown horse caught much attention. I even noticed a woman grasping a dove. Some held pictures of Cory: a woman holding a big banner-size framed picture of the late President proceeded alone, as if trying to make sure that others remember Tita Cory. There were some banners and placards that bore Arroyo's name, rather indignant ones that asked for her ouster.



We ended our offering for Cory around past 2PM, turning right at Zobel Roxas Avenue in Makati. News reports later showed us the more complete picture of the funeral procession and confirmed our experience, partial though it may be, of the massive outpouring of love and sympathy for the 11th President of the Philippines. In this case, still pictures (and videos) tell it all--Filipinos united for the wake and burial of Cory Aquino.


Cory Magic Renewed

I was mildly and joyfully flabbergasted by the very massive and heartfelt outpouring of sympathy and support for President Aquino. I was initially skeptical because I knew that the "Cory Magic" had long faded away, and wasn't even able to secure Arroyo's victory in the 2004 presidential polls without the latter having needed to cheat the "Hello Garci" style. As we moved along Quirino Highway towards the Makati City part of South Superhighway, I realized that months before her death, she had managed to win back the population she alienated when she joined the rather elitist movement against a highly popular and incumbent President. The human sea of love, that included the "great unwashed," made me certain that before she bade Filipinos goodbye, Tita Cory managed to unite the forces of the two successful and one unsuccessful "People Power" exercises in Edsa.

She began the healing process some five years back with her show of touching kindness to Fernando Poe, Jr. whom she visited when he was in the throes of death. Next, Cory issued, in effect, the posthumous acknowledgement that FPJ was the genuinely elected 14th President of the Philippines when she asked her former protégé Gloria Arroyo to resign and "make the supreme sacrifice." She sealed her renewed covenant with the Filipino masses--within the context of the higher goal of preserving democracy--when she publicly voiced her apology to Estrada over her part in the big blunder of Edsa 2 soon after she was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer.


The late 2008 apology to the imperfect Estrada, the "Father of the Masses" was Cory's supreme show of statesmanship. True to form, the late President once more demonstrated her remarkable sense of humility and determination to do what is righteous, even if it meant admitting to her own wrong. In the process, Cory dared defy, and invited the cruel ridicule of, the still unrepentant Edsa 2 gullibles and conspirators--those traitors to the 1987 Constitution, conceited subverters of the spirit of Edsa 1, pretentious conspirators against genuine Philippine democracy.

Cory: Edsa1, EDSA2, Edsa 3

Some news pieces/videos carried titles to the effect of claiming that "Cory brings people back to the streets.' What is the more complete picture is that Cory was able to restore the "People Power" zeal that Edsa 2--of which she was one of the leaders--almost killed. It was her apology and subsequent friendship with Estrada that helped lead to the reunification of a country split by Edsa 2 and the unsuccessful Edsa 3 and their consequences.

To gloss over the mistakes of President Cory, if not categorically depict a persona of political infallibility, is to cover up not only her mortal blunders but her admirable efforts to correct or undo them for the sake of the nation. To deny Cory's wrongs is to deny what her actions revealed to the Filipinos--that Estrada should not have been deposed and Arroyo not have been installed as successor in 2001, and that Fernando Poe Jr. had been cheated of the Philippine presidency. To deny or even omit her misguided roles in Edsa 2 and the 2004 campaign for Arroyo is to censor factual and reported parts of Cory's history. To deny Cory's public apology over the Edsa 2 coup d'état is to misrepresent her sincere brand of patriotism, and to deceive not only one's self but, also, the entire Filipinos.

To maliciously rewrite history by glossing over or excluding the fact of Cory's sincere apology and gestures of making up with the key victims of Edsa 2--Estrada and FPJ--is to pretend that those important chapters in her life and the nation's did not happen. President Aquino realized and did not hesitate to take personal responsibility for the 2001 and 2004 conspiracies to subvert the workings of the very democracy that she restored in memory of her husband Ninoy Aquino.



The remaining unapologetic anti-Estrada forces of Edsa 2 may claim Cory as exclusively Edsa 1 in her death. That would be so far from the truth because it was her show of statewomanly humility to admit to blunders amidst her consistent patriotic yearnings that have endeared the "People Power" President back to those alienated by her role in the undemocratic January 2001 exercise. Cory herself would have corrected those eulogies and tributes that sanitized her role in Philippine politics. I'm so sure that the sincere, honest, and transparent President Cory would have asked that she be pictured for everything she has done--as Edsa 1 "People Power" heroine; as part of the Edsa 2 fallacy; and a mortal "mother of democracy" that made peace with the movers of Edsa 3, the Filipino masses.

_____________________

References:

Beech, Hannah. "Corazon Aquino 1933-2009: The Saint of Democracy." Time. 17 August 2009. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914872,00.html?loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r3:c0.169565:b26885172&xid=Loomia
Calica, Aurea and Porcalla, Delon. "Cory apology to Erap dismays EDSA players." Philstar. 8 August 2009. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=426412
Chua-Eoan, Howard. "People Power's Philippine Saint: Corazon Aquino." Time. 1 August 2009. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1914125-2,00.html
"Erap, Cabinet pay last respects to Cory." GMA News. 2 August 2009. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/168869/Erap-Cabinet-pay-last-respects-to-Cory
Estrada's son lambasts Gordon on Cory apology. The
Manila Times. 26 December 2009. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/dec/26/yehey/metro/20081226met2.html
Laurel, Herman Tiu. "Learning from CCA." The Daily Tribune. 3 August 2009. http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20090803com4.html
Mydan, Seth. "Expecting Praise, Filipinos Are Criticized for Ouster." The New York Times. 5 February 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/05/world/05FILI.html?ex=1204174800&en=835b6565116a0dd1&ei=5070
"Palace brags Gloria first in reconciling with Erap." The Daily Tribune. 24 December 2008. http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20081224hed2.html
"Saksi: Cory apologizes for taking part in People Power 2." GMA News.TV. 22 December 2008. http://www.gmanews.tv/video/33611/Saksi-Cory-apologizes-for-taking-part-in-People-Power-2
VERA Files. Cory back on Time magazine cover, dubbed 'Saint of Democracy.' 7 August 2009. http://www.verafiles.org/index.php/focus/295-cory-back-on-time-magazine-cover
Vigilia, Wendell. "Cory to Erap: Sorry for Edsa 2." Malaya. 23 December 2009. http://www.malaya.com.ph/dec23/news6.htm

Photo Credits:

ABS-CBN. www.abs-cbnnews.com
Associated Press. www.ap.org/
Corazon Aquino (1933 - 2009). Washington Post. 31 July 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/07/31/GA2009073103281.html?sid=ST2009073103362
Ellen Tordesillas Blog. http://www.ellentordesillas.com
http://www.geocities.com
Gomez, Jim. "Filipinos bid farewell to democracy icon Aquino." Newsvine. 2 August 2009. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/08/02/3106398-aquino-mourned-at-wake-by-thousands-of-filipinos
Kapirasong Kritika Site. http://kapirasongkritika.files.wordpress.com
GMA 7 News. http://www.gmanews.tv/
Inquirer.net. http://www.inquirer.net/
Official website of President Corazon Aquino. www.coryaquino.ph
Time Magazine. http://www.time.com
Vera Files. http://www.verafiles.org/

Open Letter of Filipino Patriots to Obama. P.S. Don't boost Gloria's "wrong side of history"

In anticipation of the scheduled July 30, 2009 visit of Philippine "President" Gloria Arroyo to the White House, a group of Filipino patriots wrote an open letter to United States President Barack Obama urging him to look into the genuine state of the Philippine nation. The communication reminds the US leader of his inaugural address that warned world leaders “who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent…[as being] on the wrong side of history.”

The signatories, which include two former Senate Presidents, former senators and cabinet secretaries, activist religious leaders, and the NBN-ZTE bribery scandal whistle-blower, urge the American leader to be well "mindfulof Ms Arroyo's legacy of corruption, extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, bribery, election cheating, among others." The meat of the letter implores Obama "to inspire hope and be an instrument of change for the common good of the long suffering Filipino people."

**********
P.S.

US President Obama, this humble brown column asks you not to boost RP "President" Arroyo's "wrong side of history" position by letting your office be used to sanitize and legitimize her vile and mandate-less regime. Let me remind you of your Inaugural Address here at:

• Obama's inaugural speech

Excerpts:

...To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it....

May I also kindly ask you to read an interesting account of the history of your relations with Arroyo here:

• Obama's 'strategic interests' call to SE Asia's notoriously corrupt leader

Arroyo had gone on an aggressive seeking of the opportunity to meet up and try forging close relations with (translation 2: stalking) Obama as early as June 2008 when he was yet the presumed Democratic presidential nominee--apparently to ensure the political support of Bush's successor to her precarious presidency.

Her first attempt came via an expensive, 10-day, non-state visit to the US in the midst of the American presidential electoral process, but which failed to obtain even a glimpse of his charismatic presence....

But beware, half of the letter's signatories were responsible for installing the bogus "President" Arroyo. Allow me:

• The conspiracy of Edsa 2: how Gloria Arroyo managed not to let President Joseph Estrada finish his term

The Edsa II "People Power" coup d e'tat was hatched through the coalesced leadership of elements of political opportunists galvanizing under then Vice-President Arroyo, rebel military influenced by ex-President Fidel Ramos, Catholic bishops led by Jaime Cardinal Sin, and Philippine leftists such as former communist rebel Satur Ocampo. Undoubtedly, there were other groups behind the unconstitutional "fiesta" mob rule of the 2001 Edsa. There were the influential business elites, of course, and as well, the Protestant Jesus is Lord Movement by Bro. Eddie Villanueva. These groups could be said to be the plotters, each of which falls into the category of either being devious, vengeful, or well-meaning but misguided. Estrada was, after all, far from perfect. It was easy for those with poor democratic values to seek the Machiavellian way out of a President who acted like, and preferred to identify himself with the masses, perhaps much too much.

Then again, Arroyo fraudulently sought her own "mandate." Kindly read all about it here:

• Arroyo, "Hello Garci" and the Anniversary of Her Bogus Presidency

On June 24, 2004, a stealth operation of grave national impact was conducted by the Congress of the Philippines. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the controversial sitting President who took power after the popularly elected Joseph Estrada was deposed in the undemocratic EDSA II conspiracy in January 2001, was proclaimed as the victor of the 2004 May 11 elections in a manner that defied the spirit of electoral victory and the essence of a "proclamation." At around 3:30 am--yes, Virginia, at such a still-dusky morning hour when most Filipinos are generally still tucked in their beds--Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Jose de Venecia raised the hands of Arroyo and proclaimed her "President-elect."

What explains the surreptitious proclamation that ensured the people who were supposed to have given the petite Arroyo the mandate of electoral victory (over "1 M" lead over opposition bet Fernando Poe Jr.) would not be able to share in a supposedly glorious moment is the conspiratorial story of cheating and cover-up sealed at the very halls of the Philippine Congress.

Arroyo's 2009 SONA are full of lies, as usual, actually. Historically, the majority of the Filipinos have taken her SONAs with considerable skepticism, as illustrated here:

• Arroyo's 2008 SONA as pack of lies, again

Only 14 out of every 100 Filipinos believe there will be any truth in the scheduled July 28, 2008 SONA, compared to the 86% percent who either disbelieve or remain undecided... An earlier Pulse Asia survey study held in October 2007 has shown that Filipinos regard Gloria Arroyo as the Most Corrupt President in Philippine History, even beating former dictator Ferdinand Marcos for the ignominious title. Ironically, Joseph Estrada, her predecessor whom she deposed in the 2001 Edsa revolt, is ranked number two as the Least Corrupt President, next to Corazon Aquino, during the post-Martial Law era.

The economic figures she presented in what should be her last SONA are as apparently doctored as the 2004 Congress' tally of her supposedly winning votes vs. Fernando Poe Jr. Your American excellency, kindly take note of the point-by-point exploration of her fantasy "Arroyonomics:"

• Arroyo's SONA Fiction- Estrada

Former President Joseph Estrada, reacting point by point to the achievements claimed by President Arroyo in her State of the Nation Address (Sona), yesterday said the speech was a work of fiction, pointing out that this is due to "Arroyonomics" which he described as a "kind of economics out of touch with reality and real facts."

He also charged the Arroyo administration with implementing anti-poor policies in education, health, housing, agrarian reform and other areas over the past eight years.

Mr. Obama, know what the Filipino people are truly experiencing under their incumbent "President" based on nationwide surveys and not government figures of dubious authenticity. I implore you and your office to check these out:

• Philippine Unemployment at Record High

The First Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey, fielded over February 20-23, 2009, found adult unemployment rising to record-high 34.2%, or an estimated 14 million, from 27.9% or estimated 11 million from the previous quarter... Unemployment has been over 20% since 2005.

• 
  Philippine Hunger Rises to Near-Record Level: 1 out of 5 Families Affected


The Second Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey, fielded over June 19-22, 2009, found the proportion of families experiencing involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months rising to 20.3% or an estimated 3.7 million families, from 15.5% or an estimated 2.9 million families in the previous quarter.

The new Hunger figure is just 3 points lower than the record-high 23.7% (or estimated 4.3 million families) in December 2008, and is 8 points above the ten-year average of 12.8% [Chart 1, Table 1]... Hunger has consistently been in double-digits for five years, since June 2004.

Great President Obama, you've successfully campaigned on a mantra of "Change." Eight thousand six hundred miles away, the present-day people of the Southeast Asian country that your early predecessor, the 25th US President William McKinley, decided to colonize--the poor Philippines--earnestly count on you to keep your word in their struggle against a most conspiratorial, most power grabbing, most fraudulent, and most repudiated "leader" in the islands' history. Can Filipinos count on you?



____________________________________________________

Postscript

After playing hard-to-get for several months, Obama ultimately invited, and met with, his Filipino stalker of rather midget proportions. The scene reminds this column of two historical entities circa turn-of-the-past-century: two groups of traitors during the Philippine American War--a group of "Macabebes", traitors to the Filipino side; and deserter black American soldiers, traitors to the American side. The "Macabebes" were some local mercenaries from the Philippine province of Pampanga--where Arroyo partly hails--who were paid by the US forces tracking down the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo; on the other, the 29 black American deserters of the first US imperialistic war of conquest deplored their ironic role in "an unjust racial war," leading them to abandon their American posts.
Arroyo can be likened to one of the Macabebes who betrayed Aguinaldo, while Obama, being one dark-skinned biracial, looks like Private David Fagen of the 24th Infantry's Company I who even became a captain on the side of the Filipino revolutionaries. Of course, Obama is no traitor to the American side. During the two presidents' meeting, the 44th US President actually behaved more like a white-skinned, trimmed-down McKinley as he asked his counterpart to serve as the "chief coordinator in Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)" for the US! The 14th RP "President" gleefully accepted that role of servitude but surely not without a payment of sorts, just like the Macabebes of old.


________

References:
Dizon, Lino. Macabebes 1571-1901: More than a footnote in history. http://www.geocities.com/kapampanganx/s4_1.html
Dumindin, Arnaldo. Philippine-American War, 1899-1902. http://www.freewebs.com/philippineamericanwar/thewarin19001901.htm
Ellen Tordesillas. http://www.ellentordesillas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/letter-to-pres-obama-72909.pdf
Gloria propaganda gone wrong. 4 August 2009. http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20090804com1.html
Pelorina, Renato. "Ang Mga Macabebe sa Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano (1899-1902)." Philippine Social Sciences Review, 58-59.1-2 (Jan 2006-Dec 2007). Abstract. http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/pssr/article/view/1270
San Juan, E. African American Soldiers in the Philippine Revolution. http://philcsc.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/african-american-soldiers-in-the-philippine-revolution/



Photo Credits:

Social Weather Stations. http://www.sws.org.ph
Pulse Asia. http://pulseasia.com.ph/
http://cm1.theinsider.com/
AllPosters.com
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/letter-to-pres-obama-72909.pdf
Philippine Commentary. http://philippinecommentary.blogspot.com/2009/07/gloria-upstaged-by-beer-summit.html