Showing posts with label Hello Garci. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hello Garci. Show all posts

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Batong Pinampukpok ng Simbahan Katolika sa Sariling Ulo

SIMBANG GABI 2012. Nega sa Malacanang ang homily ng kaparian. Malapit o kasing nega ng homily 12 taon na ang nakakaraan noong kapanahuang Simbang Gabi 2000 nang pinapatalsik nila Cardinal Jaime Sin si Pangulong Joseph "Erap" Estrada (dahil kesyo raw korap ito, ayon kay D.O.M. warlord, tax-evader at mambubugbog-asawang si Chavit Singson). Ngayong 2012, ang administrasyon ni "Pangulong" A_Noy Aquino y Hocus Pcos ang tinitira dahil sa pagtutulak nito sa RH o Reproductive Health Bill.

Walang tinag ang pamahalaan ni Abs Aquino. Tinakot na nga ng Simbahang Katolika ng Pilipinas na mangangampanya laban sa mga sumusuporta sa RH bill ay matigas pa rin at puro media feelers pa na ipapasa na nga raw talaga ang noon ay panukalang batas. Sabi pa nga ni Kongresista Lagman, alipores ng mga dilaw mula kay Gloria Arrobo hanggang kay Abs Aquino, pag naipasa na ang RH bill ay susuportahan din daw ito ng Simbahan katulad daw sa nangyari sa ibang bansa. At nakakagulat na ipinasa nga ang RH Bill kahit ang tagal at ang lakas ng ingay ng Simbahan laban dito.

Magtataka ba tayo na mukhang wala nang takot ang pamahalaang Dilaw sa Simbahan ngayong HOCUS PCOS na ang botohan? Ano pa nga naman ang ipangtatakot ng Simbahan eh kakuntsaba ito sa pagpapauso na balewalain ang tinig ng mamamayan at daanin sa gawa-gawang surveys, paghawak sa media at pagdoktor ng boto ang paglagay ng bataan nila sa Malacanang. Nag-boomerang nga lang sa mga wala-sa-lugar-makialam na mga Obispo.

Ang Simbahan na mula panahon ng Kastila, mula walang-basehang Treaty of Paris ng imperyalistang Kalbong Agila hanggang 'magsarili' daw ang Pilipinas...ang pangunahing layunin yata ay kontrolin ang Malacanang. Ang Simbahan nitong nakaraang tatlong dekada (kung isasama ang EDSA 1), ay masyadong pumapel sa pamahalaan ng Pilipinas. Pakikialam na pangunahing kasama ang usaping integridad sa botohan. 


2000/2001Oplan Excelsis/EDSA 2

Tama ba ang ginawa ng Simbahan na kasama sa pagplaplanong tangggalin ang tunay-na-ibinotong si Estrada via Oplan Excelsis na binuo noong bandang 2000 pa? Sabagay, sina Cardinal Vidal at Fr. Sonny Ramirez ay mukhang tutol sa ginawa nila Cardinal Sin subalit sa pangkalahatan ay kakuntsaba ng seditious, kontra-Erap na mga elemento ang Simbahan. Kasama si Cardinal Sin sa kampanya nina Gloria Arrobo,  Fidel 'Tabako' Ramos, at Cory Aquino na pababain si Erap, sampu ng maraming madre at mga pribadong paaralang Jesuita/Katolika, atbp. na inutusang pumunta sa EDSA ang mga mag-aaral nito.

2004 Hello Garci

Iwinasto ba ng Simbahan ang mali at seditious na ginawa nito noong 2000/2001 laban kay Erap nang ipiniliit na iluklok ng Kongreso si Arrobo noong 2004 at "Noted" lamang at hindi binilang ang mga (certificates of canvass) botong kinuwestyon ni Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ)? Sabihin pa ay ibinunyag nina National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Samuel Ong ang 'Hello Garci' na pandaraya laban kay FPJ subalit patuloy pa ring sinuportahan ng Simbahan ang pamahalaang Arroyo? Bakit noong 2001, isang dirty old man na tax-evader at warlord na si Chavit lang ang 'nagbunyag' ng katiwalian daw ay tinarbaho na nila pagpapatanggal sa malinis na umupong si Erap samantalang sa "Hello Garci" na expose ay may tape recording pa ng pandaraya ni Arrobo ay nagpasya silang huwag makialam?

2010 HOCUS PCOS

Sinuportahan ba ng Simbahan ang kampanya nila G. JC de los Reyes, masugid na tagasunod pa naman nito, sa kampanya (noon) laban sa HOCUS PCOS 2010. Kabilang sa kampanya ang mga iginagalang na si G. Nicanor Perlas, si Sen. Jamby Madrigal, mga computer programmers at si Ka Joma Sison na nagbunyag nga na kakuntsaba ng mga Aquino si Arrobo at CIA. Lohiko na lamang ang gamitin kung nagkadayaan nga noong 2010--kung ang pag-withdraw lang ng P200 sa ATM kailangan ng digital signature, Pcos na pagboto pa kaya?


Ang Simbahan at Politikal na (Im)Moralidad


Akala ng Simbahang Katolika sa bansa natin na may basbas sila ni Bathala upang yurakan, balewalain, paglaruan ang tunay na tinig ng taumbayan. Hindi ba binabasa ng mga Obispong Katoliko ang Bibliya kung saan nakalagay na 'Ibigay kay Caesar ang dapat sa kanya' o malapit dito? Ang alam ko sa relihiyon ay moralidad ang itinuturo at dito sa lupa, may tatatas pa bang moralidad sa paggalang sa pangkalahatan/maramihang tinig ng bawat isa, maliit o mataas?

Masama ang magpatalsik ng nakaupong Pangulo na malinis na ibinoto ng taumbayan at ni hindi pa nangangalahati sa termino subalit ginawa ito ng Simbahan noong EDSA 2 Power Grab. Masama rin ang sumuporta sa bukas na nandaya ng boto, katulad ni Arrobo noong 2004 Hello Garci pero ginawa rin ito ng Simbahan. Nitong huling 2010 na halalan ay tikom na tikom ang bibig ng Simbahan kahit na mga mapapagkatiwalaang mga tao at grupo ay umalma na may dayaan Hocus Pocos.

Kapag hindi napag-init ng Simbahan ang mga tao laban sa kapapasang batas na RH, baka unti-unti nang mawawala ang impluwensya nito sa bayang Pilipino/Tagalog/Taga-Ilog/Maharlika. Aral ito na matagal nang dapat natutunan ng Simbahang inilagak dito ng banyagang Kastila apat na siglo na ang nakakaraan. Ang gumamit ng mali o masamang paraan sa kahit mainam pang layunin, babalik sa taga-gawa. Marami ring malilinis na kasapi ang Katolisismo sa bansa subalit sa kanaisan ng mga namumuno sa Simbahan na hawakan o impluwensyahan ang Malacanang, mukhang napukpok ito sa ulo ng sariling bato...

karma de hocus pcos, de hello garci, de oplan excelsis....

_________


Mga Batis/Iba Pang Basahin:


Look Back: 'Oplan Excelsis' plot to oust then-RP President Joseph Estrada hatched in 2000. http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2009/10/10/3369444-look-back-oplan-excelsis-plot-to-oust-then-rp-president-joseph-estrada-hatched-in-2000

Manalo, Charlie V. and Baldo, Gerry. House Passes RH on Final Reading, 133-79. The Daily Tribune. 18 Dec. 2012. http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/8297-house-passes-rh-on-final-reading-133-79

Perlas, Nicanor. Unelected and Illegal Government. 1 July 2010. Nicanor Perlas Site. http://blog-by-taga-ilog-news.blogspot.com/2010/07/unelected-and-illegal-government-of.html

Perlas, Nicanor. Beware and Overcome [YELLOW] Media Manipulation. May 2010. http://blog-by-taga-ilog-news.blogspot.com/2010/05/beware-and-overcome-yellow-media.html

In Search of the Truth of the May 10, 2010 Philippine Polls. http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2010/06/27/4572236-in-search-of-the-truth-of-the-may-10-2010-philippine-polls

The Ghost of FPJ: Beware the Liberal Party? http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2009/11/07/3472672-the-ghost-of-fpj-beware-the-liberal-party

The Impunity of the Pro-Noynoy SWS Survey. http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2010/07/26/4753863-the-impunity-of-the-pro-noynoy-sws-survey

Will the Filipino bishops undo an Arroyo wrong? August 2006. Published at Sobriety for the Philippines Blog 4 May 2007. http://forthephilippines.blogspot.com/2007/05/archived-article-august-2006-will.html

______

Raw photo credit (Katedral ng Manila):


http://en.wikipilipinas.org/images/c/c8/Manila_%28Cathedral%294.jpg

Friday, November 30, 2012

Pagwawasto sa 8 Mito Patungkol kay Supremo at sa Katipunan (Bonifacio Series VIII)

IKA-30 Nobyembre 2012. Kaarawan na naman (kahapon) ni Supremo Andres Bonifacio y de Castro, ang tunay na Unang Pangulo ng bayang Pilipinas/Tagalog/Maharlika/Taga-Ilog.  Sa susunod na na taon na nga ang malaking paggunita ng ika-150  kapanganakan ng pinakamagiting at pinakamatayog na bayaning lumaban para sa ating kalayaan at pagkabansa. Subalit bakit ba tila napakarami ang hindi tunay na nakakakilala sa kanya, o maling-mali ang kaalaman ukol sa kanyang pagkatao at mga ginawa, at ginawa sa kanya noong huling buwan ng kanyang buhay? Sa panahon niya ay may mga nagkalat ng paninirang propaganda ukol sa Supremo subalit hindi ba dapat na naiwasto na ang mga kasinungalingang iyon sa ngayon? Ang nangyari pa nga ay lumawak pa ang mga paninira na tila ba buhay at kumikilos pa ang mga kagaya ni Daniel Tirona ng Magdalo...

Lampas isang siglo na mula nang kanyang itatag, sampu ng iba pang mga dakilang nagtaguyod, ang samahang naghanda ng paglaban para sa kalayaan at bumuo ng Pamahalaang Himagsikan, ang Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan o KKK. Matagal nang nalimbag ang mga sulatin ng tatlo sa mga patas at mas mapapagkatiwalaang mga "primary sources" ukol sa Katipunan at sa Supremo--mula kay Hen. Santiago Alvarez, at Gat Apolinario Mabini, at sa limitadong antas, kay  Hen. Artemio Ricarte. Nailabas na rin ang mga sulat ni Bonifacio kay Gat Emilio Jacinto na nagbubunyag ng mga sigalot sa pagitan ng sangguniang Magdiwang at Magdalo sa Kabite. Subalit bakit namamayagpag ang mga maling kaalaman ukol sa Supremo sa ating sistemang pangedukasyon at mainstream na media.

Ang mga maling kwentong ito ukol kay Supremo ay nakahalo sa mga iba pang kaalaman ukol sa kanya at madalas pa nga ay mas nangingibabaw dahil mukhang hawak ng mga kontra-Bonifacio ang mga ahensyang pangkaalaman--ang edukasyon at ang media. Ayon sa historyador na si Prop. Michael Charlestone Chua, "mga pwersang panlipunan na ayaw maituro ang mga aral nina Bonifacio at ng Katipunan." Pinakamainam ngang paraan para mabara ang pagpapahalaga sa Katipunan ay siraan ang pangunahing nagtaguyod at nagpalakad nito. Anu-ano ba itong tinutukoy kong pangit na propaganda ukol sa Supremo? Narito ang mga pangunahing maling kaalaman na masasabing nakakapanggigil dahil sa sobrang pagkataliwas o paninira nito sa pagkatao at naging buhay ni Bonifacio.



I.  Wala raw pinag-aralan o mahina daw ang ulo ni Supremo.

Mukhang walang sariling mga bait ang naniniwala dito dahil may mangmang bang 1.) nakapagtatag at nakapagpalakas ng tagong samahan sa ilalim ng mapanikil na kolonyal na pamahalaan, at 2.) nakapagbasa ng mga librong nasa ibang wika (Les Miserables at Biography of American Presidents)? Bukod pa sa kanyang magagandang makabayang sulatin tulad ng Pag-Ibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa, Dekalogo, Dapat Mabatid ng Mga Tagalog, atbp.  Talas ng isip sa pagplaplano at mga taktika upang ma-utakan o ma "outwit" ang kalaban ang ginamit ni Bonifacio. Sila ngang mga nagsasabi nito baka sa barangay lang nila magtatag ng panghimagsikang samahan ay huli na agad sila.:)

Kailangang banggitin na kung ihambing si Bonifacio kay Hen. Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy ay akala mo 'no read, no write' ang una at nakatapos ang huli. Ang katotohanan ay medyo nakakagulat sa mga nauto ng pwersang dilaw sa kasaysayan at media: self-educated ang Supremo at nakatuntong lamang sa high school itong si Aguinaldo.

Mas marunong pa nga pagdating sa mataas na kaalamang pangpamahalaan itong si Bonifacio kaysa kay Aguinaldo. Kitang-kita ang kamangmangan ni Aguinaldo pagdating sa usapang pamahalaan noong "Republika ng Biak na Bato" na itinatag nito bago tinalikuran ang Himagsikan at tumakbo sa Hong Kong (hanggang makipagusap sa mga Amerikano). Ang Saligang Batas ng Biak na Bato ay halos buong-buong kinuha sa Konstitusyon ng Cuba--99.9% plagiarized, ika nga. Nakakahiya. Ihambing ito sa ginawang pagtutol ni Bonifacio sa Saligang Batas na inihain ni Hen. Edilberto Evangelista sa kanya noong bandang Disyembre 1896. Batay sa sinulat ni Hen. Alvarez, tinanggihan ni Bonifacio na gamitin ang konstitusyon para sa pamahalaang Katipunan dahil nakita niyang malapit ito sa gawa ng Kastilang si Antonio Maura. 

Sabi nga ni Mabini, si Bonifacio ay isang "sagacious" na pinuno at "had no less schooling than any of those elected in the aforesaid assembly."  Tinutumbok dito ni Mabini ang kontrobersyal na Tejeros Convention kung saan nakaikot ang hindi lang isang malaking kasinungalingan ukol kay Bonifacio.

II. "Natalo" daw ni Aguinaldo si Bonifacio sa Kumbensyong Tejeros.

Maaring natalo sa bilangan ngunit hindi sa tunay na halalan ang Supremo dahil ang Tejeros Convention ang pinakaunang madayang halalan sa kasaysayan ng ating pagkabansa. Ang unang HOCUS-PCOS, unang 'Hello Garci' kumbaga.  Nakasulat kina Ricarte, Alvarez, at sa mga sulat ni Bonifacio ang pandarayang naganap sa halalan.

Bago pa man simulan ang halalan sa Tejeros ay nagsumbong kay Bonifacio si Diego Mojica, isang opisyal ng Katipunan, Magdiwang, ukol sa may mga laman nang mga balota, ayon sa memoirs ni Alvarez. Pre-filled ballots, ika nga. Matapos ang halalan ay agad na gumawa ng deklarasyon si Ricarte na nagkaroon ng dayaan at kahit nahalal siya ay ayaw sana niyang magkaroon ng bahagi sa "pamahalaang" iyon. Sinulat din ni Alvarez na patagong sumumpa sa tungkulin sina Aguinaldo, at sa harap pa ng isang Kastila, o turuan-ng-Kastila na pari. Nakasulat din mismo ang pandarayang ito sa mga sulat ni Bonifacio kay Jacinto.

III. Kaya daw nag-walk out si Bonifacio sa halalan sa Tejeros ay dahil hindi nito matanggap ang "pagkatalo" kay Aguinaldo at ito ay lumayo na.

Napakalaking kasinungalingan nito sa dalawang kadahilanan. Una, nagalit si Bonifacio dahil ayaw kilalanin ni Tirona ang kanyang pagkapanalo bilang Kalihim na Pang-loob (Interior Secretary) samantalang iginiit niya bago umpisahan ang halalan na dapat igalang ng lahat ang anumang kakalabasan nito, na sinanggayunan naman ng mga delegado. Ininsulto siya ni Tirona na kesyo hindi bagay maging Kalihim dahil hindi nakatapos o hindi ito abogado (Ngek! Ano naman kaya yung high-school level na si "Pangulong" Aguinaldo?). Ito ay malinaw na nagpapakita ng kawalang paggalang nila Tirona sa boses ng tao--kung ipapalagay na hindi nagkaroon ng dayaan.

Karaniwang punto ng maling propaganda sa panahong kasalukuyan ay kesyo ang pagkagalit ni Bonifacio ay nagpapakita ng pagkainsulto niya, ng kanyang pagkapikon. Subalit kahit naman kanino mangyari ang pangit na taktikang iyon ay maiinsulto. Kailangang isa-alang-alang ang pagkatao nitong si Tirona. May nauna nang kasalanan itong si Tirona na itinuturong nagpakalat ng mga mapanirang poison letters laban kay Supremo noong huling bahagi ng Disyembre 1896, ayon sa mga sinulat ni Alvarez. Dagdag pa, si Tirona ay isang kalahating traydor na sumuko sa mga Kastila dalawang linggo lang makalipas ang Tejeros.

Pangalawa, ang totoo ay ilang pag-uusap at pakikipagtulungan pa ni Bonifacio kay Aguinaldo ang nangyari matapos ang Tejeros. Noong unang linggo ng Abril ay tinanggap pa nga ni Bonifacio sa kanyang opisina sa Naic itong sina Emilio at Baldomero Aguinaldo, ayon pa rin kay Alvarez. Binendisyunan pa nga kamo ni Bonifacio ang pagpapahiram ng Magdiwang, kung saan malapit si Bonifacio, ng mga armas nang hilingin ng Magdalo upang gamitin daw sa pakikipaglaban sa Kastila.

IV. Talunang pinunong militar daw itong si Bonifacio samantalang magaling daw si Aguinaldo.

Hindi totoong walang naipanalo si Bonifacio dahil ang mga naunang labanan ng mga Katipunero ay naipanalo nito. Ngayon, kung bakit hindi naging matagumpay ang Pangkalahatang Pag-aalsa noong Agosto 29/30 ng 1896 ay maisisisi sa ilang mga kadahilanan kabilang ang hindi pagsulpot ng grupo ni Aguinaldo, partikular ang pinamumunuan ni Fernandez. Kung baga, nasira ang plano.

Kasinungalingan ding basta-basta sabihin na mas magaling si Aguinaldo kay Bonifacio bilang heneral. Bakit kanyo? 1.) Manila, na sentro ng kapangyarihang kolonyal, ang hinawakan ni Bonifacio, na ang ibig sabihin ay mas mahigpit ang depensa dito at mas malakas ang pwersa ng kalaban dito. Mahirap talagang ipanalo. Samantala, 2.) si Aguinaldo nga ay nanalo sa labanan sa Imus noong Setyembre 1896 subalit nang ibinaling na ng Kastila sa Kabite ang pwersa nito ay kumaripas ng takbo itong si Aguinaldo papunta sa pagsuko/pakikipagkasundo sa Biak-na-Bato sa huling bahagi ng 1897.

Idagdag din na 3.) maliit na bahagi ng Kabite ang hawak ng Magdalo ni Aguinaldo kung ihahambing sa sakop ng Magdiwang nila Alvarez. Sa unang bagsak ng pagbaling ng Kastila sa Kabite noong Pebrero 1897 ay mas maraming mga bayan ang nalagas sa teritoryo ng Magdalo na umatras pa nga patungo, at nagkanlong, sa mga nasasakupan ng Magdiwang. Sa katunayan, sa panahong isinailalim sa kanggarong korte militar si Bonifacio ay tumatakbo noon ang Magdalo mula sa pagsalakay ng Kastila.

Ang totoo ay 4.) may taal na katalinuhang pulitiko-militar ang Supremo, ayon sa historyador at antropologong si Dok Zeus Salazar. May pangkalahatang plano ng Himagsikan si Bonifacio na binubuo ng apat na kaisipan. Ito ay ang a) mabilisang paghihimagsik na pupugot sa ulo/sentro ng banyagang kapangyarihan; b) pagsasama-sama ng bayan upang mapatupad ang pagsakote sa Maynila; c) sakaling mabigo ang paghihimagsik, ang pag-atras ng mga rebolusyonaryo sa mga 'real' o ilihan, o mga kampong "komunidad na may tanggulan malapit sa bayan"; d) sa maramihan, ang mga ilihan ay pabaitang na lunsaran ng ala-gerilya na pag-atake mula sa kanayuhan patungo sa militar na ulo ng Kastila na epektibong ginamit ng maraming heneral at mismong sumalo kay Aguinaldo sa Real ng Biyak na Bato.

V. Ang Katipunan daw ay samahan lamang, si Aguinaldo raw ang unang Pangulo ng bansa (at hindi daw si Bonifacio).

Ito marahil ang pinakamalaking kalokohang kasinungalingan patungkol sa naging pagkatao, nagawa at tagumpay ni Bonifacio. Ang totoo: bago inilunsad ang Pangkahalatang Pag-aaklas laban sa Kastila ay ginawang Panghimagsikang Pamahalaan ang Katipunan, kabilang ang pagtatatag ng hukbong sandatahan nito, at paghalal ng mga opisyal sa pamumuno ni Pangulong Bonifacio. May watawat pa nga at pambansang awit na inihanda, ang Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan na kinomisyon ng Supremo kay Julio Nakpil y Garcia.


Nakakapagtakang hindi kinikilala sa opisyal na kasaysayan (na tinuturo sa mga paaralan at binabangit ng media) ang halalan sa Katipunan na nagluklok kay Bonifacio bilang pinuno ng bansang naghihimagsik. Ito ay ibinalita sa Kastila-Amerikanong pahayagang "La Ilustración Española y Americana" (1897, Vol. I) kung saan pinakita pa ang larawan ni Bonifacio na may caption na "'Presidente' de la Republica Tagala." Sinulat din ito sa kaparehong taon ng Kastilang historyador na si Jose M. del Castillo. Nilagay nito sa kanyang "El Katipunan" or "El Filibusterismo en Filipinas" ang kinalabasan ng halalan sa Katipunan kung saan napili si Bonifacio bilang Supremo/Pangulo, si Jacinto bilang State Secretary, at iba pa.

Kung tutuusin ay dapat na tingnan bilang  malakas na pagbakas sa pagka-Pangulo ni Bonifacio at pagiging pamahalaan (na pang-Himagsik) ng Katipunan ang dalawang Kastilang batis na ito. Kung titingnan mula sa teoryang 'national perspective,' dapat si Aguinaldo na nakipagkasundo sa kanilang pamahalaang (Kastila) ang kilingan nila at hindi si Bonifacio na siyang puno't dulo ng Rebolusyon. Kung bakit itinatatwa ito ng mainstream na kasaysayan ng Pilipinas ay lubhang nakakapagtaka, taliwas sa lohiko.

Sabihin pa, may pagpapatibay din ito mula sa mga lokal na batis. Isinulat ni Alvarez na noong pinipilit nila Baldomero Aguinaldo na magtatag ng (bagong) pang-himagsikan pamahalaan ay sinagot nina Bonifacio na hindi ito kailangan dahil pamahalaan na ang Katipunan. Ipinahiwatig din ni Mabini na ang Katipunan ay pamahalaan sa ilalim ni Bonifacio nang sinulat niya sa kanyang memoirs na kriminal na insubordinasyon ni Aguinaldo ang pag-utos na "asasinasyon" (pagpatay) sa Supremo.

VI. May karapatan daw hatulan ng kampo ni Aguinaldo si Bonifacio na kanila daw isinailalim sa 'hustisya.'


Isang nakakapangilabot na pares ng kasinungalinan. Mula umpisa ay pagligpit na sa Supremo ang pakay ng kampo ni Aguinaldo. Isinulat ni Alvarez na 'dead or alive,' patay o buhay, ang utos na pagdukot kay Bonifacio. Ang mga inutusan ni Aguinaldo--sina Kol. Agapito Bonzon o alyas Intong, Felipe Topacio, at Jose Paua o Instik Pawa (may kasalukuyang historyador ang nagsasabing kasama si Lazaro Makapagal)--ay malugod pa nga ilang tinanggap (bilang mga kapatid sa Katipunan) ni Bonifacio ngunit patraydor na binaril at sinaksak nila ang Supremo sa tinuluyan nito sa Indang, Kabite.

Patraydor na pagdaklot ang ginawang panghuli sa Supremo dahil walang legal na kapangyarihan ang "pamahalaan" kuno ni Aguinaldo. Bakit ko nasabi ito?  1.) Walang bisa ang halalang Tejeros dahil una (a), pinawalang bisa ito ni Bonifacio na presiding officer ng kumbensyon. Pangalawa (b), nagkaroon ng dayaan sa Tejeros batay sa ulat ni Mojica at sa deklarasyon ni Ricarte na nagsabing nagkaroon ng "dirty or shady practices in the manner" ng halalan at napilitan lamang siyang sumumpa sa nakuhang posisyon na Pinuno ng Himagsikang Hukbong Sandatahan dahil tinakot siyang papatayin, ayon na rin sa kanyang deklarasyon. Pangatlo (c), kung kinikilala ng karamihan ang pagka-"panalo" ni Aguinaldo, sana ay hindi ito patagong nanumpa bilang "Pangulo." Pang-apat (d), naglabas din si Bonifacio at apatnapung iba pang Katipunero ng Acta de Tejeros na nagpapawalang bisa sa marumi at ma-anomalyang Kumbensyong Tejeros isang araw matapos ang halalang ito. Maaring may ilang pumirma na bumaligtad at kumampi kay Aguinaldo, katulad ni Hen. Pio del Pilar, subalit hindi nawala ang bisa nito dahil mas marami ang nanatili at nagkapirmahan nga.

2.) Sa yugto ng panghuli at pagkulong, at paglilitis ay walang hustisyang natamo sina Bonifacio. Pagmaltrato ang natamo si Supremo at kapatid na lalaki nitong nabuhay (noong dinaklot sila) na si Procopio. Pinagbawalan ang pagbisita sa makipot at madilim na bartolina, hindi nilapatan ng lunas ang mga sugat, at kung pinakain man ay "pagkaing hindi na dapat sabihin" ang binigay, ayon kay Alvarez. Ma-anomalya rin at patago ang ginawang 'paglilitis' kay Bonifacio. Kangaroo court martial, ika nga. Tumataginting na lutong makaw ang makikita ng kahit sinong may wisyo na makakabasa ng tala ng paglilitis, kahit yung 'opisyal' na bersyon pa at kahit hindi alam ang 'dead or alive' na utos ni Aguinaldo.

Meron ba naman patas na hukom na ang a) presiding officer (Mariano Noriel) ay pinangunahan ang kalalabasan at tinawag na ang intensyon ni Bonifacio ay "evil and treacherous," at ang b) abogadong itinakda nila sa Supremo, defense attorney (Placido Martinez), ay hinusgahan rin ang nasasakdal at sinabi ring "evil" daw ang binalak nito? Idagdag pa na ang auditor ng hukom militar ay si Baldomero Aguinaldo na pinsan ng biktima raw ng planong pagpatay ng Supremo.

VII. Duwag daw sa harap ng kamatayan ang Supremo.


Hindi iilan ang kumakagat o medyo kumakagat sa malaking kalokohang ito kahit na alam ng madla ang katapangan ng bayaning naglakas ng loob na pangunahan ang humawak ng balisong at baril upang wakasan ang pagkaalipin ng bayan at ilunsad ang bagong umaga nito bilang isang bansa. Sukdulang taliwas sa pagiging "El Marat Filipino," ika nga ng El Renacimiento--matapang na manghihimagsik, mapusok na patriotiko--ang pagiging duwag daw ng Supremo nang papaslangin na siya. Talaga nga yatang natatalo rin ang wisyo ng paulit-ulit na pagbigkas o paglimbag ng kasinungalingan.

Walang kredibilidad kung tutuusin ang pinagmulan ng mga pahayag na ito--ang berdugong si Lazaro Makapagal. Walang kredibilidad ang kanyang mga pahayag ukol sa mga huling sandali ng Supremo hindi lang dahil siya ang pinuno ng berdugong inatasan ng kampo ni Aguinaldo kundi dahil 1.) paiba-iba ang pahayag niya sa mga pangyayari; 2.) wala sa mga kapwa berdugo niya ang nagpatotoo sa mga kwento nito; at 3.) taliwas ang ilang mga detalye niya doon mismo sa tala ng kanilang kampo ukol sa paglilitis sa Supremo.

Nagmakaawa raw, umiyak, o sinubukang tumakbo mula sa kanyang kapalaran si Bonifacio nang papatayin na siya. Tatlong magkakasalungat na pahayag na ito ang pinakawalan ni Makapagal ng mga huling taon ng dekada 1920 sa mga naging panayam kay Alvarez (inilabas ng 1927), sa Philippine Free Press (1928), at kay Jose P. Santos (1929). Halimbawa, sa pangalawang bersyon nito ay sinabi niyang nang dinala nila sa bundok ang Supremo ay may isang sugat lamang ito, sa braso--isang litaw na kasinungalingan dahil kahit sa opisyal na tala ay nakalagay na may sugat sa lalamunan si Bonifacio dala ng pagkakasaksak dito noong dinaklot ito.

Kung paano nangyari na ang mga imposibleng pahayag na ito ay binibigyan diin sa mga aklat pangkasaysayan o sa media ay isang malaking katanungan. Ang mas kapani-paniwala siguro ay ang isang kwentong magsasabing sinubukan silang agawan ng armas at patayin ng Supremo dahil sa kanilang paglapastangan sa Katipunan at tunay na katarungan.

Subalit ang katawan ni berdugo Makapagal ay walang sugat, walang tanda ng paglaban ng Supremo. Masasagot ng pagwawasto ng isa pang mito ukol kasaysayan ni Bonifacio ang puntong ito.

VIII. Pinatay daw sa "execution" gamit ang pagbaril si Supremo.

Lubos na nakakapagtaka na ito ang kwentong kumalat at pinalaganap sa loob ng maraming dekada, malamang kasabay ng mga kalokohang pahayag ni Makapagal, samantalang si Mabini, na naging malapit kay Aguinaldo, ay ASASINASYON ang tawag sa ginawa ng kampo ni Aguinaldo kay Bonifacio. Pag sinabing execution, ito ay dapat bukas sa madla dahil bunsod ito ng paglilitis, ng proseso ng bukas na paghahanap ng katarungan. Ang ginawa ay Bonifacio ay hindi execution dahil patago ito, mula pa sa paglilitis kung kailan ipinagbawal ang anumang pagbisita sa kanya at Procopio, hanggang sa dalhin sila sa bundok ng Buntis sa Kabite. Inilayo pa, sinadyang pinaslang ang magkapatid na Bonifacio kung saan walang makakasaksi. Kahit idahilang itinago nila ito mula sa Kastila, gaano ba kahirap magtawag ng magiging tagapanood at madaliang ipatupad ang hatol--sa mismong kuta pa nila para maiwasang mahuli ng mga Kastila?

Hindi execution kundi asasinasyon dahil patraydor ang pagpaslang. Bakit kaya? Dahil takot na maaring magdulot ng pagkakawatak-watak ng mga rebolusyonaryo ang tagpong pagpatay sa Supremo? Kung talagang nanalo sa Tejeros si Aguinaldo at malinis ang paglilitis at may kasalanan ang Supremo, walang dapat kinatakutan. Mayroon pa kayang itinago?

Walang duda na hindi execution kundi asasinasyon. At ang mas nakakahindik pang kasinungalinang na dapat itama ay kung anong armas ang ginamit ng mga berdugo.

"A putol a paa, di dadapa// a putol a tenga, di bibingi..." o malapit dito na naglalaman ng mga linyang nagbabanggit ng mga putol na bahagi ng katawan ng Supremo. Kakatwang kwento ukol kay Bonifacio dahil hindi polisiya ng Katipunero ang sadyang putol-putulin ang katawan ng kalaban; sumikat ilang dekada na ang nakakaraan at may bersyon pa nga nitong matatagpuan mismo sa Maragondon court house. Noong 1918 ay inilabas ang forensics na ulat ng mga doktor mula sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas at nila Hen. Guillermo Masangkay (isa sa mga opisyal ng Katipunang pamahalaan) at Epifanio de los Santos ukol sa natagpuang buto na dineklara nila na kay Bonifacio batay sa best available science ng panahon na iyon. Tumutugma din ang katangian ng mga butong nahukay sa family history ng mga Bonifacio, kabilang ang kakaibang gawi ng Supremo: ang mga ngipin ay "maliit at makinis" na akala mo kinikil--na tugma sa kagawian ni Bonifacio na paghasa sa kanyang mga ngipin sa baba katapat ng incisors, ayon na rin sa pahayag ng kapatid nitong si Esperidiona. Ang nagbunsod kay Masangkay na hanapin ang Supremo ay ang sumbong ng ilan sa mga dating tauhan ni Makapagal na pinatay daw sa pagtataga ang Supremo na  nakasakay sa duyan at mahina na. Ang natagpuan nilang buto sa Kabite ay tugma rin sa sumbong sa kanya batay sa tama ng bayoneta at bolo at pagkakaroon ng biyak sa bungo. Huling dekada ng siglo 1900s ay nagsaliksik gamit ang oral history approach si Prop. Daniel Aragon mula sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ukol sa putol-putol na kwento. Lumalabas sa kanyang pag-aaral na kwentong bayan--batay sa saling-kwento ng mga Kabitenyong nakakita sa berdugo team ni Makapagal o nakasilip sa aktwal na pagpaslang sa magkapatid na--pinahirapan bago pinatay at maaring pinutulan ng ilang bahagi ng katawan si Supremo at inilakbay upang ilipat (malamang nakatali ang paa't kamay sa kawayan mula Bundok Buntis papuntang Nagpatong).

Tumutugma o may mga mahahalagang pagkakatugma ang kwentong putol-putol/pananaga sa sumbong kay Hen. Masangkay ng tauhan ni berdugo Makapagal, sa resulta ng 1918 forensics, at sa oral history mula sa Maragondon ukol sa patagang pagpaslang kay Bonifacio. Samantala, lumalabas na malaking kasinungalingan ang self-serving na mga paiba-iba at nagkokontrahang mga pahayag ni Makapagal, na taliwas rin sa dokumentadong katapangan ni Bonifacio at mismo sa ilang detalye ng opisyal na tala ng kanila court martial.

Hindi sa pagbaril kundi sa PAGTAGA winakasan ng mga berdugo nila Aguinaldo ang buhay ng magkapatid na bayaning Bonifacio. Pinahirapan ang hindi na makalaban-laban na nanghihina nang Supremo (dahil sa hindi nilunasang pagkaka-baril at pananaksak dito sa Indang), pinagtataga hanggang  maputol malamang ang ilang bahagi ng katawan, at pinagtakpan ang krimen sa pamamagitan ng paglipat sa ibang bahagi ng kabundukan.

Mas Patas at May Kredibilidad na mga Batis


Ang karamihan ng nalahad dito ay batay kina Hen. Alvarez, Hen. Ricarte, at Gat Mabini. Sina Mabini, Hen. Alvarez, at Hen. Ricarte ay mga pinagkaatiwalaan at dinadakilang mga personalidad na nakadaupang palad  mismo ni Pangulong Bonifacio. Kung sa patas ay patas ang tatlong ito dahil sa mga kapwa malalapit din kay Hen. Aguinaldo ang mga ito. Si Mabini, siyempre pa, ay naging Kalihim at tagapayo ni Aguinaldo. Si Alvarez ay naging kaibigan ng kontrobersyal na pinuno at kapwa Kabiteno pa nito. Si Ricarte naman ay tanyag sa prinsipyo nito laban sa imperyalistang Amerikano at sa pagdakila nito kina Rizal at Bonifacio habang naka-exile sa bansang Hapon kahit na may nagsasabing tuluyan daw itong kumampi sa kampo ni Aguinaldo at palihim pang nagpayo na tuluyang iligpit si Bonifacio noong 1897.

Ang tungkol sa mga pahayag ni berdugo Lazaro Makapagal, kapatid na babae ni Supremo, at paghukay sa mga buto ni Bonifacio ay mga nalathala sa pahayagan na kinalap ng mga mananaliksik ng Pambansang Komisyon (Suriang) Pangkasaysayan sa loob ng mahabang panahon (at inilabas na may kinikilingang opinyon ni G. Ambeth Ocampo, naging pinuno nito sa panahon ng administrasyon ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). Ang tungkol sa oral history naman ng mga taga-Maragondon, lalawigan ng Kabite ay mula sa pag-aaral ni Prop. Daniel Aragon, isang Kabitenyo. Sa madaling salita, ang mga primary sources ay mga patas at masasabi pa ngang kataka-takang hindi pumapanig sa kampo ni Aguinaldo. Ang mga lathain namang naglalaman ng mga pahayag mula 1920s at ang Kastilang website ay naglimbag lamang ng kanilang mga panayam o sipi (ng imahe ni Bonifacio mula sa lathaing "La Ilustración Española y Americana"). May iba ring pinagkunan, tulad ng mga libro o libro ng historyador na sina Milagros Guerrero at Dok Zeus Salazar, sinasabing 'Ama ng Pantayong Pananaw.'

Pagwawakas

Kung ano raw ang ating kainin, iyon tayo. Kung ano ang pinapakain sa atin o kinakain ng ating mga isip, iyon ang ating kamalayan. Sa terminolohiya ng information systems,  GIGO--garbage in, garbage out. Kung tahi-tahi at kathang-propaganda ang pagkakakilala sa mga bayani at kontra-bayani, lalabas na mito ang ating kamalayang pagkabansa.

Masidhi, malakas, at maimpluwensya ang mga nagpapakalat ng kasinungalingang paninira at pagmemenos sa Pangulong Bonifacio at sa Katipunan. Marami sila, hindi iilan, hindi lamang si Hen. Aguinaldo na hindi malayong napaikot din ng mas mapanggamit/mapanlinlang dito dahil wala pa itong edad 30 nang mga panahong inagawan niya ng kapangyarihan at pinapaslang ang Supremo. May mga pwersang panglipunan nga na ayaw maituro ang mga wasto o moral na mga aral ng Katipunan. Dagdagan ko pa na may mga pwersa sa ating lipunan na ayaw maparusahan sa mga kasalanan nila sa Supremo, sa Katipunan at mga turo at prinsipyo nito, at sa bayan.

Kung hindi tayo mag-iingat sa mga pinapayagaan nating pumasok natin sa kaisipan, magiging mga manikang pinapaikot lang tayo ng mga pwersang gahaman, makasarili at kalaban ng katotohanan. Hindi tayo makakarating sa kalagayang maayos kung saan buo ang ating kamalayang Pilipino at namamayani ang kapatiran, katarungan, kalayaang tunay, at kaunlarang nag-iingat sa kalikasan. Kung maiwawasto ang pagkakasulat sa kasaysayan ukol kay Supremo at Katipunan na pangunahing kumilos para sa ating kalayaan at pagkabansa, malamang ay maisunod na ang iba pa at maiwasto na rin sa wakas ang kasalukuyan nating kalahating-mitong historiograpiya. Sa ganoong paraan ay baka mapagkaisa na ang ating lahi sa kabansaang hindi tuta, bukas ngunit katutubo at makakalikasan, at makatarungan sa lahat.



HUWAG Hong Kalimutan, Pagtuntong ng Taon 2013 isang buwan mula ngayon ay BONIFACIO 150 NA! Magkita-kita ho tayong muli. :)


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Mainam din hong basahin ang mga piling iba pa sa Bonifacio Series:

The HACKING of the SUPREMO, Unang Bahagi (Bonifacio Series VII). http://forthephilippines.blogspot.com/2012/05/hacking-of-supremo-unang-bahagi.html

Andres Bonifacio, Unang Pangulo ng 'Pilipinas': Setting the Historiographic Record Straight (Bonifacio Series VI). http://forthephilippines.blogspot.com/2011/12/andres-bonifacio-unang-pangulo-ng.html

Tragedy of the Katipunan (Bonifacio Series IV). http://forthephilippines.blogspot.com/2011/05/tragedy-of-katipunan-assassination-cum.html

Gat Andres Bonifacio: The Anti-Colonial National Hero of the Philippines (Bonifacio Series I). http://forthephilippines.blogspot.com/2008/11/andres-anti-colonial-national-hero-of.html




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Mga Batis:

Alvarez, Santiago. The Katipunan and the Revolution: Memoirs of a General: with the original Tagalog text. Paula Carolina S. Malay. Trans. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1992. http://books.google.com/books/about/The_katipunan_and_the_revolution.html?id=F3q-krDckHwC

Artemio Ricarte Declaration date 24 March 1897. Filipiniana.net. http://www.filipiniana.net/publication/artemio-ricarte-declaration-dated-24-march-1897/12791881635983

Chua, Michael Charlestone. XIAOTIME, 29 November 2012: UNDRESS BONIFACIO, Ang Supremo Bilang Pinunong Militar. http://xiaochua.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/xiaotime-29-november-2012-undress-bonifacio-ang-supremo-bilang-pinunong-militar/

Guerrero, Milagros, Emmanuel Encarnacion, and Ramon Villegas. Andres Bonifacio and the 1896 Revolution. In Sulyap Kultura. National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 1996. NCCA Site. 16 June 2003. http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=5&subcat=13

La Revolución filipina (1896-1898).  http://www.museo-oriental.es/ver_didactica.asp?clave=138&loc=0

Ocampo, Ambeth. Bonifacio’s teeth, Rizal’s breath. Inquirer.net. March 9, 2012. http://opinion.inquirer.net/24571/bonifacio’s-teeth-rizal’s-breath

Ocampo, Ambeth. The execution of Bonifacio. Inquirer.net. May 15, 2009. http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090515-205102/The-execution-of-Bonifacio

Ocampo, Ambeth. Urban Legends. Inquirer.net. March 13, 2012. http://opinion.inquirer.net/24903/urban-legends

Retana, Wenceslao. "El Marat Filipino," El Renacimiento, 26 de Marzo 1908

Salazar, Zeus A. Kasaysayan ng Kapilipinuhan: Bagong Balangkas. Lungsod ng Quezon. 2004 Disyembre. http://www.google.com.ph/url?

________________. Si Bonifacio bilang Pinunong Militar. http://blog-by-taga-ilog-news.blogspot.com/2012/05/si-bonifacio-bilang-pinunong-militar.html

Thursday, March 22, 2012

TEJEROS CONVENTION, MARSO 22, 1897: Ang Unang 'Hello Garci,' Unang 'Hocus Pcos,' Unang EDSA 2 Power Grab

NGAYONG araw, ika-115 taon na ang nakakaraan, ang unang 'Hello Garci,' unang Hocus Pcos, at unang EDSA 2 Power Grab sa ating kawawang bayan.  Ngayong araw, nang panahon ng Himagsikan laban sa mananakop na Kastila, dinaya sa halalan ng Kumbensyong Tejeros ang pinuno at pangunahing tagapagtaguyod ng underground-movement-turned-revolutionary-government Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan (KKK), na si Generalissimo Andres Bonifacio y de Castro.  Ngayong araw, Marso 22 ng taong 1897, ang tatawagin ng pahayagang El Renacimiento na "El Marat Filipino," ang kinilala ni Aurelio Tolentino na "naglamay sa gabi't araw, sa loob ng apat na taong singkad, upang ang binhing [Kalayaan] ay magbunga ng sagana sa lahat ng lalawigan," ay basta-basta na lamang dinaya at ininsulto pa ng kampo ni Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy sa barrio Tejeros, sa noon ay San Francisco de Malabon, Cavite.

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PRE-FILLED ang mga balota ng halalang iyon nong Marso 22, 1897 ayon kay Diego Mojica, ang Magdiwang Council Treasury Secretary. Si Gen. Artemio Ricarte, mismo nahalal bilang Kapitan-Heneral diyan sa Tejeros Convention na iyan, ay gumawa ng deklarasyong marumi ang nasabing halalan. According to Ricarte, the Tejeros elections were charactererized by “dirty or shady practices in the manner.” Ayaw din ni Ricarte na tanggapin ang kanyang posisyon at manumpa subali’t parang natakot siya. He insinuated that his eventual oath-taking came under a sort of duress under threat of being killed.

Ang lumabas sa maruming halalan ay si Aguinaldo ang nanalong "Pangulo" at si Bonifacio naman ay lumabas na Direktor na Panloob. Subali't hindi pa nakontento sa pag-agaw ng pinakamataas na pwesto ay ininsulto pa ng Magdalo na si Daniel Tirona ang Supremo nang mag-protesta ito at nagsabing hindi maaring hawakan ng hindi abogado ang nasabing posisyon. Dito na nag-init ang Unang Manghihimagsik na Pangulo ng bayan na si Bonifacio at binunot nito ang baril nito nguni't nakapagtago ang duwag na si Tirona. As chairman of the convention, he declared the proceedings null and void after the scandal caused by Tirona who committed grave violations of the prior agreement to honor the electoral results. Nagdeklara din sina Bonifacio at mga 40 pang ibang Katipunero na bale wala ang Tejeros Convention sa pamamagitan ng Acte de Tejeros sa sumunod na araw.

Dapat ibasura ang Tejeros Convention. Pwera pa sa iskandaloso at wala sa order ay deklaradong null and void ito. Sabihin pa, PATAGO ang oath-taking nila Aguinaldo, patagong upang hindi malaman ng mga Magdiwang, ayon sa memoirs nila Santiago Alvarez. AT isang Kastilang pari ang nag.officiate. At kahit hindi Kastila, kung isa itong pari na hindi kumalas sa ilalim ng kapangyarihan ng Kastilang Simbahang Katolika ay pareho din. Saan ka nakakita ng nagrerebelde ay isang authority ng pinagrerebeldehan ang nagbasbas ng pagkapanalo nito?

(Based from http://mgatanongpo.tumblr.com/post/8343791605/18-alam-nyo-ba-na-ang-tejeros-convention-ang)
 
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Kung susuriin ang kaganapan sa Tejeros Convention at ang kontektso nito na Himagsikan at kadikit na Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano (1899-1914), makikita na umikot sa pang-aagaw sa kapangyarihan manghihimagsik ang kabuuang galaw ni Aguinaldo.

1) Disyembre 1896 pa lang ay nagtulak na ang Magdalo nina Aguinaldo ng bagong saligang batas (yung tinanggihan ni Bonifacio na presented ni Edilberto Evangelista ay plagiarized mula sa Maura Law).

2) Character assassination of the Supremo nila Tirona mula pa Disyembre 1896.

3) Dapat ay general assembly lamang ang Tejeros Convention subali't na.pressure ang Generallissimo (na gustong-gustong magkaisa ang Magdiwan at Magdalo) na magkahalalan para sa isang bagong pamahalaan.

4) Mga ulat ng pandaraya sa Tejeros mula kay Mojica at Ricarte.

5) Ang patagong panunumpa nila Aguinaldo.

6) The treacherous 'dead or alive' attack on and abduction of the Bonifacios, to the 'kangaroo court' Council of War trial, to the surreptitious "execution" [considered by Mabini as "assassination"] of the Bonifacio brothers.

7) Utos na pagpaslang ni Aguinaldo kay Hen. Antonio Luna, sinasabing pinangambahan niyang aagaw ng pagkapangulo ng bansa noong Digmaang Pilipino-Amerikano, sa Kumbento ng Kabanatuan kung saan ayon kay Julio Nakpil ay binigkas ng nanay ni Aguinaldo ang "Ano, humihinga pa ba?".


Sa pagtingin sa malakihang larawan ng rebolusyon ay mas malinaw na nakikita na ang Tejeros Convention ay isang madaya at maruming halalan, isang pang-aagaw ng kapangyarihan sa Ama ng Himagsikan, pinuno ng manghihimagsik na pamahalaang Katipunan ng ating bayan. Hanggang hindi natin itinatama, kinukundina ang dayaang Tejeros, itinatakwil ang anumang pangaagaw sa kapangyarihan binigay ng taumbayan, ay hindi aayos ang ating bayan.

Ang pagkilala kay Supremo Andres Bonifacio bilang lehitimong Unang Pangulong (Manghihimagsik) at ang pagtalikod sa Tejeros Convention ang susi upang malinis ang ating mga sarili--ang maitakwil ang naging kultura na yata ng dayaan sa halalan at pagyapak sa boses ng taumbayan. And this applies whether or not you are pushing for a radical change of the Philippine society...... Hindi pa naman siguro huli upang maibangon ang ating bansang Pilipinas/Tagalog/Taga-Ilog. 

 
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Katipunan Chronology relating to the Tejeros Convention 
 
August 1896 -  Katipunan Supreme Council elects the leader of the revolutionary government:
Andres Bonifacio, Supremo/President
Teodoro Plata, Secretary of War
Emilio Jacinto, Secretary of State
Aguedo del Rosario, Secretary of Interior
Briccio Pantas, Secretary of Justice
Enrique Pacheco, Secretary of Finance.
(This election would be recorded in the February 8, 1897 issue of the Spanish-American publication La Ilustracion Española y Americana about the Philippine revolution. The article featured an engraved portrait of "Andres Bonifacio, Titulado 'Presidente' de la Republica Tagala," clad in a dark suit and white tie. Nineteenth century Spanish historian Jose M. del Castillo also document the first national elections in his 1897 writing "El Katipunan" or "El Filibusterismo en Filipinas.") 

24 Aug. 1896 - Katipuneros arrive at the barn of Melchora Aquino for their hurried National Assembly, with Supremo Andres Bonifacio and members of the Supreme Council (Kataastaasang Kapulungan), heads of the supramunicipal (sangunian) and chapter (balangay) units of the Katipunan in attendance; American colonial military historian John R. M. Taylor will later come to the conclusion that the Katipunan was the first national government of the Philippines, writing that Bonifacio turned the Katipunan "lodges into battalions, his grandmasters into captains, and the supreme council of the Katipunan" into a revolutionary body fighting for independence against colonial Spain.


26 Aug. 1896 - Bonifacio unfurls the Katipunan flag in Balintawak five (5) days after the Spaniards ascertained the existence of the KKK.

29 Aug. 1896 - The Katipuneros led by its Supremo Bonifacio, start the general uprising against Spain midnight of this day, a Saturday, with its first offensive attacking an isolated colonial garrison in Luzon; Aguinaldo's group from Cavite fails to arrive as planned and the initial major salvo is unsuccessful. (Salazar)

30 Aug. 1896 - Spanish Governor-General Blanco declares the state of war and martial law in eight provinces: Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna, Cavite, and Batangas.

31 October 1896 - Aguinaldo issues two manifestos: (1) defines the revolution's aims as independence and "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity," and (2) calls for the formation of a central revolutionary government.
17 December 1896 - the Supremo arrives in Cavite, in response to the invitation of the Magdiwang KKK chapter in the province for the purpose of resolving their rivalry with the rival Magdalo chapter.

Circa Mid-to-Late Dec. 1896-- Baldomero Aguinaldo proposes the establishment of a revolutionary government, with Edilberto Evangelista submitting a constitution for the proposed government;the Supremo rejects the charter, finding it plagiarized. Those who favor the Katipunan argued that it has its own constitution & by-laws and that it is already a (revolutionary) government.

Post-Christmas 1896 - Smear propaganda against the Supremo circulates, including in the form of poison letters, in rebel towns particularly in San Francisco de Malabon where Bonifacio is greatly respected and admired, with Tirona as suspect: Bonifacio is villified for supposedly not believing in God; having low education; being  mere lowly hired help in a firm dealing with tiles and with no other income; that he was an agent of the friars, with his sister being a paramour of a Spanish curate. (Alvarez)
- With some of the poison letters reaching the Supremo when a number of disbelieving recipients voluntarily  turn over the poison letters to him, Bonifacio demands an explanation from Tirona at the home of Col. Nocon: Tirona haughtily & defiantly dismisses the accusations, prompting the Supremo to nearly shoot at Tirona if not for the intercession of some women present. (Alvarez)
29 December 1896 - Magdiwang and Magdalo leaders meet to discuss how to settle differences in revolutionary struggle and also a plot to snatch Rizal on the eve of his execution scheduled by the Spanish colonial authorities:
Circa early 1897 - Magdiwang faction building up secret enemies--Katipuneros who had been rebuffed or dismissed for insubordination, including Mariano Trias who refused to give up his private army.  (Alvarez).
January 1897 - Magdiwang is major Katipunan force in Cavite, with 3,400 guns compared to Magdalo's 2000 and had decidedly bigger territories covered. (Alvarez).
February 1897 -  Supremo Andres Bonifacio, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Mariano Trias and Procopio Bonifacio were poised to come to blows over defamatory idle talk but was prevented by Santiago "Apoy" Alvarez and Artemio Ricarte who manage to soothe the feelings of the four men. (Alvarez).
14 Feb. 1897 - The Spaniards begin their 52-day offensive at Cavite. Within days, the colonizers would begin to successively retake rebel towns under the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan but not so much the Magdiwang. The council and members of Magdalo would withdraw to San Francisco de Malabon and try to hold meetings in other Magdiwang territories  (Delos Santos; Alvarez)
1st/2nd week of March 1897 - The Magdalo faction invites the Magdiwang for a general assembly purportedly to draw up some revolutionary strategy; Baldomero Aguinaldo, Emiliano Riego de Dios, Santiago, Daniel Tirona, Severino de las Alas, etc. from the Magdalo camp mainly prepare the arrangement. (Alvarez).
     Emilio Aguinaldo       -            President
     Mariano Trias            -            Vice-President
     Andrés Bonifacio       -            Director of Interior
     Artemio Ricarte         -             Captain-General
     Emiliano Riego de Dios    -      Director of War
-- Daniel Tirona scandalously objects to Bonifacio's election on supposed grounds of the latter's lack of qualifications, prodding (unsuccessfully) the crowd to elect lawyer Jose del Rosario instead. Bonifacio, as chairman of the Convention, declares the proceedings null and void on grounds of grave violations of the prior agreement to honor the electoral results.
-- (Alvarez's memoirs narrate the earlier unheeded warning given by Magdiwang Council Treasury Secretary Diego Mojica to the Supremo as to the use of pre-filled ballots)
23 March 1897 - Bonifacio, along with over 40 other Katipuneros, signs the Acta de Tejeros that nullifies the fraudulent and anomalous Tejeros Convention.
24 March 1897 - Aguinaldo takes his office as "President" in secret, with Catholic priest (under Spanish authority) Cenon Villafranca officiating, despite Bonifacio's nullification of the Tejeros polls in the latter's capacity as presiding officer and the manifestos and speeches  circulated in connection with the scandalous elections. (Alvarez)
-- Artemio Ricarte y Garcia reluctantly also takes his oath of office after being elected the General-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army during the anomalous Tejeros Convention. He insinuates that his eventual oath-taking came under a sort of duress: "That they kill me that same night, for the reasons above cited, or that they give me three hours, or at least one hour, to think over what I must necessarily do in order to accept said office; this second request was but a mere pretext, in order to enable me to absent myself from that Assembly.  I obtained nothing of what I requested, because not even one of them gave me his assent."(Ricarte) 
-- that same day, Ricarte makes a declaration stating his "great reluctance" over the oath-taking amidst what he described as "dirty or shady practices in the manner" of the Tejeros Convention elections and his doubts about his capacity to serve as chief general. (Alvarez's memoirs describes the oath-taking a having been done surreptitiously and with posted guards ready to eliminate unwanted Magdiwang figures who would try to break through the proceedings).
19 April 1897 - The Supremo and other signatories sign the Naik Military Agreement declaring that several Filipino revolutionaries (referring to but not naming the camp of Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy) had committed treason against the nation and the revolution by negotiating for peace with the enemy Spaniards. 

24 April 1897 - Bonifacio confides his fear that his company seems to be in danger not only from the Spanish enemy but, also, from the local [Caviteno] revolutionary leaders in a letter to Jacinto. The Supremo also writes about the detestable acts of treason/collaboration with the enemy Spaniards that was engaged in by certain Magdalo members, partisans of Aguinaldo such as Tirona, Mtro. De Guerra, Jose del Rosario, Jose Caelles, and "almost all Tanza residents along with the priest there," as well as the fraud and anomaly that characterized the Tejeros Convention.

27 April 1897 - "President" Aguinaldo sternly orders that the Bonifacio brothers be seized and brought before him dead or alive. Assigned were Col. Agapito Bonzon (alias Intong/Yntong), Felipe Topacio, and Jose Paua/Pawa (alias Insik Pawa) who, along with some men, leave Naic for Indang in the afternoon. (Alvarez) [Note: Other sources place this day of order as April 26]

28 April 1897 - The Supremo and brother Procopio are treacherously abducted by the forces of Bonzon and Paua who return in the morning. They violently attack the Bonifacio brothers and men in a surprise move that instantly kills Ciriaco Bonifacio. (Alvarez). [Note: Other reports will point to the afternoon of April 27 as the time of the Bonifacio abduction]. Bonifacio's wife, Gregoria de Jesus, is also abducted and brought to Naic, with the weakened Supremo brought in a hammock. His wife is raped by Yntong. (Court martial record tell of unsuccessful rape; but recent sources tell rape did occur, such as Ocampo, cited in Duka).
28 April - 4 May 1897 - Bonifacio Trial Proper begins:  Mariano Noriel, head of the court martial body, unabashedly prejudges the Supremo by asking the "Most Respected and Distinguished President" Aguinaldo to judge the extent of the evil and treacherous intentions of Andres Bonifacio. Fourteen persons testify in the very swift course of the court martial, with the trial proper taking only a mere 6 days: Benito Torres; Procopio Bonifacio; Nicolas Guzman; Rafael Non; Narciso Tiolo; Julian Aguila; Cayetano Lopez; Bibiano Rojas; Pedro Giron; Domingo Denlaso; Domingo San Juan; Gervacio Santiago; Andres Bonifacio; Gregoria de Jesus. (Court martial records).

5 May 1897 -  The Supremo is not allowed to deliver a defense speech, with the official records showing that the request has been turned down (twice) supposedly because Bonifacio has only been repeating his account made during the court examination. 

The counsels make their speeches. The court-appointed lawyer of the Supremo, Placido Martinez, is rather scandalously a Council of War panel member and attacks the Supremo, prejudging him for his supposed "evil" act of trying to kill Aguinaldo, before begging the court that clemency be granted his 'client.'

6 May 1897 - The court martial declares the Bonifacio brothers guilty and deserving of the punishment of being shot to death--despite Giron being the only one to testify about the supposed plan to assassinate Aguinaldo and the Supremo's gun actually having been unfired. The decision, subsequently for forwarding to Aguinaldo, are signed by Mariano Noriel, the Council President, Tomas Mascardo, and Esteban Ynfante, and attested to by Council Secretary Lazaro Makapagal.

8 May 1897Baldomero Aguinaldo upholds the Council of War decision declaring the Supremo and his brother 'guilty' of supposedly (a.) firing at "government soldiers;" (b.) intention of "overthrowing the government" and killing Aguinaldo based [mainly] on Giron's testimony; and (c.) using money to induce "government soldiers" to transfer allegiance to him.
10 May 1897 - The Supremo and his brother Procopio are  taken out of their cramped prison and brought to the mountains of Maragondon, Cavite. There will be three different different accounts of the 'execution.' One is that the Bonifacio brothers were shot to death; another, to be claimed by Makapagal, is that the Supremo attempted to flee after Procopio was shot; and another is that Bonifacio was hacked to death.

Apolinario Mabini would describe Bonifacio's supposed execution as an "assassination"...as a  "crime" on the part of Aguinaldo that "was the first victory of personal ambition over true patriotism."

Complete chronology here: http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2011/05/10/6619505-the-tragedy-of-the-katipunan-the-supremos-assassination-cum-execution-bonifacio-series-iv

*********************************************************************************
____

Mga Batis:

Alvarez, Santiago. The katipunan and the revolution: memoirs of a general : with the original Tagalog text. Paula Carolina S. Malay. Trans. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1992. http://books.google.com/books/about/The_katipunan_and_the_revolution.html?id=F3q-krDckHwC

Artemio Ricarte Declaration date 24 March 1897. Filipiniana.net.
http://www.filipiniana.net/publication/artemio-ricarte-declaration-dated-24-march-1897/12791881635983

Bonifacio, Andres. “Letters to Emilio Jacinto.” In The Writings and Trial of Andres Bonifacio, trans. Teodoro A. Agoncillo and S. V. Epistola. Manila: Antonio J. Villegas; Manila Bonifacio Centennial Commission; University of the Philippines, 1963. 13-22.
http://bonifaciopapers.blogspot.com/2005/09/bonifacio-andres_112726277825094355.html

Donato, Tony. Ang Kombensyon sa Tejeros, ika 22 ng Marso, 1897.
http://katonynabanlawkasaysayan.blogspot.com/2012/03/ang-kombensyon-sa-tejeros-ika-22-ng.html

Letter to Emilio Jacinto, 24 April 1897. Filipiniana.net.
http://www.filipiniana.net/publication/letter-to-emilio-jacinto-24-april-1897/12791881633428

Retana, Wenceslao. "El Marat Filipino," El Renacimiento, 26 de Marzo 1908


The “Acta de Tejeros”.
http://kasaysayan-kkk.info/docs.adt.230397.htm

The Assassination of Bonifacio and Antonio Luna. Exerpts from Julio Nakpil's 'Apuntes Sobre La Revolucion Filipina'

(Notes on the Philippine Revolution). http://www.oocities.org/valkyrie47no/himno.htm

Tolentino, Aurelio. "Mahalagang Anyaya sa Bayang Pilipino," Muling Pagsilang, 24 Abril 1908


Bernardo, Jesusa. The Tragedy of the Katipunan: The Supremo's Assassination-cum-Executio
n (Bonifacio Series IV). http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2011/05/10/6619505-the-tragedy-of-the-katipunan-the-supremos-assassination-cum-execution-bonifacio-series-iv

________. The conspiracy of Edsa 2: how Gloria Arroyo managed not to let President Joseph Estrada finish his term.
http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2008/02/25/1324358-the-conspiracy-of-edsa-2-how-gloria-arroyo-managed-not-to-let-president-joseph-estrada-finish-his-term

________. The Wiretapped Case of the Bogus Presidency of Philippines' Gloria Arroyo ("Hello Garci" in English).
http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2008/06/30/1627254-the-wiretapped-case-of-the-bogus-presidency-of-philippines-gloria-arroyo-hello-garci-in-english

_______. Foreign Powers Coercing the Filipino Masses for a Noynoy Aquino "Presidency"?
http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2010/05/28/4382462-foreign-powers-coercing-the-filipino-masses-for-a-noynoy-aquino-presidency

_______. How Joma Sison first revealed the AQUINORROYO operations behind the May 10, 2010 automated poll fraud. How Joma Sison first revealed the AQUINORROYO operations behind the May 10, 2010 automated poll fraud


Para sa Chronology: iba pang mga batis na makikita sa  http://jesusabernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2011/05/10/6619505-the-tragedy-of-the-katipunan-the-supremos-assassination-cum-execution-bonifacio-series-iv 

Thursday, February 24, 2011

25 Years of EDSA: A Legacy of Disempowerment, Amorality, & Greater Poverty

NO Thanks to 25 Years of EDSA

TWENTY-FIVE years after EDSA 1, a quarter of a century after the "fascist" Ferdinand E. Marcos dictatorship was dismantled, the Philippines is in WORSE straits. We should repudiate, NOT celebrate, the "People Power" of 1986, as well as the 2001 EDSA II, for its end results. Instead of uplifting the condition and morality of the Filipinos, it led us deep into the quagmire of greater poverty and virtual amorality.


Whereas, during the Martial Law period, the opposition's mantra was "clean and fair and honest elections," today, some well-educated Filipinos openly HAIL electoral cheating, thanking Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the 2004 "Hello Garci" POLL FRAUD that prevented the presidency of Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ).

Narinig mula sa isang kuwarto sa College of Science, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas-Diliman, mga dalawang taon na ang nakakaraan:

Binata: Buti na lang nandaya si Gloria Arroyo. Ayoko nga kay FPJ."


By the way, no one among his classmates raised hell over his pro-poll fraud comment.
 

Here's another. Conversation in a Facebook secret group:

R---- M------ 3:34pm Feb 12:

"well jesusa i would rather have poll fraud or insult the few... that garci incident is a saving grace for all of us because if fpj became president we would end up a 4th world country or maybe we would end up in the movies."

Jesusa Bernardo 11:42pm Feb 11:

"insult the few? lol. eh di sana hindi na nandaya si arrobo dorobo. anyway, as i said, i've got to give it to you for your honesty in embracing the crime and immoral act of poll fraud and insulting the wisdom of the people. :)"

Noong panahon ni Marcos, ang pangunahing reklamo ng mga nasa oposisyon, kabilang ang mga nasa poder ng kapangyarihan ngayon tulad ng mga Aquino-Cojuangco at si Sen. Joker Arroyo, ay ang kawalan ng kalayaan na ihalal ang tunay na nais na bayan. Makaraang mapatalsik si Marcos, lahat ng halalang pangpanguluhan maliban noong 1998 kung kailan nanalo si Pangulong Joseph "Erap" Estrada, ay may bahid ng pandaraya.

The most pronounced and despicably massive cases of poll fraud and cover-up were the 2004 Hello Garci and the recent 2010 Hocus Pcos elections benefiting Arroyo and the incumbent "President" Benigno "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III, respectively. What's even more revolting is that the political and business elites conspired to oust the only genuinely democratically post-Marcos President, Pres. Erap, practically from Day 1 of his term.

In terms of greater poverty, those who have lived long enough to be able to compare the Marcos days with the next era, particular after the EDSA 2 coup against Erap, simply can tell how more difficult life has become in this country. Very high electricity rates--in fact one of the highest in the world-- and higher food prices and transportation costs. Kahit na maraming kababayan natin ang OFW at sumusuporta sa ekonomiya, marami nang kumakain ng "PAGPAG" (kaning baboy) ngayon. Sa payak na pananalita, MAS MAHIRAP mabuhay at gumalaw. Walang pasalamat sa EDSA.

As of 1997, the Philippines was "a major destination for paedophiles... Poverty has also turned rural Philippines into a huge exporter of cheap labour."
http://books.google.com/books?id=kSKlqr0QcXgC&pg=PA52&dq=%22poverty+index%22+philippines&hl=en&ei=-sNlTe_eK9HwrQeIm6XaCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22major%20destination%20for%20paedophiles%22&f=false

From 1994-1996, the percentage of those earning less than $2 per person a day was 63%, based on the 1999 UN Human Development Report.
http://books.google.com/books?id=hmEptCPHMEgC&pg=PA511&dq=%22poverty+index%22+philippines&hl=en&ei=-sNlTe_eK9HwrQeIm6XaCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22poverty%20index%22%20philippines&f=false


 


It should be noted that OFFICIAL poverty statistics surprisingly show a decrease in the number of poor Filipinos from the Marcos years until today. The official figures have long been suspected to be 'doctored' somehow, particularly during Arroyo's time. Asian Development Bank's Karin Schelzig points to one explanation behind the seeming disconnect of the official figures with poverty on the ground:

"Despite a long tradition of poverty measurement in the Philippines, trends in income poverty are not straightforward as one might hope. The most important issue is that there have been two major methodology changes [instituted by the National Statistics Office] since the poverty incidence was first estimated for 1985. The first major change occurred in 1992, and the second in 2003. In essence, there are three different poverty series in existence for the Philippines..."
http://books.google.com/books?id=iVIW-Qh50HoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22poverty+in+the++philippines%22&hl=en&ei=09VlTbDMK4H0cbag3I4M&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=philippines&f=false


Actually, just recently, the The National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) tweaked the survey method again "by reducing the computation of those under poverty line from those earning P41 per person per day to just P37 per person per day" as reported by the Daily Tribune. Applying the new computing method, the number of poor Filipinos in 2009 was reduced to only 23 million from the 27.6 million based on the old method. Schelzig concludes that (official) figures on Philippine poverty may underestimate urban poverty because of survey methods, and that they may be "worth less in real terms" because poverty lines failed to keep up with inflation over time. With the recent THIRD change in methodology for estimating poverty and the glossing over of high inflation, official poverty figures have been rendered more of illusory and sallowly propagandistic.

The sad, pathetic state of hunger of millions of the Filipinos under the yellows is perhaps well symbolized by the documentary of Ferdinand Dimadura, "Chicken a la Carte" (see video below).  Winner of the 56th Berlin International Film festival competition for the Most Popular Short film category, the 2005 documentary shows how a Filipino breadwinner regularly gives Pagpag fast food table scraps, normally recycled for  animal consumption, as festive food for his family. 

The EDSA legacy is not worth celebrating but, rather, condemning. Just look where the Filipinos are today. Our people have regressed not only economically but also in terms of political morality. It has become acceptable even for the normally idealistic youth to trash morals and democratic ideals just because they so dislike a popular but unacceptable-to-them presidentiable.

I say, it's more of [EDSA "People Power" = Poll Fraud + Power Grab].

To be more accurate:

[EDSA "People Power" = Political disempowerment + Amorality + Poverty].




_________


References (& raw photo credits) :

Dimadura, Ferdinand. Chicken a la Carte. 2005. Video. http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a%20la%20Carte

Less poor after NSCB tweaks poverty formula. Daily Tribune. 9 February 2011. http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110209hed4.html

Marshall, Katherine and Olivier Butzbach. New Social Policy Agendas for Europe and Asia: Challenges, Experiences, and Lessons. Illustrated Ed. World Bank Publications, 2003. http://books.google.com/books?id=hmEptCPHMEgC&dq=%22poverty+index%22+philippines&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Schelzig, Karin. Poverty in the Philippines: income, assets, and access. Asian Development Bank, 2005. http://books.google.com/books?id=iVIW-Qh50HoC&dq=%22poverty+in+the++philippines%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Thursday, November 05, 2009

The Ghost of FPJ: Beware the Liberal Party?

The ghost of Fernando Poe Jr., or FPJ for short, was reportedly seen by his grave at the Manila North Cemetery on Tuesday, October 27, 2009. The 'apparition' witness asks why FPJ chose to show himself to her. The incident seems to be the first time the man deprived of the 2004 presidential victory "Hello Garci" style made himself visible by his tomb. Could it be that because we are only months away from another opportunity of presidential reckoning, FPJ wants the people to remember? Is Poe Jr., called by many as the genuine 14th President of the Philippines, asking the Filipinos not to vote for all those who conspired to cheat him, hid the real numbers and installed instead the "Hello Garci " perpetrator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? Is FPJ asking the people not to vote the parties that operated at either the military/Comelec or congressional canvassing level--Lakas-Kampi and the Liberal Party  (LP)?


Whether or not the apparition is genuine, or that the "ghost" is really that of FPJ or, for that matter, whether ghosts or spirits of dead people are real, Filipinos should well learn from the lessons of the 2004 presidential elections and proclamation fraud. If the people of the Southeast Asian islands with a blatantly colonial name, i.e., the Philippines, are to emerge not necessarily as one and united, but even just as a race dignified by basic morals of fairness and electoral honesty, they would need to learn from its recent electoral history.





As seen in the GMA-7's "24 Oras" news video footage, an apparition or figure of sorts that looked , moved and dressed like FPJ seemed to have left or passed through the late actor's image on the hanged tarpaulin poster hanging by the wall of his tomb. The incident was captured by the cellphone camera of a woman who visited Poe's tomb. A computer video expert concluded that the footage was either genuine or made by a very technologically sophisticated hoaxer.

Why FPJ could warn us of Lakas-Kampi is obvious. The coalition party is, of course, the party of Arroyo--the machinery that has assured legislative conformity with her unpatriotic agenda and, perhaps more importantly, has primarily squashed all the impeachment attempts against her. Why FPJ would warn the Filipinos about the Liberal Party may not seem so obvious but it probably has all to do with how he got cheated in 2004.

The LP, along with Lakas-Kampi, is thought to be responsible for the congressional dimension of the 2004 presidential poll fraud and cover-up. Making an apparition capturable by a phone camera is possibly FPJ's way of reminding of the electoral injustice done to him and the people. 'Don't vote Lakas-Kampi or LP come May 2010,' could be the message of the ghost of the man cheated of presidential victory "Hello Garci" style.

Of course, one could claim that FPJ is playing partisan politics, and probably wants his followers to give him posthomous justice by voting for Chiz Escudero, the "batang trapo" (says the democratically uncivil "civil society) who took the cudgel of being his spokesperson during the 2004 presidential polls. Then again, Poe Jr. could be campaigning for his friend, former President Joseph Estrada who was, in the first place, responsible for convincing him to run against Arroyo in 2004. These two speculations, of course, are hinged on whether the apparition is genuine and/or whether spirits are real.

Liberal Party Record

Skeptics will definitely not buy the message-of-FPJ-ghost theory. One does not need to believe in apparitions to see that the Liberal Party does not really stand for genuine change, however. The party and its stalwarts ex-Sen. Jovito Salonga and now-presidential contender  Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III have a recent history of disrespect for the Constitution and simply being tolerant, if not actually engaging in immoral or unethical politics.

In Oplan Excelsis/EDSA 2 Coup

First, these party big-names helped installed the Illegitimate, later surveyed to be the "Most Corrupt President in Philippine History." During the height of the anti-Estrada movement back in 2000-2001, Salonga was, of course in the forefront of those wanting Erap to resign or be impeached. Noynoy Aquino was then a Congressman for Tarlac. As recounted by The Daily Tribune's Ninez Cacho-Olivares, the only son of the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino and ex-President Corazon "Cory" Aquino, was among those who hailed the move of then-Speaker Manuel "Manny" Villar to transmit the impeachment complaint to the Senate-even without the benefit of plenary vote.

When things didn't work out to their liking during the Senate impeachment hearings, the LP members joined those who walked out and amassed in EDSA 2 to oust Estrada. Of course, the 2001 coup was "legitimized" by the Davide court's ruling that Joseph Estrada did "constructive resignation" even in the absence of a resignation letter or actual physical incapacity. Still, that novel , never-before-heard SC decision won't take away the fact that it was a coup, the fruition of Plan B of the Oplan Excelsis revealed in October 2000 by The Daily Tribune, which was, in turn, predated by a series of Manila Standard articles on anti-Estrada destabilization efforts during the early part of the same year.

LP's Role in 2004 Poll Cheating/Cover-up

Next, their disloyalty to the Constitution by way of the penchant for going against the people's will was manifested anew during the 2004 elections. Not only did Salonga, et al. avidly campaign for Arroyo but worse, they took part in what the "Hello Garci" tapes would later reveal to be a fraudulent proclamation of the "President-elect."


As described by Daily Tribune's Demaree Raval, this was accomplished when "the leaders of the LP railroaded the national [congressional] canvass." The LP was "in the thick of the cheating" as its leaders simply noted the objections while members of Fernando Poe's camp "were crying themselves hoarse against the fraud" during the congressional canvassing. It should be recalled that LP Sen. Francisco "Kiko" Pangilinan was the chairman of the Joint Congressional Canvassing Committee.

The opposition camp was trying to present evidence of electoral fraud before the committee but they were basically not allowed to. The lawyers, and congressional supporters of FPJ and running mate Loren Legarda were blocked from having select ballot boxes containing contested certificates of canvass or COCs opened. During the canvassing, Pangilinan earned the moniker of "Sen. Noted" because he struck down all objections and arguments to prove electoral fraud by his frequent utterances of the now-infamous word "Noted."

Raval also writes that opposition solons and lawyers were prevented by LP members from even speaking or presenting "the election returns to prove the lie of the manufactured certificates of canvass." He must be referring to the likes of Cong. Butch Abad, LP representative from Batanes, who silenced the voice of those who justly wanted Congress to look into the evidence of presidential poll fraud. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, then an LP congressman from Tarlac, might not have actively taken part in railroading the canvass but as journalist Ninez Cacho-Olivares notes, "kept his mouth shut even in the face of massive electoral cheating."

For the flimsy excuse that it would take a long time to study the questioned COCs, the country was deprived of knowing who really won in the 2004 presidential polls. Subsequently, Liberal Party solons led by Senate President Franklin Drilon and Pangilinan, along with other congressional cheats, sealed the canvassing charade when they surreptitiously proclaimed Gloria as the "President-elect" during the wee hours of the June 24, 2004. A break-of-dawn congressional proclamation (earlier, actually: 3:38 am) was unprecedented but it succeeded in preempting any protest or opposition action that could have derailed Arroyo's "proclamation."





In the 2004 deprivation of the Filipinos' right to clean and honest polls, the LP played a crucial role. Arroyo, and players like LP members, thought they got away with the great crime that the "Hello, Garci" expose would later unravel.

Telling "Hello Garci' Tapes

The wiretapped evidence of 2004 electoral fraud (OK, alleged) was first exposed in mid-2005. Former National Bureau of Investigation deputy director Samuel Ong later would soon present the master tapes. The wiretapped records that have come to be known as the "Hello Garci" tapes primarily show the conversations between Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and elections commissioner Virgilio "Garci" Garcillano in connection with operations surrounding the May 11 elections and vote canvassing. The operations revealed by the tapes were designed to cheat Arroyo's way towards her continued hold on power and rob FPJ of electoral victory.

The more telling of the tapes shows a woman believed to be Arroyo asking "Garci" to ensure for her a 1 million lead over FPJ. In another dated May 26, 2004, Arroyo informs Garci that she has "allies" in the Senate, which could allow them to delay "the senatorial canvassing until after the voting on the rules" that night.

Actually, even prior to May 2004, the LP seemed to have already taken the resolve to ensure the victory of Arroyo by hook or by crook. Raval writes on the role of the LP in trying to disqualify FPJ from the 2004 presidential elections:

"Even before the elections, the senators belonging to the LP prevented the report of the Angara Committee establishing the Manapat forgeries on the birth certificate of then presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and the marriage certificate of FPJ's parents."

Raval tags the LP members responsible for the 2004 proclamation of Arroyo as perhaps the country's "worst politicians," having gone "to bed with her, who prostituted themselves for political patronage, who enjoyed the power that went with being with the lying and the cheating and the stealing, then all too suddenly turned against Gloria" when the "Hello Garci" tapes were exposed.

What the Daily Tribune columnist is basically saying is the LP members who took part in the 2004 electoral fraud are immoral political chameleons who could change color as readily as they cried "Garci!" Obviously, why the LP leaders broke off with Gloria in 2005 was the opportunity to make the people falsely believe that they took no part in cheating FPJ in favor of Arroyo.

On July 8, 2005, practically as soon as the "Hello Garci" expose hugged the headlines, Cory called for a news conference where she asked Arroyo to resign. For a time, she continued her demand for the illegitimate's resignation, with her son Noynoy joining in as a good chunk of LP members bolted out of the alliance with Gloria.

This makes one wonder, however, whether the reason why Salonga, et al joined in the "Hello Garci" condemnation was only to make it falsely appear to the late former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino that during the whole time that they went through the motions of canvassing and proclamation, they were totally unaware of Arroyo's cheating? One could even ask whether the LP did it only so that Noynoy would not be chastised by his mother for doing nothing while FPJ was cheated in the canvassing? Either one of these or Cory herself was part of, or aware of, the 2004 poll fraud and cover-up--something rather unlikely.

"Dadayain"

As early as around April 2004, this column was already aware that poll fraud will be done to ensure Gloria Arroyo's presidential victory. A person rather close to me, and within the vicinity of power no matter how low-key s/he may be, confided that "dadayain" the presidential elections. I remember him/her adding something like "I hope the country can weather the storm that is sure to come."

Salonga and this person share a rather influential organization, one breeding ground of the influential (clue: University of the Philippines). If this resource person of mine was aware of the operation to doctor the 2004 presidential elections, so were Sen. Salonga and, it should logically follow, the rest of Liberal Party biggies.

My resource person did not actually name Salonga or the Liberal Party as parties to the poll fraud plan. Neither did I ask him/her who exactly were involved because I couldn't accept his/her revelations to be true (s/he also vaguely talked of the advanced parties from Gloria's camp as distributing goodies in areas where poll-related surveys were scheduled to be held). I guess I couldn't believe that "good people" in the government would allow something as blatantly immoral as cheating to happen. Suffice it to say, however, that putting the two and two of "Hello Garci," Sen. "Noted," and my resource person's political/organizational ties and revelations together, a not unclear role of the LP in the 2004 presidential poll fraud emerges.

FPJ Ghost or no FPJ Ghost

Whether or not the FPJ cemetery ghost story is real, the Filipino people need to be wary of the Liberal Party of today, nay, punish the party by not voting their bets. By the way, Kris Aquino reportedly is being visited by the spirit of her mom. The late Cory Aquino, it should be recalled, apologized to former President Estrada for part in the "2001 uprising." Noynoy apparently tried to save face for the Liberal Party by claiming that the apology was a joke but the only compromise he was ultimately able to wrangle from his mom was the statement that it was indeed "said in jest but she's not taking it back."

It seems fairly obvious to anyone sober enough not to be taken by the lies of EDSA 2 that Noynoy Aquino's association with LP make him a 'bad trapo'? Is it possible that Cory's ghost is telling the same message--Noynoy be wary of, rather, get out from, the seemingly politically prostituted party that is LP!?

Note:
One of my parents was an avid LP supporter. I don't exactly feel good because I never thought I'll be writing something like this about the party to which Diosdado Macapagal and Ninoy Aquino belonged. Change for the moral good, genuine good change, is what our country needs, however. Besides, isn't the need to ensure "clean and honest elections" one of the chief lessons the Philippines is supposed to have learned from the Marcos experience (when even the bird, bees and the dead supposedly voted in 1969, ultimately allowing Apo Ferdie's 1972 declaration of Martial Law)?

Sources:

Bernardo, Jesusa. Arroyo, "Hello Garci" and the Anniversary of Her Bogus Presidency. Newsvine. 24 June 2007. http://forthephilippines.blogspot.com/2008/06/arroyo-hello-garci-and-anniversary-of.html

Caho-Olivares, Ninez. Of black kettles and pots. The Daily Tribune. 3 Nov. 2009. http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20091103com2.html

Cacho-Olivares. "Oust Estrada plot bared: Business, Church group behind 'Oplan Excelsis' ". The Daily Tribune. 30 Oct. 2000. Originally posted in . Republished in http://www.network54.com/Forum/5345/viewall-page-213. Reposted in Newsvine, 10 Oct. 2009. http://jesusabernardo.polls.newsvine.com/_news/2009/10/10/3369444-look-back-oplan-excelsis-plot-to-oust-then-rp-president-joseph-estrada-hatched-in-2000

FPJ Nagparamdam Watch It (GHOST). Posted in Youtube 30 Oct. 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=884z_yQ3a7w

Raval, Demaree. Consistency is the dependable standard. The Daily Tribune. 1 Nov. 2009. http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20091101com3.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

Video Collection of the Hello Garci? Tapes from Youtube. http://www.youtube.comwatchv=okgENwzIxZw&feature=PlayList&p= 6F58785F3AFB1DA7&index=0&playnext=1

Vigilia, Wendell. "Cory to Erap: Sorry for Edsa 2." Malaya. 23 December 2009. http://www.malaya.com.ph/dec23/news6.htm

Photo Credits: 

FPJ-Da King. http://fpj-daking.blogspot.com/2008/09/fpj-in-people-asia-magazine-covers.html

Laila.net. http://www.ladylaila.net/blog/archives/cat_philippine_politics.html

Philstar. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=498515

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