Gone to the graveyard

The spirit of EDSA 1986 is now virtually dead. It has been blown away by the wind, and there is no sign at all it will ever come back. The organizers of today's EDSA celebration might try, with all their might, to revive the spirit of EDSA, with fireworks and rhetorics, with hoopla and dancing in the streets, and with all kinds of gimmicky, but the probability is that they will fail. Yes, EDSA 1986 is now but a blurred image in the memory of those who participated in that glorious People's Power Revolution.

It is strange how human beings can be so frail. Look at those so-called heroes of EDSA 1986. It has turned out that they have feet of clay. Not only have they forgotten the spirit of EDSA; they have even opted to dash the dreams of EDSA to pieces. Yes, many of the heroes of 1986 are today's scoundrels and villains.

Why have EDSA's heroes become deaf and mute? Why have they decided to close their ears to the plaintive cries of the madding crowd, to shut their eyes to the ugly events raging in the current landscape? Why have the Silent Majority opted to remain quiet, to be unperturbed, amid the scandals and scams and wrongdoings going on in our society?

Fortunately, though, there remain some lonely voices crying out in the wilderness, trying to pierce the hearts and minds of a benumbed populace. Let us keep our fingers crossed that these voices will not be silenced, that they will keep on echoing as our nation gropes in darkness.

Initial media reports on the bloody fraternity rumble at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus last February 10 focused on Bibit Factoran, the son of former DENR Secretary Fulgencio Factoran Jr. In news items, the young Factoran was presented as a prime suspect, along with two of his friends, in the death of civil engineering suspect Den Daniel Reyes.

Results of an investigation by the Central Police District now show that it was the victim and his group belonging to a rival fraternity that had initiated the rumble. Witnesses say that Bibit and his Sigma Rhoan buddies were attacked by the group of Reyes. In the melee, Bibit sustained serious injuries on his head, shoulders and back. Pieces of evidence gathered by investigators point to Reyes as the one who hit Bibit on the head with a sharp instrument.

How many more victims will fraternity wars claim, before police and school authorities come up with a solution to this pestering problem? This is a question that is hard to answer, considering the lack of political will among our country's leaders.

Col. Francisco "Big Boy" Adriano Jr., my Ateneo classmate who became a lawyer when he was yet active in the military service, took time to inform me about the Usufruct Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, inspired by Secretary Antonio Cerilles. Under this program, citizens are allowed to enter into an agreement with the DENR where the contractor plants fruit trees in designated areas for a period of 25 years, renewable for another 25 years.

Col. Adriano said that the land, plus the fruit trees planted, will remain the property of the State. However, the fruits harvested go to the contractor. "I believe this program can solve the denudation problem of our many forest lands, and the siltation problems of our dams and watersheds," Big Boy said.

Here are excerpts from letters sent to me:

ISMAEL G. KHAN, Jr., assistant court administrator & chief, public Information Office, Supreme Court: "We are pleased to furnish a photocopy of the Supreme Court's Blueprint of Action for the Judiciary, a five-year judicial reform plan of action. The blueprint is a document that seeks to identify problems besetting the Philippine Judiciary as well as to recommend probable approaches to address these problems. The Supreme Court was assisted by the United Nations Development Program and the National Economic Development Authority in this undertaking."

JOSEFINA M. DE LA CRUZ, provincial governor, Bulacan: "It was a pleasure meeting you during the Philippine Forum held at Holiday Inn Resort in Clark, Pampanga. I sincerely hope that our fruitful exchange during the conference will continue to inspire us to work together towards a truly progressive and globally-competitive Philippines."

Atty. MICHAEL TOLEDO: "Congratulations on your latest book-launching of Walking Through the Pathways of Life."

Dr. ZEN UDANI, San Juan, Metro Manila: "Western Police District Director Avelino Razon's call for his men's fidelity to one-wife, one-family is truly laudable. Indeed, even without issuing a memorandum, adultery will always be adultery, for both the rich and the poor, an intrinsically evil act which degrades any person's dignity and damages the moral fiber of society. Razon's gesture is a challenge to everyone, especially those in government. Corrupt people, it seems, are very prone to infidelity and adultery. Any tax-paying citizen will definitely want value and proud use for his money. They hate the idea of being bypassed by public servants who betray their trust, squander public money on personal vices."

Atty. FLORANTE A. BAUTISTA: "You are right in granting Stanley Ho the 'benefit of the doubt,' which is the least we can do as a Christian people. You are also absolutely right in observing that 'ours has become a society of rumors, of speculations, of people-bashing without basis, of doing things that are so uncharitable and unfair.' How precise you are in your observations! So, how about giving Hubert Webb et al. equal treatment by publishing my comments on your January 9 column? Or is Hubert less equal than Stanley?"

OSCAR ABENOJA: 'I never miss reading your column. One thing I like about it is that you criticize Erap in a very positive way. You are certainly one of the most respectable columnists I've known."

APOLINARIO T. GUTIERREZ, Blk 38, Lot 2, Bayer cor. Adrian Sts., North Fairview Subdivision, Quezon City: "Please inform my co-lot owners at El Dorado Subdivision, Antipolo City, that a writ of execution has been issued by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, against the St. Louis Realty Corporation. To my co-lot owners, please help me monitor the execution of the writ, for our own benefit."

Art A. Borjal's e-mail address: <[email protected]>