Of course, the "noise barrage" fizzled out. Instead of attracting thousands, not even hundreds of horn-honking motorists last Friday, less than three dozen cars participated in the much-touted expression of "protest" against the Estrada government.
And why should the people have taken to the streets to voice their discontent by noise-making? There's no wave of anger or disgust existing among the population. The fire-breathing organizers of the movement were simply carried away by their own inflammatory rhetoric.
It's not reasonable, or even rational for the opposition to expect any significant segment of the populace to be engulfed in fury against an administration which is less than two years old. The President and his officials may have made mistakes, but no grave "evil" had been committed, nor have there been any acts of cruelty and oppression. The President may fly off the handle on occasion and even bad-mouth his foes and critics, but remember the old saw about "sticks and stones" -- as the saying goes, sticks and stones may hurt bones, but words can never hurt too seriously.
As for corruption and even cronyism, those are old diseases. People who are inclined to throw stones were guilty of the same things in their day. This doesn't mean that we should condone corruption and graft, or accept cronyism -- but the regime hasn't gone so wrong, or matters reached such outrageous proportions that the nation's temper has reached a boiling point.
We were among those who organized the "noise barrage" that shocked and startled the Marcos dictatorship during the dark days of martial law. It wasn't even a planned affair, but something close to spontaneous combustion. The word was passed around like lightning, and before we knew it, we were all out in the streets, car horn tooting, pedestrians banging pots and pans, firecrackers exploding, crowds hooting and shouting. We targeted government buildings and offices and the homes of Marcos and Imelda cronies in every neighborhood (but never resorted to violence), merely horn-blasting, banging on drums and pans, and crying out in anger and protest.
Although the Marcos crowd and their subalterns (even their military which feared a "coup") were severely rattled, this did not prevent them from shamelessly cheating in the elections for Interim Batasang Pambansa (parliament) the following day.
After our Laban candidates lost, we held a reassessment conference a few days later and tried to pinpoint the genius or geniuses who had dreamed up the "noise barrage", and discovered that no planners or organizing committee had triggered it. The suggestion was made by "somebody" (who, nobody knew) but the word had spread like wildfire.
Nope, we didn't manage to topple the dictatorship, but that "noise" rally was successful in serving notice to Macoy and company that the people's pent-up anger all over our archipelago was nearing a bursting point. It was among the first stirrings of a People Power that was eventually to surge over the dam of the totalitarian hegemony's defenses.
The lesson of last week's abject failure is that nobody can conjure up a tidal wave of indignation like some magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat.
Once again, there's talk about a "peace meeting" between the President and the chieftain of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Ustadz Hashim Salamat. If this idea is being pushed by the MILF, it might indicate that the Muslim insurgents are on the ropes. However, it could also be a propaganda ploy on the part of Salamat to gain "face" and achieve psychological advantage.
If Salamat really wants to meet with President Estrada, he must come to Manila, or at least halfway -- to some place like Cebu, for instance -- for that encounter. The President and commander-in-chief must not be tricked into going to Mindanao for such a parley. I'm sure that some of his weak-kneed Cabinet advisers will urge Erap to make the extra gesture of going to Mindanao -- again -- specifically to talk "peace" with Salamat, utilizing the sterile argument that a President must go any distance to achieve peace and stop the "killing." This would be a disastrous move. It's the rebels who must be depicted as asking for peace, not the President. For what the Chief Executive is doing is his duty -- that of imposing peace and order and halting a secession movement, compounded by murder, kidnapping, rape and violence.
As for the current military offensive now ongoing in Mindanao, the army and marines are doing the right thing. Why should the MILF "complain" that soldiers are assaulting their armed camps and rebel positions in Lanao del Norte, for example? From those camps and fortified positions, rebel forces, after all, go out to ambush military patrols and encampments, seize hostages, and attack peaceful villages and towns. It took 1,500 marines and thousands of soldiers to "rescue" Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, from a large MILF force that occupied the town some weeks ago. Let's not expect our armed forces to sit on their hands, patiently awaiting the latest sneak attack. A rebellion is not a pingpong game. It's deadly, and what's at stake is the sovereign unity of our Republic.
I don't understand, incidentally, why Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel and some other politicians have been advocating that Shariah Law or law dictated by the Koran and Islamic tradition be permitted to be imposed in so-called predominantly Muslim areas.
This is a secular Republic, without a state religion. Everyone must fall under and be governed by only one law -- the law of the Republic of the Philippines. Lahat pantay-pantay.
Are the "President's men" ignoring the President? In a very clear memorandum dated March 27, the Chief Executive ordered several officials to do what their duty should have told them, without prodding from the Bossman.
The President's memo was addressed to Transportation and Communications Secretary Vicente "Jun" Rivera (DOTC); to Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Jejomar Binay; to Land Transportation Office (LTO) Asst. Secretary Benjamin Calima; and Chairman Dante Lantin of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Here's what the Chief Executive ordered; (1) the immediate arrest (impounding) of all "colorum" buses and other vehicles illegally plying major highways, especially EDSA; (2) the immediate arrest (impounding) of all smoke-belching vehicles in compliance with the Clean Air Act; (3) the implementation of the ban on pedicabs and motorized tricycles from national roads and highways.
The four officials were instructed to "immediately implement measures to help ease the traffic problem in Metro Manila as owners of vehicles caught in traffic are suffering additional expenses due to the increase in gasoline prices."
In this country, I suppose, it takes an order from the President of the Republic to push subordinate officials into doing their jobs.
For instance, the impounding of "colorum" or unfranchised vehicles requires law enforcement by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), as well as the apprehension of smoke-belching motor vehicles. The implementation of the prohibition on the thousands of motorized tricycles, and, even worse, man-powered pedicabs, which clog major thoroughfares and highways, is the responsibility of local government units (LGUs) in conjunction with the Philippine National Police. Why did Erap, indeed, have to remind the DOTC, the MMDA, LTO and LTFRB that these things weren't being attended to?
The President further ordered the abovementioned officials to submit reports on their compliance with that directive within one week from the date (March 27) of the issuance of his memorandum.
Has this been done?
Our item on the eight Philippine Marine bodyguards reportedly assigned to protect Zamboanga multi-millionaire businessman Lee Ping Wee (no longer a "presidential adviser" as of January 8) elicited the response from Maj. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, chief of the Armed Forces Southern Command, that no Marines are securing Lee and his wife Cely, only two "security escorts" from the military Task Force Zamboanga.
As they say in the US: Tell it to the Marines.
But let's say that two soldiers, not Marines, are assigned to provide daily protection to Mr. Lee, isn't even that out of line? Why should two soldiers, whose salaries and allowances are paid by the taxpayers of the Philippines, be detached from AFP service to defend Lee Ping Wee? After all, the wealthy tycoon (taipan?) can well afford to hire his own private guards.
Explained General Villanueva: "He (Lee) is a kidnap target in Zamboanga. That is why I have provided him with security escorts."
And what about the priests, pupils and little children, school teachers, and other humble citizens being kidnapped by insurgents and bandits, like the Abu Sayyaf in Zamboanga and Basilan, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Zamboanga and other Mindanao provinces? Aren't they entitled to security escorts, too?
I'm sure Lee didn't get this special treatment because he's Sir Erap's special friend. He has been making "friends" in many other places -- which is why, they say, he's so popular.