Letter to the Editor – EDSA: 20 years later

The successful EDSA revolt that sent Ferdinand Marcos to exile 20 years ago will long be remembered as a triumph of the human spirit.

I will never forget that day when the dictator left Malacañang palace by helicopter after 14 years of martial rule.

People all over the country (except in Ilocandia) went into a frenzy after hearing that Marcos had left the country. Celebrations of victory were almost everywhere and it was like coming from a long national nightmare.

Here in Cebu, Cebuanos went out of their houses, danced on the streets and in Fuente Osmeña people hugged each other, some in tears, to celebrate such unprecedented event. The national euphoria lasted for months and even years.

But now, 20 years after EDSA, people ask: What has gone wrong to a country that liberated itself from tyranny? Have we attained real political and economic democracy 20 years after we ousted an authoritarian ruler?

It is tragic to note that the very ills that we suffered under the Marcos dictatorship still prevail under the present dispensation.

The people rose up in EDSA in February 1986 in angry protest against Marcos having stolen the 1986 snap elections.

Now, 20 years after that farcical election, the overwhelming majority of the people believe that Gloria Arroyo rigged the 2004 elections as evidenced by the Garcillano tapes and the revelations of General Gudani.

Today, the capacity of the COMELEC to manipulate the elections has been perfected such that the people have lost faith in our electoral system.

During Marcos time, the COMELEC under Leonardo Perez became the official machinery to thwart the peoples' will.

Under this administration, the COMELEC under Chairman Benjamin Abalos has sunk into the lowest depths of depravity. Even Solicitor General Alfredo Benipayo stated that the kickbacks received by the COMELEC officials in that notorious MegaPacific contract, reached the staggering amount of 500 million pesos.

The Supreme Court, in voiding that highly anomalous contract, recommended the prosecution of all COMELEC officials involved in that dubious transaction. Up to now, the Ombudsman, has not initiated the prosecution of said officials.

Massive graft and corruption existed during the Marcos regime. We were familiar with the corrupt conjugal dictatorship.

Today, corruption in high places of the government involves not only millions but billions of pesos. The scale and scope of this grant larceny is unprecedented in the nation's history.

During Marcos' time, human rights violations were rampant. Today, human rights are trampled upon with the rise of vigilantism, summary executions and the assassinations of leftist leaders, and social and religious workers demanding social change.

Murders against judges, lawyers, journalists and plain citizens are now common.

Marcos suppressed basic constitutional rights like the freedom of assembly and free expression. Under GMA, violations of the Constitution have been officially sanctioned with the dubious policy of so-called Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR) to bludgeon the rights of the people to peaceably assemble for redress of grievances.

The judiciary was under the thumb of Marcos. Today, judicial independence is a farce. Just listen to the government announcing that it is possible to grant Joseph Estrada, facing a non-bailable offense, a 30-day vacation under a recognizance, without the Sandiganbayan citing Mike Defensor for contempt of court for such a highly irresponsible display of official arrogance and ignorance.

Martial rule and crony capitalism under Marcos spawned poverty while the cronies got richer. Today, 20 years after EDSA, the economy has gone from bad to worse. Around 70 percent of the Filipinos consider themselves poor while 16 percent or around 10 million go hungry everyday, according to a recent survey.

Unemployment has reached alarming proportions because of the present regime's refusal to launch a nationalist industrialization, upon dictation of foreign interests represented by the WB and the IMF.

Everyday around three thousand Filipinos go abroad in a massive exodus of professionals who see nothing but hopelessness under the present leadership. The government has done nothing to prevent the coming "medical apocalypse" with thousands of doctors and nurses leaving every month for abroad, leading to the closure of more than 1,000 private hospitals and the near collapse of some public hospitals due to lack of doctors and nurses.

Twenty years ago, the country was ruled by a dictator; today it is run by a budding dictator with clear ambition to perpetuate herself in power.

The constitutional provision on checks and balances and the power of the Senate to issue subpoena have been destroyed with the issuance of EO 464 by Gloria Arroyo.

Peaceful rallies are now dispersed by tear gas and truncheons with the "Calibrated Preemptive Response." Social dissenters and political activists are gunned down reportedly by the military with impunity.

During martial rule, the Constitution was amended to give authoritarian powers to Marcos and made him permanent ruler under a "parliamentary system." Today, GMA is proposing to amend the Constitution, to shift from presidential to parliamentary system to enable her to rule beyond 2010 as Prime Minister, without term limits and no longer subject to impeachment.

With her popularity plummeting to rock bottom, GMA refuses to resign. Through her minions and mercenaries in Congress, she killed the impeachment proceedings, forgetting that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable.

GMA is still in control of the situation but with a dubious legitimacy and sliding credibility, I doubt if Gloria Arroyo could stay in power longer.

As the social and political crises escalate, the sufferings of the angry and hungry people accelerate. Gloria does not mind the hatred of the people as long as she has the support of her corrupt generals. She ignores the historical lesson that he (or she) who rides the tiger will end up inside.