Egypt can learn from the mistakes of Edsa

Our Valentine’s presentation on Straight from the Sky is a talk about the real meaning of love and its various facets. There are three types that theologians or sociologists have been studying: Eros, the love between man and woman (today, it has gotten worse, to love between man and another man); Filial Love or the love of our family and friends; and Agape, the Love of God, something that few people really know that they are capable of.

 With us tonight is the group called “I Love Life” with Mrs. Malou Padilla, a mother with three kids; Mrs. Haydee King, a grandmother; and Atty. Aimee Co, a Court Attorney for the Court of Appeals representing the single women. They will give us their thoughts and insights about the different facets of Love. So watch them tonight on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00pm and learn more about Love on Valentines Day.

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 I went to Fuente Osmeña last Friday afternoon to join the Cebu United March Protest against the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill and I was quite surprised by the huge number of people who braved the hot sun to be counted as a Pro-Life supporter. We met many Charismatic communities in that rally to send a message to Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III that it is high time that he reconsidered his pro-RH stand, because it is anti-life!

 There are many cars sporting “Pro-Life” stickers but I have yet to see a car having a “Pro-Death” sticker! The people supporting the RH bill know too well that contraceptives kill the unborn and only the Devil himself is Pro-Death!

 On hand to speak at that rally is the indefatigable Dr. Rene Bullecer who has now evolved into a very eloquent speaker. The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Secretary General. Fr. Juanito Figura and Manila Congressman Benny Abante also spoke. But our best speakers came from Cebu’s staunchest pro-lifers - former Rep. Raul del Mar and Rep. Pabling Garcia. Both gave bombastic speeches. Even Mayor Mike Rama came on stage to tell the audience that he declared his Pro-Life stand during my TV interview with him last month.

 No doubt the support by pro-lifers in Cebu has snowballed. Even the silent majority want to be heard. This should send a chilling message to P.Noy that we Filipinos want the Philippines to keep its reputation as the most Catholic nation on this planet!

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 Friday midnight, the breaking news in CNN, Al Jazeera and BBC was that Egyptian Pres. Hosni Mubarak has left for the Red Sea Resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. To the millions of Egyptians, this news meant that Mubarak had left the Presidential Palace. Suddenly, Nile TV came up with a live report of Vice-President Omar Suleiman who made a somber announcement that Pres. Mubarak had resigned and handed over power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. So what began as a peaceful protest on Jan.25 ended in the removal of Egypt’s modern day pharaoh 18 days later.

 I watched the satellite TV coverage of the protest-turned-party where the cities of Egypt erupted into a huge jubilation that undoubtedly surprised the world. More importantly, it rattled the despots ruling most of the Middle East. This whole thing started in Tunisia more than a month ago and has now spread like wildfire into Egypt. So, who’s going to be next? Well, your guess is as good as mine, but certainly this marks the beginning of reforms in the Middle East.

 Egypt has never lived under a real democracy, hence they really are in the dark as to what the future holds. The fears of most people is that, Egypt would become another Muslim Theocracy just like what happened in Iran when the Shah of Iran was removed by the Ayatollahs. But my take on this is, Egypt won’t become a Theocracy. The young Egyptians who are so used to Twitter and Facebook has also seen the repression in Iran by the Ayatollahs and more recently how demonstrations were violently dispersed. I would like to believe that Egypt would become secular, like Turkey.

 Meanwhile, it would be good if the reform-minded Egyptians start examining our EDSA Revolution, because after Tita Cory took the reins of power, she created a Constitution done by 49 people harboring a Martial Law hangover. Look what it has done to us. We still suffer from a serious lack of justice, which has resulted in more corruption. Today Filipinos clamor for change, but even Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III who won his Presidency in the hope of change refuses even to consider a change in our charter. Hence, reforms are coming in trickles or band-aid reforms.

What our nation needs is a major, major operation of our political system of governance. What we need is a shift to a Federal form of government which gives more powers and revenues to the States, rather to a centralized form of government, which we’ve had since 1935. It is time for the Congressmen in the Visayas and Mindanao to demand for this before the Filipino people get fed up and march the streets again.