9-21:
A day of remembrance, a day of revenge
A day of remembrance, a day of revenge
Last September 21 1972, President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, President of the Republic of the Philippines signed Proclamation No. 1081, placing the entire country under his firm grasp.
This measure, according to him as well as to the loyalists who supported the late dictator's measures was made in response to the growing threat of insurgency, rampant corruption, and a need for a so-called "paternalistic discipline" that may also create a new order, that is propsperous and peaceful.
Dubbed as "The revolution from the center", Proclamation 1081 boasted much of modern infrastructure, youth participation though the Kabataang Barangay, alleged progress and even land reform courtesy of a proclamation being made and signed by the late dictator-in front of farmer's organizations and landlords who supported to his cause.
However,
That "Revolution" he and his allies conceived was and is, not a revolution. It is more of a reaction that they used much populist flavor in order to curry popular support, using mere paper reforms and projects funded by foreign capital, yet on the other hand lies blood stained hands coming from them-of torture, forced disappearances, salvaging, even warantless arrests on the pretext of "capturing destabilizers" such as Communists and the legal opposition.
For sure most of us think September 21 more of a grim past trying to create a bright future, all just because of "alleged" reforms and infrastructure being made, yet despite its appeal to the people poverty remains still so are the injustices being made, with its victims yearning for justice against those who, using military responsibilities as its reason, end up being used for personal ones like silencing those who oppose their policies.
And as time goes by, this kind of a dark legacy, worthy to be remembered by the people, also becomes a day for revenge against those who oppress in the name of the system. Like in Cambodia during the socialist Heng Samrin days, wherein they celebrated the "Day of Hate", remembering and at the same time swearing to fight against the Khmer Rouge at that time. And among the slogans chanted on that so-called "Day of Hate", one of the most often repeated was "We must absolutely prevent the return of the former black darkness". And perhaps in the Pilipino setting, people would steadfastly repeated over and over again: "Never again, Never again, Never again to Martial Law!" or, in a radical sense, may chanted "Peoples war is the solution to Martial Law!"
people, remnants of the past continues to creep over and over against us. And thus, in this so called day of remembering a dreadful past, must also be a day of vigilance against the system and its schemes putting an end to the spirit of people's power. We are tired of blood soaked fools trying to vent their rage against us, and so we must respond to their wrath-in the name of genuine change, in the name of revolution.
This measure, according to him as well as to the loyalists who supported the late dictator's measures was made in response to the growing threat of insurgency, rampant corruption, and a need for a so-called "paternalistic discipline" that may also create a new order, that is propsperous and peaceful.
Dubbed as "The revolution from the center", Proclamation 1081 boasted much of modern infrastructure, youth participation though the Kabataang Barangay, alleged progress and even land reform courtesy of a proclamation being made and signed by the late dictator-in front of farmer's organizations and landlords who supported to his cause.
However,
That "Revolution" he and his allies conceived was and is, not a revolution. It is more of a reaction that they used much populist flavor in order to curry popular support, using mere paper reforms and projects funded by foreign capital, yet on the other hand lies blood stained hands coming from them-of torture, forced disappearances, salvaging, even warantless arrests on the pretext of "capturing destabilizers" such as Communists and the legal opposition.
For sure most of us think September 21 more of a grim past trying to create a bright future, all just because of "alleged" reforms and infrastructure being made, yet despite its appeal to the people poverty remains still so are the injustices being made, with its victims yearning for justice against those who, using military responsibilities as its reason, end up being used for personal ones like silencing those who oppose their policies.
And as time goes by, this kind of a dark legacy, worthy to be remembered by the people, also becomes a day for revenge against those who oppress in the name of the system. Like in Cambodia during the socialist Heng Samrin days, wherein they celebrated the "Day of Hate", remembering and at the same time swearing to fight against the Khmer Rouge at that time. And among the slogans chanted on that so-called "Day of Hate", one of the most often repeated was "We must absolutely prevent the return of the former black darkness". And perhaps in the Pilipino setting, people would steadfastly repeated over and over again: "Never again, Never again, Never again to Martial Law!" or, in a radical sense, may chanted "Peoples war is the solution to Martial Law!"
people, remnants of the past continues to creep over and over against us. And thus, in this so called day of remembering a dreadful past, must also be a day of vigilance against the system and its schemes putting an end to the spirit of people's power. We are tired of blood soaked fools trying to vent their rage against us, and so we must respond to their wrath-in the name of genuine change, in the name of revolution.
