Blood in Her Hands

Blood in Her Hands*
by Inday Espina-Varona

At a time when even war itself strives to be humane, the carnage that killed 57 people in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, shocked people beyond words, not only because of the scale and brutality of the attacks but also because the targets had been unarmed: political supporters who were out to file a nomination for the upcoming elections and journalists who were out to cover the story.

That high-powered firearms were used against the victims at close range, obliterating the faces and the identity of many of them, and that there was an attempt to systematically cover up the crime, points to a culture of impunity in Maguindanao.

The perpetrators obviously thought that they could get away with their atrocity. The only possible explanation for such impunity is that these people were confident somebody higher up would protect them.


We hold the regime of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accountable for what happened in Ampatuan. It was her regime that had benefited from the reign of terror in Maguindanao. It was her regime that had encouraged and nurtured the violence that led to the massacre.

It was her regime that circumvented the constitutional ban on private armies by issuing Executive Order 546 in 2006 that allowed local officials to become warlords. It was this EO that legalized the arming of so-called civilian volunteers that not only serve as thugs to abusive officials but also go after insurgents and became the military's instrument to stifle dissent and harass people.

It was her regime that, desperate to cling to power, had benefited from the massive vote buying and election cheating in Maguindanao in the 2004 and 2007 elections. This is the reason Arroyo, amid calls for justice for the victims of the Ampatuan massacre, could not move swiftly against the monster she had created.

The Ampatuan massacre crossed so many lines. It was an assault on press freedom. It was an assault on the people's democratic, civil and political rights. It was an assault on women. It was an assault on the basic right to live, which has often been trampled upon with impunity in different parts of the country.

The people in Maguindanao have been silenced by this reign of terror and have long been deprived of a choice of leaders. This reflects what is happening in the entire country, where the Arroyo regime, hounded by questions of legitimacy, had unleashed terror under its Oplan Bantay Laya program to stifle criticism and legitimate dissent.

It is the same administration that had brushed aside the extrajudicial killings of activists and had, instead, publicly praised and promoted military officials known for their records of human right-abuses.

As the circus that marks elections in the Philippines threatens to steal our attention away from the Ampatuan massacre, we join the call of our colleagues for an independent investigation and a separate court to try this case. We also call for the dismantling of all private armies, which have been sowing terror in the communities, and not only during election time.

As investigators leave the scene of the massacre to bring the cases against the perpetrators to court, as the bodies of our slain colleagues are buried, as we seethe in outrage and as we grieve, let us not put the issue to rest.

Until justice is served, let us not forget.


*This is an editorial drafted by Davao Today, published in Bulatlat. Other progressive news organizations have been requested to publish this as part of a campaign to assign accountability and attain justice for the victims of the Ampatuan massacre.

NEW SET OF DRAWINGS

NEW SET OF DRAWINGS

ON THE RADICALIZATION OF MUSIC

ON THE RADICALIZATION OF MUSIC

We used to play and listen to any kinds of music, and sometimes music becomes as if intoxicating into our senseless mindsets, intoxicating in a way that even we don't like we memorized the words and singing it. Somehow that kind of power in music shows how strong it is.

However,
Not all things in music is as good, just like any kind of art-music becomes a tool for apathy, of the mainstream scene and its goal to spread "music for music's sake" and other similar ideas in this "post-modernist" kind of era; that makes every person contented in listening while not knowing the content of the words being said nor the melodies being played. For in fact, music has so much to do with modern day life, that every man may simply ignore it, or count it out of, or not a part of our cultural struggle would be ridiculous. And music has always influenced our people in many ways-from the sound being played in the radio that makes us feel the last song syndrome in our senseless mindsets, of MTV and other kinds of media mainstream scene advocates, to the alternative music wherein the sound of struggle hath been said through both in word and in melody-especially during a gig, or a protest. And thus, it influences us in a variety of ideas, and shaping the hearts and minds of many.

But then,
As time goes by, and as what people expected, the growth of the "for sake" ideas in music-courtesy of bourgeois dominated mass media became rampant. There singers tend to sing songs whose message are too shallow and too usual as what the listener listens-of love, of emotion, anything made just "for a sake of"-specifically for fans and capital perhaps. But on the other hand, revolutionary music continues as some musicians in the revolutionary scene tend to radicalize music as a part of creating a new culture courtesy of the working class. For it is obvious for them to try and promote a new revolutionary way of life, anti-system sounds and culturally sound folk music infused with modern ideas and aspirations of the people, particularly the working class; music which "challenges the establishment," of "against the reactionaries," "of the system," and does not "uphold it"; for, as what Madame Mao Jiang Qing said:
"Let the new socialistic performing arts occupy every stage."
And it includes the radicalization, of revolutionizing the music scene courtesy of the artists and writers of the people, since music, like any other cultural tool, is a weapon that also strikes at the enemy, culturally as we say. And somehow it also relates to our struggle for national liberation, democracy, preservation of culture, of unity, and socialism; as well as use it to literally change both the society and culture, using a variety of genres as we may say.

Just like the write-up I have made about a "National Democratic" Black Metal scene, somehow shows the radicalization of music as a means to call for struggle. Contrary to the music of the enslaving mainstream scene, fueled by capitalism and of its cohorts. And according to my writeup, it says:
"...Likely to integrate every genre as possible to the masses, simply by infusing the melodies of the common metal scene and of the struggles of the folk, of Kudyapi, native drums and gongs with the drumset and electric guitars! Playing the melodies of revolution as possible, and so is propagating it through its words given."

In fact,
Upon writing this, I listened a Tagalog punk song made by a band named "Flattbush", and it shows the radically inclined music and reflects the call for struggle; in which the right-wingers may call it "terrorism" and "insurgency".

Rebolusyon - Flattbush

And aside from that, the radicalization of music also intensifies the cultural side of the revolution. Since the revolutionary culture includes "Social Realism" and "Revolutionary Romanticism", the music scene tend to be revolutionary, realistic, radical in character despite variety of genres. Music cannot live without realism and politics although some tend to create it and devoid of it and be replaced with for sake ideas.

Just like Jose Maria Sison's poetry turned songs, somehow it shows how music gives poetry a good melody based in its word-just like the "Guerrilla is like a poet", its Gothic-like ethereal sound reminds of a scene of a life of a guerrilla; another poem-turned-song, "Poems and Rest", shows its melodies also reminds of his life in prison, that seemed similar to an opera scene since I heard it.

The Guerilla is Like a Poet -

Poems and Rest - Musikang Bayan

But then,
Not all radically inclined writers and artists of Jess Santiago, of Noel Cabangon, of Chicoy Pura, of Bobby Balingit, and even Patatag or Tambisan sa Sining type are directly involved in the radicalization of music scene. Somehow other bands tend to do the same idea, Bamboo Manalac tried to do so through his Tatsulok which was originally by Buklod; rappers like Gloc 9 tend to do the same too by making Hip-hop be based in realities than those of the common ones whose objective is to have fans or gain profit from it. Well... despite being in the "mainstream scene", they tried to break themselves off from within-simply by radicalizing themselves and their music and be a part of the struggle for culture.

To me, making music radical shows a tendency to make music be a genuinely part of the people simply by integrating its own to it. But then, with your help, somehow we can continue to showcase various others who share this goal, and most importantly give a voice to those who have and are taking a stand against the sellouts in the music business, as well as against the system who takes time dictating the culture same as politics and the economy, remember we are in a brink of continuous struggle of classes, and it includes the struggle within the cultural scene.

And as part of contributing ones own to the revolution, there is in need of lyrics to revolutionary songs and radicalizing music scenes, of creating album reviews which speak out on the system at large or regarding the policies of the Iron Heeled rulers, interviews with thought provoking, progressive leaning and revolutionary musicians and songwriters who are using their voice and pen as a platform to speak out against injustice and even links to Alternative Music Sources that cater to such styles of music and are not afraid to sell "politically incorrect", "politically inclined", "terrorist leaning", "subversive" music.

In fact, every progressive-leaning individual really intend to highlight others who are doing similar things concerning politically-inclined and radically-progressive music on all different fronts; to focus on anti-system music, bands or lyrics that shows opposition and calling for revolution, of artists that use their voice to speak out against imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism, feudalism, corporate greed, police state tyranny, racism, and calling for social justice, national liberation and democracy, for ecological and socio-cultural sanity, to the point of encouraging to join the national democratic struggle by taking up "arms", and musicians who need help in their efforts to bring attention to these causes to the people, especially to the workers, peasants, and even students.

And thus,
Advocating the radicalization of music, of creating revolutionary-themed songs, of encouraging progressive-leaning writers to become revolutionary, of intensifying the struggle in culture gives life to creating a nationalist, scientific and mass-based culture to counter the commercialized, colonialized, fascist-leaning culture prevailing today. And with your help, somehow it serves as a way to make music "for the people."

Dare to struggle! Dare to win!

CHRISTMAS AFTER THE STORM

CHRISTMAS AFTER THE STORM

Months after the storm lies a different setting before the yuletide. Like those of being risen from the ruins after a long siege, people are desperately took long lines for bread and clothes while staying in a temporary shelter-especially in a public school or in a covered court. These people somehow tried to express happiness, but still their faces remained too emotional, especially from taking long lines to carrying relief goods and being checked-up medically by the volunteers coming from different sectors of the society. Perhaps, this would be an early Christmas treat to the less fortunate; due to the devastating effects of typhoons "Ondoy", "Pepeng", and other succeeding typhoons entered in this "land of the morning."

In fact,
I simply remember how I donate some of my used clothes not just because to provide space in my closet nor being called by my conscience to give them what I have, but as a way to serve them faithfully-to serve the 90 per cent of the entire Filipino society who experienced a traumatic effect after the storm. Somehow, nature tried to test us how endure are we, or are we apathetic regarding our society, and after these we returned back in being apathetic and thinking "Christmas" as a means to spend money a lot-instead of celebrating it through ceaseless service; as what the Benedictine motto said: "Ora et Labora"-Prayer and work, and thus it includes serving them as they serve us.

In this coming yuletide, why not just feel and think how they are as of now not just spending money for the sake of something possessive? Especially in the "most Christian country in Asia?" Well... if we take being Christian seriously, especially in this season, Being a devout Christian means nothing to have-for the people have everything, especially to the victims after the storm.

Flying stones for a Flying kisser

Flying Stones for a Flying kisser
by Lualhati Madlangawa-Guerrero

Last November 30, eight days after the Maguindanao genocide, media people joined along with the peasants, workers, students and progressive professionals as well as the urban poor in a call for immediate justice for the victims of that said genocide.

However,
As the indignation-protest rally continues, one of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's cohorts, the mouthpiece Cerge Remonde came and stood on the pedestal of the statue of the late freedom fighter Joaquin “Chino” Roces to deliver a message at around noon, but still-the people continued to call him as “terrorist” and “tuta” (puppy), along with "murderer" and a couple of boos against Remonde, the Presidential Security Group and even the policemen in Mendiola.

Remonde tried to pacify the crowds simply by smiling and throwing flying kisses, but still the protesters started to pelt him with crumpled pieces of paper, bottle caps, and even a plastic full of Pinakbet (a Filipino delicacy) and even surging forward to attack him; and the mouthpiece of the administration, a former radio broadcaster, was immediately pulled out of the rally as the raging anger of the protesters continue to vent their anger against him.

Well...
In that kind of event wherein a member of the administration was trying hard to join in the name of "being one with them" as a former member of the press and "upholding press freedom," somehow is also an attempt just to speak of on behalf of the administration; but how come he tried to speak in a crowd against the Ampatuans and even their boss Arroyo? Remember, this genocide is a part of the long range of crimes against journalists and media practitioners that left unknown! That makes the Philippines dangerous for journalists to enter!

And according to Renato Reyes, secretary general of the militant group BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance), described the incident as “unfortunate,” and even adding that Remonde should not have gone to the rally, as he said:
“He was already advised not to proceed to the rally because emotions were volatile. The people reacted that way because they were surprised,” Reyes said.

In this kind of indignation protest lies the hidden anger amongst journalists and media practitioners same as the worker, peasant, student and progressive professional has. Especially in throwing "stones" against a "flying kisser"; and perhaps out of these, for sure there will be more killings and false flag operations against them all in the name of "eradicating opposition" and of "national security", so who's to blame for slow process of justice? Who's the perpetrator of extrajudicial killings and other crimes?

Perhaps we are now unexpectedly returning to the 80s.

THE BATTLE OF DILIMAN

THE 'BATTLE' OF DILIMAN

Last December 2, students, employees and members of the UP community were assembled and staged a protest as president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the rest of her retinue arrived in a newly built building in that said campus.

However,
That protest becomes a brawl since these peacefully assembled groups of individuals, shouting slogans against the president are end up being forcefully dispersed by groups of policemen, whom calling them as "drug addicts" and even arrested a man after being beaten by canes. That protest, despite being peaceful in setting becomes a disaster-simply due to the actions of quick tempered policemen.

But,
How come these non-UPDP (University of the Philippines Department of Police) policemen enter the premises of a university campus famous for its academic freedom? Well... as what the progressive bloc expect, the reactionary-leaning UP administration somehow approved this kind of idea without any consent from the rest of the student body. Of having these men enter the premises as "additional protection" to the president, worse? These men are ignorant in entering a campus whose famous for academic freedom and of its autonomy, and instead thinking of it as a breeding ground for radicals!

And since they think of it as a radical bastion and not of an autonomous university, these policemen, with the blessing of a reactionary-minded Chancellor named Sergio Cao, had acquired a right to break off the protests illegally and even giving them license to use violence as possible against these peaceful protesters inside the university. To the rest of the community somehow will call this as truly immoral, if not, as malicious for Chancellor Cao of UP Diliman to inflict this violence on his own constituency. Of beating students, faculty, and employees under his own jurisdiction.

Somehow the community tried much to resist the violent actions these policemen gave upon to them, and despite every blows of rattan canes and truncheons unleashed by these people, the protest remained still as it was, shouting slogans and listening to speeches and waving flags of dissent against the regime. And as for Arroyo? She didn't come out of the vehicle and had it canceled due to the actions of the people laid upon against her-these shows how coward she was as she unexpectedly met these people rallying against her.

And according to the protesters, there are reasons why they tend to protest against her, to a person known for her anti-people policies and her corruption. Here as it follows (courtesy of the statement made by the UP community last December 3):

"The immediate provocation was the Ampatuan massacre of 60 persons which included the killings of 30 journalists, two women-lawyers and over twenty women. This carnage underscored Arroyo’s lack of political will in confronting the Ampatuan clan and her inability to enforce authority in Maguindanao having ceded it to these warlords whom she and Garci relied on for votes in 2004 and 2007...

In addition, the day before Arroyo’s planned visit to the university, she filed her certificate of candidacy for Pampanga representative, further underlining her intent to stay in power.

But beyond these immediate reasons, the UP community has long been outraged by the corruption, fraud, terror, and impunity that have marked Arroyo’s nine years in office. The University Council of UP Diliman has come out with two statements demanding that “GMA must go” and another statement condemning the abductions of UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, who remain missing to this day.

Arroyo’s neoliberal education policies, which have required state universities and colleges including UP to generate revenues to cover the limited budget allocation for public higher education institutions, have led to increases in tuition and other fees and reliance on private donors such as Toyota and Ayala for badly needed infrastructure, transforming UP into a commercialized institution. Furthermore, Arroyo’s budget proposal for 2010 for the university means a budget cut of over P2 billion, including a P280 million cut in the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of the university, the biggest in recent years."

Through the statement being said shows how these people had a reason to protest against her. Especially on her neoliberal education policies wherein it includes increases in tution and other fees as well as of commercialization of institutions-that makes the educational system more of creating a labor force working for the foreigner than of a new breed of professionals serving the nation. The proof? Of having private donors creating buildings that aren't educational, just like the Ayala technopark in Diliman where you only see call centers instead of classrooms. So what's educational in it? Studying a good course to become a skilled worker in the call center industry? Perhaps, the people who are protesting somehow opposed to this scheme, and it is their right to say it for education was and is a right and accessible to all-simply by allocating a large chunk of budget to the education sector, instead of being contented to private donors just to build call centers and any buildings of some sort that seemed contrary to educational practises.

How about the desparecidos?
Cadapan, Empeno and other disappeared persons remained questionable as they are still unsurfaced, dead or alive by the authorities during her military-centric regime. Somehow the right-wingers and its allies are still assailing these disappeared and calling them as rebels and be called as dead or whatsoever, thinking that opposition to the Arroyo regime meant to be terrorism, insurgency, rebellion, treason, and other name calling words of some sort that came out from their subjective mindsets. Is the Philippine justice becomes apathetic to these people? Will they be surfaced in order to return to their families? Perhaps Arroyo tried much to wash hands as she could and acting ignorant regarding this situation-that makes the people continue protesting against her!

And to make the long story short,
The simple reason these people are protesting? They are tired of her regime, and somehow due to the terrible experiences these people faced from 2001 to this date, injustice remained still as basic problems continue to dominate the Filipino scene; so we may expect more and more protests to come around not just in Metro Manila, but in every corner of the Philippines. And thus, every member of the UP community, and even the rest of the people may remember this kind of "barbaric" incident against a people clamoring for change in the system.

CONGRESSIONAL CANNIBALS

CONGRESSIONAL CANNIBALS
by Lualhati Madlangawa-Guerrero

This morning, I watched a news and I was quite thinking badly as the rightist cohort Jovito Palparan passed his certificate of candidacy running as senator in the next year's elections. Thinking badly due to his "opportunism" as he think of a way just to counter Liza Maza and Satur Ocampo, whom he is against with.

Well...
That anti-communist, Pro-Gloria for sure said of "checks and balances" and "to counter the red menace" a la McCarthy or any other American conservative who has a distaste for anything left. Same as any other candidate whose backgrounds are of carrying their "heritage-prone" name as a means to accumulate votes. Worse if again, as some people may expect more and more money will be extracted from their budget just for electoral activities-especially illegal ones like guns, goons, gold and questionable ones like those in Maguindanao!

In addition to that,
Somehow the threat goes on and on as Palparan, known to be as the "butcher" may tried much in reviving the infamous "Anti-Subversion" law for to him as a means to counter the red menace and even blackmailing the progressive lawmakers and other personalities for goddamn's sake! Well... Perhaps the rightists tend to rally behind him, even Arroyo's cohorts who wanted him to join the Lakas-CMD-Kampi as their senatorial candidate! But will the rest of the people vote for him? Ya, but only a few will pass through the ballot.

Aside from Palparan, there are other personalities who tried much in exploiting this so-called electoral circus. And these people somehow tried to curry people using sugar-coated populist rhetoric while at the same time unleashing bitter ones from behind, and if they win-what kind of platforms will they set through? Protecting a rotten system in a guise of National Security? Of Encouraging foreign investment? Of building bridges and other sugar coated sort of things then using their names as its benefactors?

Bah! They are more of a nuisance candidates with legal backgrounds and experiences as I may say, full of "dreams" just to win this electoral race, of wasting money and rhetoric just to accumulate votes then eating them alive as they sat in their posts! Perhaps if the Late Lu Xun is alive, he would called them as Cannibals, as what he hath said in his work "Diary of a Madman":

"...After extensively studying Chinese history as outlined in the four books and five classics of his culture, he began to see the words "Eat People!" written between the lines of the texts. Seeing the people in his village as potential man-eaters, he is gripped by the fear that everyone, including his brother, his venerable doctor and his neighbors are preparing to eat him. It is anti-traditional in the sense that the other characters are portrayed as heartless, bound to tradition, and cannibalistic."

For sure in his words are seemingly similar to the Filipino situation, of heartless cannibals defending 'tradition', including their seats in their respective posts both civilian and military, and benefiting in "eating people" through their "decrees" and of "promises" which are too contrary to their intentions. And in addition to that, Lu Xun's writeup "A Madman's Diary" is an attempt to describe the effects of feudal values upon the Chinese people. And he uses an analogy of cannibalism to describe the way such outdated values eat away at the individual. And Somehow feudal values are retained in the Philippines despite the growth of the bourgeoisie, that even them are being eaten by these so-called "values", that the rotten system encouraged to prevent "immorality" and of "destroying tradition."

Well...
These congressional cannibals, just like their predecessors, will continue devouring people in the name of "national security", "tradition", "progress", "peace" and anything that comes from their minds. And if people continue to remain apathetic, apolitical and asocietal, for sure they will be the victims of their plans.

And to end this phrase, I will say what Lu Xun said:
"Perhaps there are still children who have not eaten men? Save the children."