Memories die easily

THE REAL ESSENCE OF EDSA PEOPLE POWER IS GONE – The passage of the years have not erased the hostile memory most especially for those who really suffered during the dictatorial Marcos regime. They are quite bitter about it until now. Throughout the years I have always thought that the life stretch notably of bad memories cannot be more than ten years. Now I know I am wrong, for even those who never writhed during the dark days of Martial Law still remember the consequences endured by the Filipino people.
In retrospect, twenty-seven years ago, the Philippines top Catholic leader Jaime Cardinal Sin called on the people and urged his compatriot to stand up against the dictatorship of then President Ferdinand Marcos. The country’s highest prelate called on the people to dissociate themselves from supporting an administration that has lost their trust and respect. He charged that the Marcos regime was leading the people into the dark days of political dynasties, warlordism, corruption, sham democracy and debilitating poverty. It was therefore right for the people from all walks of life including children, different religious groups and politicians of all colors and stripes to flock in hordes to EDSA to support groups of disenchanted soldiers who staged a revolt against the Marcos rule. And the rest is history.
But that was then, this is now. Memories whether good or bad easily die in a country wherein the priority concern of the people is survival from social ills. They dry up like fallen leaves and vanish like dust in this air. Year after year the excitement, eagerness and grandiosity in celebrating the peaceful EDSA revolution have faded away and the presence of partakers is declining – slowly without doubt. The large number of people especially the key figures who ignited the EDSA revolt and countless political opportunists are nowhere to be found and undermined the real essence of the annual celebration. Many of them have since come and gone as president, senators, congressmen and the others are still active in politics, business or retired. Some of them we thought to be particularly despicable for being such sanctimonious asses. We had always wondered why the preceding leaderships tolerated them, but probably they must have had their veiled reasons.
Then again, there are motley groups of Cory-inspired crowds called “Yellow Movement,” the symbol of ‘People Power’ who would still flock in hordes to the EDSA Shrine to join this year’s 27th celebration. Not only does the main characters lost interest in joining the exceptional annual event, not least due to the changes of our political landscape, they have also proven to be shrewd and wily politicians perfectly capable of saying one thing and doing another. For some time now, people have been agonizing over the supreme irony; that more than 20 years after they have overthrown the dictatorship so many of the important personalities perhaps due to political and vested interest dissociated themselves from the EDSA movement. Even so, I think that it must be even tougher for those who were born after Martial Law to understand the past events when people want to be awakened from the nightmare of strongman rule to the full light of freedom.
This year’s celebration will proceed as usual, good or bad weather, but many have also been disturbed by widespread speculations that, despite repeated denials, some political opportunists will take advantage of the event and appear before the crowd supposedly to discuss ways on how to make life better for the Filipinos. In short, it’s plain and simple politicking since we’re at the height of the campaign period. However, voters must be extra cautious and avoid being hoodwinked by flattering speeches. They should thoroughly examine the backgrounds of the speakers if their real clamor really is for the benefit of marginal sector. Given the right combination of candidates, the strategy could be enough to push meaningful socio-political and economic reforms.
But then there are also these self-styled reformists who are so eager to get their hands on the levers of power that they are stumbling over each other in the mad rush to the Senate. And yet what are their credentials? Any politicians notably the exploited local pols, political operators and the electorate who ally themselves with the self-proclaimed reformists, out of some unhappiness with the current administration must be either insurmountably ill-advised or ill-informed. These pretenders claimed they want change and the transformation they propose are supposedly to take place in the May 2013 midterm elections – a prelude to the 2016 presidential polls. They do not possess any credible credentials as social reformers. Their real motivation actually is “Pababago, Ngayon Na! (Change Now!) Kami Naman! “(It’s Our Turn!), or variations thereof.