The Maguindanao Massacre

People all over the world remember a historic event that happened in the Philippines in 1996, the well-known ‘Edsa Revolution,’ a non-violent mass action by the Filipinos to end the dictatorship of the then President Ferdinand Marcos. It was historic because it was the first time ever that a sitting President was deposed, not by impeachment, but through a continuous pressure of mass rallies and protests without resorting to arms or bloody revolution.

The cry for change was the epitome of the Edsa Revolution. People then were fed up with corruption in government and they wanted to be free from the grips of martial law which was imposed as a ploy so that President Marcos could have complete control of the government, the military, and the citizenry. This was not to say the obvious: that he wanted to perpetuate his stay in power. But as we all know now, that move was a tactical mistake. When the rights and freedoms of our people were violated, they rose above themselves in concerted efforts to fight a common enemy.

The ongoing crises in the Philippines are not just vestiges of the past, but the past resurrecting itself with new face, but of the same reality. The cycle of corruption that has gripped the Philippine government in the past is still very much prominent in the current system, although some say otherwise. The Philippines is still poor as ever. Some years ago, Time magazine called the Philippines ‘the sick man of Asia,’ considering that among the association of South East Asian Countries (ASEAN), the Philippines was singled out among the poorest. Today there is still widespread poverty and unemployment in the country. As in the past, the gap between the rich and the poor is unconscionable. The problem of insurgency is still prevalent. The situation in Mindanao is getting worse. Not to mention that on November 23, 2009, just this past week, a mayor elect in Maguindanao named Andal Ampatuan, Jr. has been implicated for the gruesome mass murder and killings of 46 unarmed people including mass media people. This for me is not just deplorable and unconscionable, but it is symptomatic of a deeper problem, a cancer that had been metastasizing in the fabric and fiber of our society for so long a time. Now in the face of this gruesome murder, and the current and ongoing other problems facing our country, what should be our common stand? Is there any viable solution that we can endorse to end these problems?

I think it is important that we as a nation should make an honest and radical assessment of why we have these recurrent problems. The reality is, the past and present governments have not really done anything to improve our situation. If the leaders did anything good for their merit, it was only for the good of a few. Since Mr. Estrada assumed office some years ago, until today,the situation in the Philippines had remained stagnant, if not gotten worse.Under the reign of President Arroyo, the economy had improved a bit, as some observers have declared. Whether this is true or not, but the problems of poverty and unemployment are still widespread. Corruption and cronyism in government are still prevalent. In my view, there is a need for a swift,resolute and radical move to put our country in its rightful place, a place among the world of nations where we can salute with honor and dignity. We cannot just sit on the sideline and pretend that everything is going well. All of us need to know that there is an ongoing crisis in the country, a crisis that all of us need to address. Therefore, we need to make a common stand and a firm resolution to address this problem.

Besides the socio-economic problems that beset our country, we need also to address the political crisis in government. In my view, the gruesome killings in Maguindanao allegedly perpetrated by Mr.Ampatuan, Jr. was just a tip of the iceberg. How many Ampatuan’s are there in government right now that we know of? Why they continue to remain in power is mind boggling. Why can’t we do anything to depose these‘undesirables’ from their offices? Are we simply afraid of them, or are we just contented to accept our fate in misery and fear? The cry of one of our Catholic bishops yesterday is for me in order: In the coming national election in May 2010, the people should not vote for those political leaders and their accomplices who were allegedly involved in the gruesome murder. What happened in Maguindanao should be a wake-up call for all the Filipinos. The Filipino people should also make a stand as far as cleaning up the other ‘political undesirables,’ who may still be sitting so comfortably in their offices. The coming national election in May 2010 should be a good venue to start this process of change.

The Filipino people have suffered long enough. We therefore need to address these current problems swiftly and resolutely. As far as the gruesome murder in Maguindanao is concerned, first we demand that the sitting President, Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should follow up and make sure that the perpetrators of the dastardly acts in Maguindanao are apprehended and brought to justice. The question is,can we expect a free and judicious trial in the case of Mr. Ampatuan, Jr., the alleged mastermind and perpetrator, considering that he was a close ally of Ms.Arroyo? What guarantee can they give us that the process of judicious trial not be derailed by the big supporters and allies of the Ampatuan clan? In my opinion,if in case the trial of Mr. Ampatuan, Jr. is derailed, the Filipino people will know what to do. I believe strongly that if the trial of Mr. Ampatuan is derailed, the people of the land will rise up and stage another revolution, one that maybe even more daring than the two Edsa revolutions combined together.The people cannot be fooled anymore. They have had enough.

Our government should implement radical and substantive changes in our country’s political and economic systems. One time,before the second Edsa Revolution, the former National Security Adviser Jose Almonte outlined some urgent tasks that our government should do. First of all,Almonte was pushing for an institutional method of ‘correcting political mistakes’ where mechanisms of the people’s initiative, recall and referendum are to be invoked. Secondly, in promoting a ‘direct democracy,’ Almonte proposed that the electorate should be empowered to ‘intervene expeditiously and peacefully in political crisis. This would also increase the political accountability of all officials, whether elected or appointed. Thirdly, Almonte said that the new government must ensure transparency of all elected officials by protecting constitutional guarantees, including the “full public disclosure to all transactions involving public interest.” And fourthly, the administrative bureaucracy should be professionalized, ‘to make it strong enough to resist the ‘importunings’ of special interest groups.

What is needed today and the future is an overhaul of the whole system of government. I support some of Almonte’s suggestions as to how we can immediately address some of the current problems besetting our country. I endorse the idea that more people’s participation in government be made. There should be less control by the government and more control by the people. And a ‘constitutional mechanism’of ‘direct democracy’ must be in place.

There is no doubt that all these suggestions are positive and should be considered. I hope and pray that the next government leaders will consider these suggestions. But the problem is, who can effectively implement them. Words and ideas are good. But if they are not implemented the way they should be, what good is that? We therefore need a leader who has the right vision and resoluteness to restructure the government as we have envisioned.

At this time we need to stand together. We need to face the crisis and continue seeking the right solutions. We need to continue fighting for the good of the country. We should not lose hope. We believe that someday our country will become free and prosperous again. I therefore urge everyone to be wise and vigilant come election time. This time, let us really try to elect leaders who are qualified and ready to serve our country with selfless dedication and commitment, leaders who have the vision and the ability to implement the needed socio-political and economic programs for the betterment of our citizenry, and leaders whom we can be proud to emulate and follow. Let us make this our solemn pledge and contract with one together. Be a part of this process of change. To be silent or passive is not anymore an option. We should all wake up before another set of leaders will rob us again of our dignity.