Philippines’ Darkest Time

It is an awful scene to see a youngster like me in front of you delivering my speech as if really know what had happened some 38 years ago. I am not in the position to say something about this since I haven’t undergone martial law but as a modern Filipino, the past is still a part of me. The Marcos regime and the martial law during his administration drove me here to stand and say something. Just let me speak up my little comments about this issue and cite the answers to my probes and enigmas.
Let us first take a look on Mr. Marcos’ political profile. Diosdado Macapagal ran for reelection in 1965, but was defeated by former party-mate, Senate President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who had switched to the Nacionalista Party. As president, Ferdinand Marcos embarked on a massive spending in infrastructural development, such as roads, health centers and schools as well as intensifying tax collection which gave the Philippines a taste of economic prosperity throughout the 1970's. He built more schools than all his predecessors combined.
In Nov., 1969, Marcos won an unparalleled reelection, easily defeating Sergio Osmeña, Jr., but the election was accompanied by violence and charges of fraud, and Marcos’s second term began with increasing civil disorder. However, he was unable to reduce massive government corruption or to create economic growth proportional to population growth. The Communist Party of the Philippines formed the New Peoples Army while the Moro National Liberation Front fought for an independent Mindanao.
In Jan., 1970, some 2,000 demonstrators tried to storm Malacañang Palace, the presidential residence; rebellions erupted against the U.S. embassy. When Pope Paul VI visited Manila in Nov., 1970, an attempt was made on his life. In 1971, at a Liberal party rally, hand grenades were thrown at the speakers’ platform, and several people were killed. President Marcos declared martial law in Sept., 1972, charging that a Communist rebellion threatened. The 1935 constitution was replaced (1973) by a new one that provided the president with direct powers. A plebiscite (July, 1973) gave Marcos the right to remain in office beyond the expiration (Dec., 1973) of his term. Meanwhile the fighting on Mindanao had spread to the Sulu Archipelago. By 1973 some 3,000 people had been killed and hundreds of villages burned. Throughout the 1970s poverty and governmental corruption increased, and Imelda Marcos, Ferdinand’s wife, became more influential. Congress called for a Constitutional Convention in 1970 in response to public cry for a new constitution to replace the colonial 1935 Constitution.
An explosion during the proclamation rally of the senatorial slate of the opposition Liberal Party in Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila on August 21, 1971, prompted Marcos to suspend the writ of habeas corpus hours after the blast, which he restored on January 11, 1972 after public protests.
Using the rising wave of lawlessness and the threat of a Communist insurgency as justification, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972 by virtue of Proclamation No. 1081. Martial Law remained in force until 1981, when Marcos was reelected, in the midst of accusations of electoral fraud. Marcos, ruling by decree, curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties; closed down Congress and media establishments; and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists, including his staunchest critics Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Senator Jose Diokno. Initially, the declaration of martial law was well received, given the social turmoil the Philippines was experiencing. Crime rates plunged dramatically after a curfew was implemented. Political opponents were given the opportunity to go into exile. But, as martial law dragged on for the next nine years, excesses by the military emerged.
The first formal elections since 1969 for an interim Batasang Pambansa (National Assembly) were held in 1978. In order to settle the Catholic Church before the visit of Pope John Paul II, Marcos officially lifted martial law on January 17, 1981. However, he retained much of the government's power for arrest and detention. Corruption and nepotism as well as civil unrest contributed to a serious decline in economic growth and development under Marcos, whose health declined due to lupus.
After the Feb., 1986, presidential election, both Marcos and his opponent, Corazon Aquino (the widow of Benigno), declared themselves the winner, and charges of massive fraud and violence were leveled against the Marcos faction. Marcos’s domestic and international support battered and he fled the country on Feb. 25, 1986, finally obtaining refuge in the United States.
On Aug. 21, 1983, opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assassinated at the Manila International Airport upon his return to the Philippines after a long period of exile which encouraged a new, more powerful wave of anti-Marcos dissent. This coalesced popular dissatisfaction with Marcos and began a succession of events, including pressure from the United States that ended in a snap presidential election in February 1986. The opposition united under Aquino's widow, Corazon Aquino, and Salvador Laurel, head of the United Nationalists Democratic Organizations (UNIDO). The elections were held on February 7, 1986. The election was blemished by widespread reports of violence and tampering with results by both sides of the political fence.
The official election canvasser, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), declared Marcos the winner. According to COMELEC's final tally, Marcos won with 10,807,197 votes to Aquino's 9,291,761 votes. By contrast, the final tally of NAMFREL, an accredited poll watcher, said Marcos won with 7,835,070 votes to Aquino's 7,053,068. The allegedly fraudulent result was not accepted by Corazon Aquino and her supporters.
A peaceful civilian-military uprising forced Marcos into exile and installed Corazon Aquino as president on 25 February 1986.
The long tragic events I cited dragged down our country into wilderness. Hopeless, I say, the Filipinos still fought the law breaking of the President’s puppies and the president himself, but after the long wait, their holding back bursted off and a cheap revolution took place. This event changed our identity to the world. We are neither mere slaves nor Indios but we are a brave race and freedom loving democrats.

New friend for a New Year

Obviously this year has been very bad to me.
Firstly, I never welcomed new year awake.
I got drunk and all :). Secondly my family isn't
complete to spend the season happily and lastly
finacial crisis strikes the household.
All thanks to my savior, a new found friend who's been good to me since the last year till this new year. This someone raised me up and made me on my feet. It is very amazing how God sent me an Angel at my worse. How worthy am I having u as a friend
my gratitude won't pay much to tour kindness and love.
I will never forget you friend, i may be far away but I am still here


Thanks
Enzo


"Ang tenga kapag pinagdikit korteng puso...
Extension ng puso ang tenga, kaya kapag marunog kang makinig, marunong kang magmahal.."

PGMA and Her All

I am really amazed how this small woman from Pampanga ruled this troubled country of ours. Despite her gender and petite size, she turned out to be one of the most powerful woman in the world. Her economic intellegence carried out Philippines stamina over financial depressions. Among all these hails on her numerous issues and muds were thrown on her. Is she really a hero or a mere devil dressed up like a saint?

Taking a look at her achievements, she made numerous projects providing sustainable upholding of Filipinos lives. Among these are her initiatives for education, health, social welfare, agriculture and job opportunities. Talking about thecountry's security issues , she always proclaim hardlines or no ransom for abducted victims which discourages rebels to do such things more often. She also strengthened Philippines' relationship to other Asian and Western countries like the yearly ASEAN convention and growing strong Philippine-American Military Exercises also known as the Balikatan Exercises. These achievements made her famous and known as well as making her more powerful.

On the other hand, numerous charges and muds were thrown against her.One is the election related issue when she unexpectedly won the 2006 Presidential election against her greatest rival Feranado Poe Jr. Surveys says that the mass favors FPJ but still she won the game. Then here comes the "Hello Garci" scandal which resulted on her public apology on TV but she never admitted it nor denied the accusation of that electoral fraud.The issue still clings on her name, tagging our president as winning the race thru cheating.

The latest issue is the NBN-ZTE deal. The accusation says that her husband is involve in this "government-money" laundering scam. Jun Lozada, the star witness said that he himself saw the First gentlemen's hand in the cookie jar. This charge against her almost heated up a new uprise against the government.Still the chances had gone and the issues were being white washed after a long time.

Whatever or however we call it we cannot say that she is the most horrible president among all. Let us first try to scale her good and "bad works". The judgment is on us. It is us who creates her total appearance. How she appears on us is how we made her appear.

Mindanao in the Midst of a Crisis

Mindanao in contrast to everyone’s belief is a peaceful island of the Philippines. In fact, only a small part of it is where all the merciless killings, bombings and kidnapping happen, what’s left is sound place to live. This small part messed up the whole name. A part which had brought the whole country into the spotlight of questions and dismay. A part which directly contributed to the depletion of Mindanaon’s hope to have an over-all peace, that part is Maguindanao.

The whole thing happened on the morning of November 23, 2009 in the town of Ampatuan in the province of Maguindanao. There were 57 people killed, 30 of them are media personnels and some are lawyers. It is hailed as the deadliest election-related event in the history of Philippine politics. It is barbaric, they say. The most grieving among all is that the people who should protect them are behind this plot.

Many people risked their lives because of this nonsense fights. Many innocent children had lost their Mom or Dad just for the sake of someone’s victory and many families welcomed the new year with a member or two died. Isn’t it heartbreaking? The greed and pride of just a single family had taken 57 lives and numerous families.

This event violated the section 1 of Bill of Rights (1987 Philippine Constitution) which states that: No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.

Everyone has the right to enjoy total freedom of life. What the Ampatuans did is they took away that freedom from the innocent people. They immensely used their power and influence to do their evil plans. They even used a government property to bury the dead bodies. Ridiculous but heartbreaking.

In relation to this mass killing, the government had taken action, to place Maguindanao under a state of martial law. This proclamation also suspended the writ of habeas corpus, which means the government can instantly arrest the suspects without any warrant of arrest. By this proclamation, more than 200 suspects were arrested and thousands of guns were confiscated. This action also brought the Maguindanaon’s to confusion, whether this will bring goodwill or worse to the province. But many say, the martial law is just a formality, it does exist in the province since the Ampatuan dynasty started.

The status of Mindanao is on the brim of revolutionary acts. Our place have gone and still undergoing so much stress due to facts that we are under unfair judgments. Our beloved land is criticized just for a single event happened on a small spot of it. The whole thing happened just like a rotten potato messing up bunch of potatoes on the basket. It is very demeaning to our part to be tagged as one of the unsafest place of the country. Mindanao is on a situation that needs a keen understanding and liberated minds to fully understand our situation. That’s what should be made now.