The imperial Manila game

“The fox changes his skin but not his habits.” – Suetonius

LIKE the fox, Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich, their debilitating greed sends them to perdition. To make my point clearer and more at home, allow me to bring us all back to the most difficult and trying days of the unlamented martial law days of the conjugal dictatorship in the country. Of course, those unborn during those excruciating years of Sept. 21, 1972 up to the snap elections of 1986, would only have a vague and hazy idea of what Calvary was.

In the hope therefore that all Pinoys would know that unless we, the poor, rose and stood up to fight for our revolutionary right to demand from our representatives in governance to alter our 1987 Constitution, our systemic woes would remain and Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich would continue with their avarice to the bleak future of our country.

So, let us all remind ourselves that the time has come for our country to be run by a President from the paradise-like islands of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi. Gone are the days when Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich had their ways.

While we don’t have the traditional political machinery, we are, nonetheless, prepared to do battle with our nemeses, and prevail. Otherwise, the Pinoys will exercise their God-given right through People Power to declare tough-talking but wellespected Davao Mayor Rodrigo “Super Digong” Duterte either President of our Republic or the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi.

So what shall it be, Imperial Manila? A simultaneous Constitutional Convention with the national and local elections on May 9, 2016, or People Power only in the paradise-like islands of Mindanao? Sobra ka na, Imperial Manila. Sa Mindanao na sab ta! Tsada, di ba?
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“Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.” – St Augustine
I would like to believe that yours truly, my self-appointed messenger for life for all the poor people of Mindanao and elsewhere, has slowly but surely helped made our brother, sisters and the LGBTs in our paradise-like islands of Mindanao believe that we have the makings of a great country and people.

Ever since we started writing this column, we have made it a point to help provide all facts, events and even stories to help us all believe in ourselves. Time and again, we did what little we could to make us all see and realize that God, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, has blessed our islands with abundant resources, both natural and human, so much so that what countries like Singapore and Switzerland have achieved, we could easily duplicate if not, quadruple.

In many of our humble writings, we have shown beyond the shadow of any doubt that despite the fact that Singapore is only a city-state that does not have its own water to drink and has to depend on the bigger and richer state like Malaysia for her own survival, she has reached the pinnacle of success, so much so that she is now sitting on top of the world in so many things. That we can only dream of.

Take the case of Switzerland––she is also one of the smaller states in the world compared to the many, including our very own country. And yet, she is also one of the powers in the world and could very well be the only country that was not made to suffer atrocities in the hands of any of the belligerent countries during World Wars I and II.
I would like to believe that the idea of having a Mindanaoan President on May 9, 2016 has come of age. The time has come because wherever one goes in the country today, she can hear the phrase “Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich” almost every day of our lives. Whenever a Pinoy sees, hears or even talks about the systemic problems besetting our country, the unanimous villains are “Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich.” The undeniable fact is that none but Mindanaoans have slowly but surely spread the immortal words of St. Augustine:

“Habit, if not resisted, soon becomes necessity.”

If we are correct in our belief that most Pinoys are pointing accusing fingers at “Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich” for our country’s problems, then we are certain that we shall soon have our dream come true––that is, a Mindanaoan President in the person of Davao Mayor Duterte. He could be the man destined to be the first President of our country from the paradise-like islands of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi or the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao.

Sobra ka na, Imperial Manila. Sa Mindanao na sab ta. Tsada, di ba?
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“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do to me.” –Psalms LVI. 11
Thank you Lord for everything. And Lord God, kindly implant especially in our leaders, honesty, humility, transparency and hard work in their solemn task as our servants-leaders because those who have less in life are the sovereign and very source of their borrowed power and wealth. Finally, Lord, enlighten us all to see the light that greed is a flawed way of life. For truly, there is more profit in giving than in taking. For it is in giving that we receive. Truly, love begets love. Amen!

(Call or text 09188030197, e-mail to bagabuyos@yahoo.com, and check out iluvmindanao.net.)