Race and rebellion

Butch Bagabuyo

“A populace never rebels from passion for attack, but from impatience of suffering.” – Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Irish philosopher, statesman

“IT is a great shock at the age of five or six to find that in the world of Gary Coopers [Aldub nation of GMA)] you are the Indian,” according to James Baldwin (1924-1987). This cliché is now in vogue. It is what spin doctors and the so-called political survey takers (kuno) are propagating with gusto as they laugh all the way to their secret bank accounts.

Of course, I have no hard evidence on the matter. However, a truism needs no evidence, as it is a conclusive presumption. And to litigation lawyers, a conclusive presumption need not be proved. It is what jurisprudence dictates. Be that as it may, in the world of the cynics (only in the Philippines), the poor is so dumb that whatever the trapos say so is gospel truth. But I dare say: today the teeming poor has learned to act as the sovereign.

Here’s my take:

The presidency in the Philippines is providential. And the Aquino mother and son are the living icons. Despite all the money and power in the hands of then then dictator and strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, God used instead the many who are poor, whom He loves best and installed both the well-loved President Cory, and the outgoing non-performing yet arrogant PNoy.

Convinced that the Liberal Party and its allies want no competition in the 2016 elections, and are determined to do everything possible to make cheating acceptable just like during GMA’s plunder-filled reign in the 2004 elections, the newly resuscitated PDP-Laban of Sen. Koko Pimentel and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte made a surprise pre-emptive self-defense attack. The PDP-Laban’s nominee for the President withdrew his nomination and the same political party overwhelmingly endorsed what the country is clamoring for: “Super Digong” Duterte.

But because in any race, there has to be a finish line, “It aint over till the fat lady sings.” Get mo?

Because Imperial Manila, the trapos and the filthy rich know well that the elections in our country is not about leadership and the Filipino people but about debilitating greed, they are now on their infamous trending. Henceforth, the very few who are rich and clearly the rulers of our country–but not for long–are now having a field day on their secret bank accounts abroad and even in our country. These people have to fatten their secret bank accounts here and abroad not really for their families but for their extracurricular activities. Besides, they have learned in the past that when God acts in favor of the poor, He does not leave the corrupt without money even as the former use it to buy the poor, who have not learned the value of saving out of their hard work.

As an old practitioner of Veritas Liberabit Vos, I cannot help but speak my mind, as usual, to wit:

• Because Sen. Pimentel is not only a bar topnotcher but a young engineer as well, I suggest he put into action his thoughts, otherwise, the eye-opening pre-emptive attack by his political party would be for naught. Further, “I am sick of reasonable people: they see all the reasons for being lazy and doing nothing.” (The Secretary, Geneva George Bernard Shaw [186-1950] Anglo-Irish playwright, critic)
• Undoubtedly, the clamor for “Super Digong” Duterte to run for the presidency has gained incalculable momentum so that more and more people in Metro Manila and elsewhere say, “Duterte pa more.” But our man is still firm on his belief that he is uninterested in the presidency. However, our only consolation is that “Super Digong” has a heart for the poor, hence, we have to act pronto and show our man that money and power are no much to warm bodies. “Super Digong” does not have to have money in running for the presidency.
• As I have previously written, all the money and the power to perpetuate greed cannot overcome the united strength of warm bodies helping themselves. Once this is done, as it was in the People Power of the 1986 peaceful revolution, ignited by our own dynamic and intellectual triumvirate (who are still very much alive and kicking) of former senator Nene Pimentel, former governor Bono Adaza, and former no-nonsense Mayor Ben Canoy, the Philippines, could easily become a world leader.

Once more, I dare say that Mindanao’s quest in “now or never.”

Never forget, it took us more than 50 years to summon another leader from Mindanao. Truly, former Vice President Maning Pelaez was the best President our country never had. And bear in mind that the late President Cory Aquino never had the dream nor the ambition, unlike PNoy. Neither did the late President Cory had the money nor the machinery. But because it was written in heaven all the forces that money and power could buy were disregarded and the rest is history.

If it was possible then, with more reason that we, the poor, should beg and summon our leader, known for his hard and fast action and oozing love for the poor, to quench our thirst and lift our country to its proper place in history.

Ergo, Duterte pa more.

Tsada, di ba?

• •

“I hold that little rebellion, now and then, is good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”––Thomas Jefferson [1743-1826], American President

Today, as a throwback at the Ateneo of old, we started the day with a mass before proceeding to the various cemeteries to pray for our departed loved ones. So today, being All Souls’ Day for Catholics, like yours truly, we are urged to hear mass and pray that all those in heaven but not yet proclaimed by our Church as saints help us. I strongly suggest that we pray in softening the heart of our man to help us, as he has always done to his people in Davao City. More than ever the country needs “Super Digong.”

It is high time, we, the teeming poor Pinoys, started to re-learn and practice the beauty of our tradition in sharing whatever little we have to those who have less in life. But unless we rebel against the arrogance, shameful and unmitigated graft and corruption of this administration, we may not see our man leading us.

Let us, therefore, help ourselves and cry out loud: we are the Aldub nation, the teeming poor, the people whom Duterte cares for.