[EDITORIAL] #AnimatED: Paghuhubad sa pasista

Walang ‘sing husay ang unos magpalitaw ng tunay na kulay. 

Sa kalagitnaan ng agam-agam sa banta ng pananalanta ni Ompong, naupo ang Presidente sa isang panayam kaharap ang kanyang legal counsel.

Walang bago sa kanilang kwentuhan at nakita natin ang dati na nating alam. Una, na patalon-talon ang utak niya – parang tren na laging nadidiskaril sa riles. Pangalawa, na hindi mabusisi sa detalye ang Presidente. Pangatlo, salat sa kaalaman ang Pangulo sa ekonomiya. 

Walang kurap ang sagot niya na ang nilulumot na konsepto ng “barter trade” ang sagot sa lumalalang krisis sa bigas. Sa ‘di mapigilang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin, wala siyang paliwanag maliban sa “tinatrabaho na ‘yan” ng mga economic managers.     

Papasok ang ikatlong taon sa kanyang termino, anong klaseng lider si Duterte? 

Hindi raw siya diktador, kahit sa kampanya pa lang ay nagbanta na siyang ikakandado ang Kongreso kapag kinalaban siya.

Mukhang nagkakatotoo na ito. Nabura na sa talaan ng Korte Suprema ang ngalan ni Maria Lourdes Sereno bilang chief justice kahit 5 taon siyang nanilbihan sa puwestong iyon. Kahit na isang minority chief justice si Sereno at talo sa botohan laban sa mga itinalaga niyang mahistrado.

Dati na niyang naipakulong si Senadora Leila de Lima na nag-imbestiga sa Davao Death Squad noong mayor pa siya. Ngayon ay si Senador Sonny Trillanes naman ang tinanggalan ng amnestiya. Maingay nga si Trillanes, pero may kinahinatnan ba ang imbestigasyon niya sa mga bank account ni Duterte? 

Sa pagtugis ng kanyang mga kaaway, lumilitaw ang isang lider na insecure sa kapangyarihan at balat-sibuyas sa kritisismo.

Mismong si Trillanes ay napilitang aminin na mas malala si Duterte sa presidenteng nagtulak sa kanyang maglunsad ng rebelyon at nagkulong sa kanya ng 7 taon.

Ayon kay Trillanes, “Sabihin mo na ang gusto mong sabihin tungkol sa administrasyong Arroyo, na ito’y kurap, na nandaya ito sa eleksyon, sumira o nagpahamak sa mga demokratikong institusyon – pero hindi kailanman siya nag-utos ng malawakang pagpatay ng mga Pilipino.”

1/3 sa termino niya, marami pa ring hindi nakasasapol ng katotohanan. Para ba tayong palaka sa dahan-dahang umiinit na tubig at di natin namamalayang kumukulo na? Bakit marami pa ring tumatanggi na pinamumunuan tayo ng isang pasista? 

“Mayroong walang patid na pagnanais para sa kalayaan sa bawa’t isa sa atin… Pero kinakalaban ito ng kagustuhan nating madiktahan.” Sa libro niyang “Fascism: A Warning” kinilala ni dating US State Secretary Madeleine Albright na hati sa dalawang manliligaw ang mga mamamayan.

Sa anibersaryo ng Martial Law ngayong Setyembre 21, mahalagang malinang natin ang karanasan ng nakalipas na dalawang taon. Umaalingawngaw pa ba ang tawag ng pagbabago, o ang sama ng loob sa kapos na panggastos? Paraiso ba o impiyerno ang kinasadlakan ng ating lipunan? 

Ang depenisyon ni Albright ng pasista ay ito: “Kumakatawan umano sa buong bansa, ngunit walang pakialam sa karapatan ng iba; at handang gumamit ng dahas upang makamit ang layunin.”

Batay sa pinakahuling survey, mukhang patapos na ang honeymoon period ng mga Pilipino sa Presidenteng lumasing sa atin gamit ang matatamis na pangako. Ang tanong ay kung magkakalakas-loob ba tayong basagin ang katahimikan sa harap ng walang katapusang pambubully? 

Nalusaw na sa lakas ng ulang pulitikal ang koloreteng nag-anyong maka-masa at maka-batas. 

Sa gitna ng unos ng inflation at nagtataasang bilihin, pagbagsak ng halaga ng piso, krisis sa bukbok at bigas, traffic, ang misteryo ng naglahong shabu shipment, kainutilan ng mga tauhan ng Presidente, at tsismis ng pumapalyang kalusugan, ano ang lumilitaw?

Isang pasistang walang sinasanto mapa-Diyos o karapatang pantao; isang pasistang gustong ibasura ang umiiral na saligang batas at pamunuan ang makapangyarihang transition committee; isang pasistang nagdadala sa atin sa landas ng gutom at pasakit. – Rappler.com

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[EDITORIAL] #AnimatED: Unmasking the fascist

There’s nothing like a good storm to bring out one’s true colors.

Amid jitters over the incoming storm Ompong, President Rodrigo Duterte sat down for an interview with his legal counsel.

Everything they talked about, we already knew before. First, the President can’t focus – his mind is like a runaway train that’s always goes off-track. Second, he has no patience for details. And third, he’s clueless about the economy.

He didn’t bat an eyelash when he declared that he would turn to the ancient practice of “barter trade” to solve the rice crisis. For the unabated rise in the prices of goods, he could only say that his economic managers “are working on it.”

Going into the third year of his term, what kind of a leader is Duterte?

He claims he’s not a dictator, even though he warned as early as his campaign days that he would close down Congress (and by extension, institutions) if they got in his way.

It looks like this is actually happening. The name of Maria Lourdes Sereno has been purged from the list of chief justices even if she served in that post for 5 years. Even if she’s a minority chief justice who was often sidelined in voting by justices he had appointed. 

He had already jailed Senator Leila de Lima who had investigated the Davao Death Squad he supposedly commanded as mayor. Now, it’s Senator Sonny Trillanes in the crosshairs with his revoked amnesty. But while the ex-mutineer has been a vocal critic, the investigations into Duterte’s alleged bank accounts have led to nowhere. 

In going after his enemies – influential or not – Duterte reveals his insecurities as a leader and his being ultra-sensitive in the face of criticism.

Even Trillanes had to admit this President is worse than the one who pushed him to rebellion and who put him in jail for 7 years.

Trillanes said, “You can say whatever you want about the Arroyo administration, that it’s corrupt, that it cheated in the elections, destroyed or compromised democratic institutions – but she never ordered the mass killing of Filipinos.”

A third into his term, the reality has not sunk in for many. Do we suffer from the boiling frog syndrome? Why are many still in denial that in reality we are being led by a fascist?

“Within each of us, there is an inexhaustible yearning for freedom…But that is being challenged by the desire to be told what to do. In her book, “Fascism: A Warning,” former US State Secretary Madeleine Albright acknowledged that citizens are torn between these two competing desires. 

On the anniversary of Martial Law this September 21, we need to clearly see the lessons of the past two years. Does the call for change still echo in the streets or is it utmost dissatisfaction over not having enough to spend?

Are we on the road to paradise or are we closer to hell?

This is how Albright defines a fascist. “A fascist is someone who claims to represent a whole nation or group, but is utterly unconcerned about the rights of others; someone willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve objectives.” 

Judging by his recent trust ratings, it appears the honeymoon period with this President is over, this leader who fooled many with his sweet promises. The question is, will we ever find the courage to speak out in the face of relentless public bullying by his supporters?

The political storm has washed away his pretense of being a champion of the masses or the rule of law.

Amid the tempest stirred by inflation, rising prices, the falling peso, the rice crisis, traffic, the mystery of the shabu shipment that had disappeared, the useless men of the President and rumors about his failing health, what are we seeing?

A fascist who has no respect for God nor human rights; a fascist who wants to trash the Constitution and lead a powerful transition committee; a fascist who will lead us down the road to perdition. – Rappler.com