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GISING NA, MAG-ISIP NA, LABAN NA, BAYAN
Laban ng Masa Statement at the United People's SONA Press Conference, July 16, 2019
by Dr. Walden Bello, National Chairman, Laban ng Masa
GISING NA, MAG-ISIP NA, LABAN NA, BAYAN
Laban ng Masa Statement at the United People's SONA Press Conference, July 16, 2019
by Dr. Walden Bello, National Chairman, Laban ng Masa
Our nation has gone through the most tumultuous three years of the last three decades. 40 per cent of the electorate voted for President Duterte, but that did not give him the license to destabilize our society. These three years have been among the most bloody in our history as a people, more bloody than the Marcos years, and eclipsed only by the bloodshed during the Japanese invasion and occupation and during the war of independence against Spain and the United States.
Candidate Duterte promised change three years ago. Yes, change has come, but it is change not for the better but for the worse.
Let us review the facts:
Over 20,000 Filipinos have lost their lives in Duterte’s war on drugs, countless numbers of them owing to extra-judicial execution.
The cherished principle of separation of powers has been destroyed, with the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Judiciary now performing under the direction of Master Conductor Digong.
The rule of law has given way to arbitrary actions deriving from the president’s vengeful character, like his imprisonment on fabricated charges of Senator Leila de Lima and ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
We are on our way to becoming a province of China, with the abandonment of our territorial and resource rights in the West Philippine Sea under Malacanang’s strategy of “preemptive surrender.”
We have witnessed the massive inflow of Chinese money into the purchase or rental of houses, apartments, and condominium units throughout the country for gambling purposes, inflating prices and putting housing beyond the reach of ordinary Filipinos, including the middle class.
We have witnessed the legislated condemnation to death of our rice industry with the signing of the WTO-supported Rice Tariffication Act by a president who said during his campaign that the World Trade Organization was the biggest threat to our agriculture.
We have seen the worst inflation in almost a decade owing to ill-advised neoliberal tax policies.
Sabi nga nila sa Latin. “Contra factum non esse disputandum.” You cannot argue against the facts.
But I would like to end by emphasizing two things:
First, Duterte was made possible because of people’s disappointment with the liberal democracy under the EDSA Republic that reigned for 30 years. They could no longer tolerate the massive gap between EDSA’s promise of equality and popular empowerment and the realities of great inequality and mass disempowerment. EDSA democracy was, in reality a political arena in which rival factions of the elite, whatever their color, be it brown, black, yellow, or blue, competed to pursue their interests at the expense of the people. So, in their frustration, many have turned to a strongman.
Second, our people must admit their own role in allowing Duterte get away with murder. They have given him an 81 per cent approval rating. A great number have surrendered their critical faculties in judging his policies. Now, we may concede that President Duterte has a certain charisma, what some people call gangster charm. We may even concede that he has hypnotic powers. But as psychologists tell us, “You cannot be hypnotized if you don’t want to be hypnotized.” O, gaya ng sabi ng ating pambansang bayani, ni Jose Rizal, “There are no tyrants where there are no willing slaves.”
Kaya ang mensahe ng Laban ng Masa sa bayan Pilipino: “Gising na. Mag-isip na. Laban na.”
Candidate Duterte promised change three years ago. Yes, change has come, but it is change not for the better but for the worse.
Let us review the facts:
Over 20,000 Filipinos have lost their lives in Duterte’s war on drugs, countless numbers of them owing to extra-judicial execution.
The cherished principle of separation of powers has been destroyed, with the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Judiciary now performing under the direction of Master Conductor Digong.
The rule of law has given way to arbitrary actions deriving from the president’s vengeful character, like his imprisonment on fabricated charges of Senator Leila de Lima and ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
We are on our way to becoming a province of China, with the abandonment of our territorial and resource rights in the West Philippine Sea under Malacanang’s strategy of “preemptive surrender.”
We have witnessed the massive inflow of Chinese money into the purchase or rental of houses, apartments, and condominium units throughout the country for gambling purposes, inflating prices and putting housing beyond the reach of ordinary Filipinos, including the middle class.
We have witnessed the legislated condemnation to death of our rice industry with the signing of the WTO-supported Rice Tariffication Act by a president who said during his campaign that the World Trade Organization was the biggest threat to our agriculture.
We have seen the worst inflation in almost a decade owing to ill-advised neoliberal tax policies.
Sabi nga nila sa Latin. “Contra factum non esse disputandum.” You cannot argue against the facts.
But I would like to end by emphasizing two things:
First, Duterte was made possible because of people’s disappointment with the liberal democracy under the EDSA Republic that reigned for 30 years. They could no longer tolerate the massive gap between EDSA’s promise of equality and popular empowerment and the realities of great inequality and mass disempowerment. EDSA democracy was, in reality a political arena in which rival factions of the elite, whatever their color, be it brown, black, yellow, or blue, competed to pursue their interests at the expense of the people. So, in their frustration, many have turned to a strongman.
Second, our people must admit their own role in allowing Duterte get away with murder. They have given him an 81 per cent approval rating. A great number have surrendered their critical faculties in judging his policies. Now, we may concede that President Duterte has a certain charisma, what some people call gangster charm. We may even concede that he has hypnotic powers. But as psychologists tell us, “You cannot be hypnotized if you don’t want to be hypnotized.” O, gaya ng sabi ng ating pambansang bayani, ni Jose Rizal, “There are no tyrants where there are no willing slaves.”
Kaya ang mensahe ng Laban ng Masa sa bayan Pilipino: “Gising na. Mag-isip na. Laban na.”
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