|
VETERAN journalist Manuel
Almario, still writing even in sickbed, sent us his thoughts on the
June 12 celebrations which included an interesting item in the
International Herald Tribune issue of December 12, 2006. It was
headlined, “1931: Revolt Nipped in the Philippines.”
“Discovery of a plot against
American rule in the Philippines led today (Dec. 11) to the arrest
of 214 suspects in Manila alone. An attack on the administrative
authorities in the Manila district was timed originally for midnight
tonight. Many of the suspects arrested belong to the Tangulan
revolutionary organization.
“The projected revolt is the
latest in a long series of attempts by Filipinos to gain
independence . . . In April 1929, a serious attempt was made by
Filipino nationalists to seize the reins of the government and it
was broken only through the alertness of the island constabulary.”
Until we got this clipping, we
thought the active fight for independence happened about 20 years
after the Malolos Republic. But it seems from this report that the
Philippine Islands (as we were called then) was still not safely in
the hands of the US colonizers. Remember that 1931 was only ten
years away from the Japanese occupation.
“Active resistance to US rule
was led by the remaining leaders of the army of the First Republic.
Among them were Gen. Miguel Malvar in Batangas, Gen. Vicente Lukban
in Samar, Macario Sakay and Salvador Ipe, also known as “Apo Ipe,”
who led a pseudo-religious movement for independence in 1907.
“In Mindanao, the independence
struggle of Filipino Muslims in 1913 in the Battle of Bud Bagsak in
Jolo, Sulu. In that fierce battle, 6,000 to 10,000 Sulu warriors
were massacred by American troops under the command of Gen. John
Pershing. It was Pershing who developed the Colt .45 to deal with
the brave Filipino Muslim warriors.”
Today, Almario says, we should
already have a mature democracy, specially since we have been
tutored by no less than one of the world’s greatest practicing
democratic governments.
“I am afraid that only a few
would say that ours is a mature democracy today, much less a modern
state with large industrial concerns that manufacture steel, ships,
planes and machines, and which manages a thriving agriculture.
Instead, we are part of the Third World of impoverished countries,
consisting mostly of former colonized nations.
“This is probably because the
First Philippine Republic that proclaimed our independence in Kawit,
Cavite, on June 12, 1998, amidst much fanfare and high hopes, lasted
only less than three years. It is, however, credited with the
promulgation by a representative assembly of the first democratic
and secular constitution in Asia.
“The Republic ended when Emilio
Aguinaldo, president of the First Republic, fell to the Americans in
Palanan, Isabela, on March 23, 1901. On April 19, Aguinaldo issued a
proclamation, appealing to all Filipinos to accept the sovereignty
of the United States.
“To this day we have given away
a greater part of our resources and our industrial and commercial
rights to the US and other foreign countries in exchange for aid and
loans. Our country has a foreign debt obligation of more than $50
billion. It is dependent on a variety of international finance
organizations like the IMF and the World Bank, the Asian Development
Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
controlled by the US, Japan and Europe, respectively.
“The methods of western nations
to continue exploiting weaker countries has become more refined
under the rubric of globalization, deregulation, privatization and
free trade. A borderless world is supposed to usher in a global
regime of prosperity.
“Just a few decades after this
cache of snake-oil slogans was sold to the world, it is now
experiencing sky-high prices of food commodities due to an acute
shortage of supply and unlimited soaring of energy costs, as well as
conflicts in many regions of the world. They arise mainly from
foreign intervention masquerading as movements for democracy. Among
the worst victims of this catastrophe are the Filipinos whose
leaders have swallowed the spurious slogans designed to perpetuate
their economic domination.”
Subic men on alert
From Subic Bay comes this report
that the boys of Administrator Armand Arreza are always on the alert
for shipments of shabu. The last time around, Arreza’s boys
confiscated P4.62 billion worth of this banned substance from one
Anthony Ang, a locator who is now wanted. The operation was done
with the help of Undersecretary Antonio Villar whose men cooperated
with SBMA.
The shipment was stopped at the
gate. But SBMA is worried that the free port is being used by
misguided elements. As part of the reforms, Arreza has ordered that
PDEA be given full access to the SBMA in pursuit of their duty to
check shabu smuggling.
jules42na@yahoo.com
|
