Edsa was a lie

HE SAYS

Portrayals

By Aldrin Cardon

Friday will mark the 26th anniversary of what was called the Edsa revolution.

We are its children, barely teenagers when the call to mass up in Metro Manila’s main avenue resulted in millions who demanded the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ resignation and his fleeing the mob who missed lynching him only by a couple of hours.

Our own children are lost in its history. Their appreciation of Edsa is limited to the second party in the same avenue in 2001 which resulted in the ouster of Joseph Estrada and sent the country into a bigger infamy under a more notorious crook.

The first Edsa held a lot of promise, but many other have seen through the facade of change it really offered, which was not much but only a change in the players and their portrayal of change, but not in the system which basically remained as it was when Marcos left.

Even the big players are back, and Edsa only multiplied the names and families who control the country’s political and economic circles without substantial effect on the masses and the poor.

Not even Cory Aquino, whose family and their friends benefited much from their seizure of power from the despotic Marcos, was able to give back what she owed to the people.

Although she had pushed her version of land reform, it was under her term when land tillers were massacred at the foot of Mendiola, ironically branded the “bridge of freedom” for its role in the protest and underground movements, which really kindled the people on their way to the hills and then down to Edsa.

Cory had also assured her family will keep Hacienda Luisita, despite her stance as a champion of land reform. The story continues under her son, Noynoy.

Five presidents hence after Marcos, not much has changed.

The Philippines continues to lag behind the Asian powers. We have been overtaken by the economies of Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

We have lost opportunities to go big time in manufacturing our own products, and the Philippines now relies on imports and in marketing other countries’ products through BPOs stationed here.

Our main provider of precious dollars remain the overseas Filipino workers, whose flight has resulted in a brain drain that left us with not much but call center agents and unemployed nurses.

Philippine politics has become a mix-up of pro-Cory and pro-Marcos, two irreconcilable parties then like water and oil, but bonded by the same interests have become homogenous through the years.

A look at the different rosters of the Congress since the Batasang Pambansa was abolished by Cory, for example, will reveal the same surnames who have been in control of national and local politics dating back to the Commonwealth.

These are families that had economic control of their provinces. They owned vast tracks of lands, which they have now converted to industrial and residential uses to be able to duck Cory’s own land reform.

Some of them maintain private armies. One even used his power to smuggle in high-powered guns.

I remember one was found guilty of maintaining a kidnap for ransom syndicate.

It is not a secret how some congressmen have multiplied their properties while in power, compared to when they were out of the powerful circles when their politics was yet playing it right for them.

I’d like to see a lawmaker look his God in the eyes and claim he had not dip his hands in his pork barrel.

Yes, that’s how people look at them. But who can blame them?

Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. can only hope to change what he could not when he filed a resolution seeking cooperation from the local television and movie industry against depicting members of the House of Representatives as crooks and villains.

“Don’t portray us as villains or crooks, because we are not,” he said.

Gonzales filed Resolution 2140 which urges “the local TV and movie industry to minimize, prevent, or stop typecasting congressmen and congresswomen as villains or crooks in the movies and telenovelas, which create stereotypes or negative public perception against members of the House of Representatives.”

He said these portrayals are unfair and sully the good name of honorable lawmakers.

That term, honorable!

Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said his fellow lawmakers should not be too sensitive with these portrayals as these happen in real life. Let the guilty feel it, the clean ones just shrug it all off, he said.

The common perception, however, is that most of them are guilty.

Taking the reactions of the people in the ongoing impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona confirms that politicians and most of our leaders are being looked down as morally and intellectually corrupt. Some would say they are corrupt, period.

Twenty-six years now seem to be an epoch from the changes Edsa had once offered.

All of us are guilty in wasting our one big chance.

I envy those who have seen the lie of Edsa.

Which brings me to a song, by the alternative band Jerks, which only months after Edsa had said:

“Kasinungalingan, isang kahangalan / Walang libreng kalayaan Ito’y pinagbabayaran / Palabas na moro-moro. Ito kaya ay totoo?

Edsa ng pagbabago / Saan, kailan, kanino?”

Yes Edsa was a lie.