The other truths after Edsa '86

IN MANY occasions when we discussed politics, my friends from Monday Club told me that they were, and still are, great fans of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. In many points of their arguments, I found myself agreeing.

Two or three of them pointed out that Marcos was a great president of our republic, but it was his lady Imeldific who represented the evil in the 20-year rule. I nodded my head; I don't know if I agreed.

--oo0oo--

Former President Fidel V. Ramos, a relative of Marcos, and was the chief of the then Philippine Constabulary, eagerly wanted to be the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He thought that General Ver, a lap dog of Marcos, being a graduate "only" of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), did not deserve to be Armed Forces chief of staff.

It should be him, instead of Ver, since he was a Philippine Military Academy graduate and a West Pointer at that. Together with Juan Ponce Enrile, they turned their backs against the dictator. Lucky enough for the two, the people massed at Edsa and protected them.

--oo0oo--

If there's any single family in the country who benefitted most from the bloodless EDSA uprising, guess who it would be? The Aquinos of course! The slain martyr Ninoy Aquino's wife Corazon Cojuangco became president, and so is now the son, Noynoy. Ninoy's siblings, Agapito and Tessie, became senators. Relatives like Hermie Aquino, Jesli Aquino Lapus and brother Jeci became members of the House of Representatives. Here comes now a lookalike. Is it Bam or Bum?

--oo0oo--

Ninoy's friend and fellow inmate Ramon Mitra was denied support by President Cory when the former made a run for the presidency. Instead, President Cory mobilized Malacañang resources and campaigned diligently for Fidel Ramos, Ninoy jailer, and not for the slain martyr's friend and party mate. What a life!

Mitra died a lonely man. He must have been appeased by his friend Ninoy in heaven, in case both are there.

--oo0oo--

My friends are asking: Where are those so-called 'freedom fighters who fought for the restoration of democracy and stop corruption'? Most of them ran for public office, became very, very rich and established their own dynasties. Your 10 fingers plus your toes are not enough to count these people who are viewed by many as quintessential hypocrites, for they also took advantage of their positions in enriching themselves, and are better thieves than those in the Marcos regime.

--oo0oo--

Here in Pampanga alone, there are some. We don't have to name names. Before, they had almost nothing. But today, oh boy! They even own properties abroad and enormous bank deposits. Whereas before, they can hardly build a modest bungalow, now they even have rest houses. Their only capital was that they “fought the dictatorship and that they were in Edsa during the uprising.”

--oo0oo--

History is written by the victors, and highlights episodes that tend to favor them and sometimes become too glossy, and hidden are raw facts that will cover their own inadequacies and misdeeds.

I know a lot of them who may happen to read this, want the above items to be better left unwritten. But events have many dimensions. And the events narrated above truly happened.