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Monday, July 28, 2003
Mongaya: Let’s strengthen democracy instead
By ANOL MONGAYA
With the absence of a popular uprising, the Magdalo mutiny yesterday was doomed to fail. It failed in its principal demand for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign. Popular action and support is the main difference between Edsa 1 and 2 on one hand and all the failed military adventures on the other. Both succeeded in toppling the Marcos dictatorship and the Estrada administration.
There were attempts at possible civilian support. But only a handful of Guardians marched toward Makati at the vicinity of Oakwood Premier Suites that the mutineers took over. In Cebu, the New Guardians group headed by Jun Alcover and Boy Odilao denounced the mutineers.
As I wrote this column even before the 5 p.m. deadline set by President Arroyo yesterday, several Magdalo group members surrendered. I expected the other mutineers to follow or they would face the massive military force surrounding them.
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The lack of popular support stemmed from the public’s aversion to the use of military force to air grievances even if legitimate because it would weaken our democratic system. As former Senate president Jovito Salonga stressed during a radio statement yesterday, our flawed democracy is better than military rule or a dictatorship.
Edsa 1 and 2 were different. The Filipino people joined the Edsa 1 because the cause was to topple the Marcos dictatorship and restore democracy. They joined Edsa 2 because it sought to remove a corrupt president and thus strengthen democracy.
These young idealistic military officers should have taken another way to air grievances. Instead of resorting to military adventures that would destroy, they could have carried out moves to strengthen our democratic system.
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With the State of the Nation Address (Sona) scheduled as Congress opens its session today, President Arroyo could not afford the mutiny to drag on. Whether the resolution of the conflict is peaceful or not, that would be in the hands of negotiators of both the mutineers and the Arroyo administration.
The military mutiny has made GMA’s Sona doubly significant today. Arroyo was expected to again issue a statement on her running in 2004. I think the mutiny and questions regarding her mandate would be Sona crucial points.
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The eerie similarity in the killing of Cebu deputy collector Wewe Lao and the attempt on Manila International Container Port (MICP) Collector Ping Bartolome made me believe that both incidents are related.
Several theories abound within the customs grapevine and the Lao family as to the possible suspects of Wewe’s ambush that also took the life of customs appraiser Bennett Soreño and bystander Alain Dave Ravina. But I am inclined to dismiss speculations linking local smugglers after professional gunmen ambushed Collector Bartolome exactly a day after the Lao ambush.
Most news reports link Wewe’s death to the recently apprehended 10 container vans of smuggled rice. According to the grapevine, the owners of the shipment also owned mv Great Faith that disappeared some two years ago. Perhaps, Bartolome also stepped on the foot of this group of smugglers.
Two days before he died, Wewe called and fed interesting information regarding the “farmers as importers” shipments. However, he asked me not to mention his name as source. He also asked me not to mention that he refused the tara offered so he won’t be identified as source.
Bureau old-timers, however, could not believe that aggrieved rice smugglers, whether local or based in other provinces, would resort to killing customs officials. Recent apprehensions paled in comparison to cases during the time of Collector Sonny Maravillas. But nobody got killed then.
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Aside from being a professional kill, the Lao assassination is also a statement of sorts. Wewe loved going out at night with only a driver in tow. He could have been easily taken out one night.
The gunmen could also have sprayed bullets on Wewe’s vehicle when it passed by several busy junctions along Osmeña Blvd. But they chose to do it near Camp Sergio Osmeña.
(Send your reactions to Superbalita@sunstar.com.ph or anol_cebu@hotmail.com.ph or text to 09179761193) |
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