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Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Carvajal: Never again to martial law
By Orlando P. Carvajal
In the latest round of in fighting, one faction tried a coup d’etat, which, had it succeeded, would have installed a military junta. President Arroyo countered with a declaration of a “state of emergency,” one step closer to Martial Law.
Thus, the threat of Martial Law comes from both factions of our ruling elite.
Moreover, it is not quite true that people power did not materialize because of people-power fatigue. People just want a peaceful transfer of power and do not want people power to be used to promote the vested interests of the factious ruling elite. The people want clean elections so honest men can have the chance to win and serve them. They want an end to corruption. And they certainly want an end to the infighting.
People are reluctant to use unconstitutional means to install one bad egg of a government in lieu of another bad egg. Which is the case now and that is why no people power materialized either to support the opposition against PGMA or to support PGMA against the opposition.
Many of us, however, have sworn “Never Again to Martial Law.” Many of us, therefore, will march again against Martial Law whether it is from coup plotters grabbing power or from the administration trying to protect itself.
From the people’s reaction (especially from the provinces) to the declaration of a state of emergency and its concomitant muzzling of the press, it was quite clear that the people, especially, those who marched against Marcos’ military might, will not hesitate to face anybody’s armed might again if necessary. People power is alive deep in the Filipino’s psyche and people power will materialize against Martial Law, wherever it is coming from, right, left or center.
We actually just barely missed plunging ourselves into chaos when the opposition tried to force the issue with a coup attempt and PGMA settled it by rattling her ill-fitting saber. For, if the coup plotters had carried the day, the people would have resisted them. Many of us would have gotten out of our comfort zones to march for freedom again. And if the administration had declared martial law to stop the coup plotters, the people would also have marched against it. Not immediately maybe but in due time.
In any case, if we survive the current political infighting, we would need a new breed of leaders to liberate us from the shackles of outdated and ineffective social structures. For now the simple truth, in pure bisdak, is “way gyuy mapili” of the present crop of national leaders who, with their bullheadedness, are dragging this country down an abyss of futility and hopelessness.
The rainy season of our discontent grows longer and with it the threat of this country being buried in a politico-economic mudslide.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 8, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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