Sunday, February 26, 2006
How Gloria paid EDSA a big insult.
I was expecting there would be no classes on Friday because President Arroyo decided to save the day to commemorate that life-changing event 20 years ago -- the People Power Revolution, which ended political repression brought about by Martial Law.
But no. There was an event in EDSA, alright, but there was no peaceful revolution. Protest ralliers were violently dispersed. Some of them were arrested, including one of UP's greatest professors, Prof. Randy David. Even minors got beaten up by the police. Media outlets were even threatened to be taken over.
But it didn't have to take a declaration of a "state of national emergency" for this to happen. According to news I've received through e-mail, 33 activists have been killed by suspected military agents or paramilitary groups even before. And let us not forget about Rep. Crispin Beltran's illegal arrest.
The Arroyo administration is a silent killer. We used to not hear much about these killings and all its other cases of harrassment and violation of human rights. What's even worse is that our country didn't have to be declared under Martial Law to experience it.
There's nothing much we can do about it by ourselves, yes. But we can bring back freedom and bring down political repression if we all try. We don't really have to attend rallies for our voices to be heard, we could all be activists in our own right. The easiest way to do this is to unite, firmly stand for our common cause.
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Militant youth vow to defy 1017
Urge students to wear black on Monday
The militant youth group Anakbayan and other organizations under Youth DARE (Youth Demanding Arroyo's Removal) today urged all peace-loving and pro-democracy students to wear black to school on Monday as a sign of defiance against PD 1017.
This morning, students from UP Diliman covered the entirety of the academic oval and the UP oblation with black cloth as a symbol of mourning for the death of democracy and birth of renewed tyranny.
"We know our history, we know that what is happening right now is no different from what transpired at the beginning of the dark Martial Law years. It is precisely for this reason that we vow to defy PD 1017 and do everything within our means to prevent our schools from being transformed into garrisons," said Eleanor de Guzman, Anakbayan national chairperson.
She said that since yesterday their headquarters has been bombarded with reports and complaints against the presence of SWAT and armed military teams scattered around UP Diliman and PUP in Sta. Mesa. They were allegedly on the lookout for youth and student leaders from the respective universities.
"The youth are not afraid but they are fast losing patience with this administration. Instead of quelling dissent, expect more protests from the youth. We refuse to be cowed by this act of desperation. Mrs. Arroyo has just given the youth more reason to hasten her ouster. She has just sealed her sorry fate by declaring war against the our academic and campus freedom," she said.
She also expressed strong condemnation against the warrantless arrest of Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran and the raid of the Daily Tribune printing press.
"Will youth and student leaders and campus publications be next? Not if we have our way," warned de Guzman.
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Yesterday, I wondered why everything that happened the entire Friday bothered me. And then I thought maybe Tito Bobong, my activist uncle who died 15 days before the EDSA Revolution, made a way to talk and reach out to me even if we never met. Maybe he wanted to make me realize how every Sumilang is obliged to love our country.
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Ating tandaan:
"Ang Pilipino ay hindi Pilipino kapag siya'y nag-iisa."
