PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman › Lunes 3 Oktubre 2016 › Tomo 94 Espesyal na Isyu
kulê
philippinecollegian.org philippinecollegian phkule phkule phkule phkule@gmail.com
STATE OF SURVEILLANCE
7
2
3 OKTUBRE 2016 BALITA LUNES
PAGE DESIGN BY JAN ANDREI COBEY
Tracking the records of violence in the Philippines −
HANS CHRISTIAN E. MARIN
The declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972 intensified a culture of human rights violations (HRVs) that brought horrors unimaginable to the Filipino people. As the government transitioned to democracy in 1986, the situation of violence in the country has not changed given the high rate of HRVs in the past 30 years. Data from Karapatan, Task Forces Detainees of the Philippines (TDFP), Amnesty International, and other human rights groups and advocates show the comparable number of HRVs such as enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) the Filipinos endured under former President Ferdinand Marcos’ 21 year-rule and under the six presidents that followed him (see Sumatotal). In the current administration, President Rodrigo Duterte has been belittling the alarming rate of EJKs in the country in pursuit of his war on drugs. In just three months, the number
of EJKs in Duterte’s term already far exceeds the total committed in the past three terms before him combined. The president should call for a stop to the drugrelated killings and prosecute the perpetrators of EJKs, including those from police, Karapatan stated. The group also challenged Duterte to remove the imprints of Martial Law by addressing the deeply-rooted concerns of the Filipinos such as poverty and release of the current 525 political prisoners. “The government should institute meaningful reforms in the living conditions of our people, especially the marginalized. It should effect and ensure the provision of secure jobs with living wages, decent housing, free education and health care, and land to cultivate,” said Karapatan in a statement.
SOURCES Business Mirror, Bulatlat, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Times, Karapatan, Davao Today, ABS-CBN News, GMA News Online, Amnesty International Philippines, University of California Press, Rappler, Quartz News, and TORTYUR: Human Rights Violations During The Marcos Regime by Michael Charleston Chua
Two men linked to drugs shot dead in UP Arboretum −
LUNES 3 OKTUBRE 2016
−
DANCE CHAMPS Chester Higuit REVISITING THE GOLDEN YEARS Tony Reyes Martial Law survivor Bernardo Villalon, 77, shares his experiences during the Marcos regime with the Philippine Collegian at the office of the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (CARMMa), an organization composed of volunteers and survivors of the Martial Law, in Quezon City, Sept.18. Villalon recalled having the muzzle of an Armalite AR-15 rifle shoved into his mouth when he questioned his captors about the grounds for his arrest.
57 SUCs incur budget cuts for 2017 −
arjay ivan gorospe
Exactly half or 57 out of 114 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country will have cuts in their budget for 2017, according to data from the Department of Budget and Management. SUCs are set to receive a budget of P56 billion next year, higher than the P47.4 billion allotted in 2016. Despite this increase, 13 SUCs are set to incur cuts in their overall budget, while 35 other schools are to sustain cuts in their operating budget. Among the 35 SUCs with cuts for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) is Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology, with a 36.6 percent decrease in their budget, to P54,067 from P85,317 this year. Meanwhile, 33 SUCs would sustain cuts in their capital outlay (CO) budget or the funds for building construction and improving infrastructures. Included is the Philippine Normal University, with a 68 percent decrease in their budget for CO. Compostela Valley State College will incur cuts in all expense classes, and is the only state school that will experience cuts for personnel services of 33.5 percent or P19,448 from P29,225 in 2016. A total of 113 members of the House of Representatives opposed the impending cuts through signing a unity statement to immediately stop the budget cuts and augment the funding for tertiary education. The signatories include Representatives Sarah Jane Elago of Kabataan Partylist, Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned
Teachers Partylist, Julieta Cortuna of A TEACHER Partylist, among others. "The new round of budget cuts has been induced by [the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) normative funding formula, which bases the budget levels on key indicators like enrollment, and the new SUCs ‘leveling’ instrument stipulated under DBM-CHED Joint Circular No. 1 series of 2016," Elago said. Normative funding allocates bigger subsidies to well-performing SUCs with higher enrolment rate, a mechanism that supposedly promotes and rewards quality instruction, research and extension services, as well as financial prudence and responsibility of SUCs. "The government’s current budget framework for state schools is contradictory to its intention of developing public education as greater state funding is needed for our schools to regain their public character, and provide ample support for student services and faculty development," the unity statement stated. Aside from the impending budget cuts, CHED is currently processing the formulation of the 2017 to 2022 action plan for the SUCs Roadmap for Public Higher Education Reform (RPHER). This program seeks to slowly decrease the government’s subsidy for SUCs, based on a statement by President Benigno Aquino III when RPHER was introduced in 2011. "This is a direct manifestation of how neoliberalism attacks the youth’s right to education. By still incurring cuts to
3
Peasant groups condemn killing of Palawan farmer leader
Camille Guadalupe Lita
Two male suspected drug pushers were shot dead by police operatives during an anti-illegal drug buybust operation conducted in the UP Arboretum Forest along Commonwealth Avenue, September 25. Operatives from Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 9’s Anti-Illegal Drug Unit led by PSI Agustin B. Ubilas conducted the operation that resulted in a gun fight between the authorities and the armed men at about 2:46 AM. One of the suspects was identified as 40-year old Romel Esguerra, resident of UP Employees Village. The unidentified male was about 5’7” in height, medium built, aged between 25 to 30 years old, and has a dragon tattoo under his armpit and a star tattoo on his right wrist and right neck. “During the operation, one of the suspects sensed that alleged buyer is a policeman. A gun fight happened that resulted to the slain of the suspects,” said SPO2 Robert Cajiles, chief investigator of QCPD Station 9. Both of the suspects were rushed to East Avenue Medical Center but were announced dead on arrival by their attending physician at 3:02 AM. Cajiles explained that an operative may use whatever means to defend himself if his life is in imminent danger. Recovered from the scene were the following: one caliber .45, loaded with six live bullets, one caliber .38 loaded with four live bullets, two 9mm fired cartridges and one caliber .45 fired cartridge. Dubbed as the only remaining rain forest in Quezon City, UP Arboretum is part of the UP Diliman (UPD) campus and supports a diverse collection of plants and wildlife. Surrounding premises of the Arboretum is also home to around 2,500 residents, all of whom are informal settlers. Despite being considered part of the campus, QCPD failed to notify the UPD Police of the operations within Arboretum. "It is not necessary because the drug campaign is nationwide and UPDP is just a unit of security guards, not the police. Walang pinipiling lugar ang pagbabuy bust," said Cajiles. Military and police forces within the university, other than the UPDP, are prohibited under the Soto-Enrile Accord, an agreement between UP and the Department of National Defense. However, Cajiles pointed out that the accord does not extend to the Philippine National Police’s conduct of drug operations. "[T]here are so many places now in Metro Manila that concerns the operation on drugs, whereas there are no authorities questioning the legality of the operation because they are authorized by the government as well as the proper authorities concerned," he added. Overall, there are now 1,734 people killed in the current administration’s war on drugs: 1,020 killed in police operations, 581 killed by vigilante groups, and 133 bodies were found away from the crime scene. −
BALITA
the budget of SUCs, the government is firm on its stance to make SUCs self-sufficient, which will mean sustained efforts to deregulate and privatize public education," said Kevin Castro, spokesperson of the National Union of Students of the Philippines. The students will show unity by lobbying at the Congress and the Senate, and will conduct big mobilizations to assert for free public education from the government, he added. HR 122 also calls to summon Pascual and other university officials to produce documents regarding the implementation of the SAIS and eUP, along with their partnership with Electronic Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (ePLDT) and Oracle. Around P724.9 million have already been spent for the project but a detailed budget is yet to be released, the eUP team stated. Compared to the P2.7 million spent on CRS annually, purchasing the license and maintenance of the software already caused P43 million, according to Elago. "Our budget that should have been channeled to much more reasonable and important aspects has only been put into the pockets of private entities that prove to be inefficient and failure. UP admin should stop implementing this project [SAIS] to other units and they should not force them to embrace their flawed system,” said UPLB University Student Council (USC) Chair Merwin Alinea. −
HANS CHRISTIAN E. MARIN
Peasant groups and advocates denounced the spate of attacks killing farmers in less than a month, after a farmer leader was shot dead by a security guard in Coron, Palawan on September 20. Arnel Figueroa, 44, died after being gunned in the stomach by Dan Nelson Mayo, a security guard of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) at Yulo King Ranch (YKR). Farmer Levy Embanisido was also seriously wounded after Ronald Paguntalan, another BAI security guard, fired his gun at him. Seven members of provincial farmers’ federation Pesante-Palawan were cultivating their farm at YKR when Mayo, along with several government personnel and four Marines started uprooting crops. Figueroa, a local leader of Pesante, attempted to talk to them but was shot without warning. Figueroa had been demanding the distribution of farmers’ lands under the 1988 Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), as they had been cultivating a portion of the 10,376-hectare tillable land since 2009. In the 1980s, the Presidential Commission on Good Government sequestered YKR and transferred its management to BAI. Since then, the land was shifted to different corporations and government agencies such as the Philippine Forest Corporation and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Groups such as Climate Change Congress of the Philippines (CCCP), Pesante-Pilipinas, and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) called for the swift justice for Figueroa’s death by bringing his assailant forward, along with those who committed violence against farmers. “Farmers who assert their right to till through land cultivation activities are either killed, arrested and jailed or subjected to various forms of abuses. [The] absence of genuine land reform program emboldens goons, paramilitary groups, and state forces [to] attack farmers,” said KMP secretary-general Antonio Flores. Five other farmers were also killed in the first week of September alone: Ariel Diaz who was shot dead by three unidentified men in Isabela and Gaudencio Bagalay, Baby Mercado, Violeta Mercado, and Eligio Barbado who were gunned down by armed men in Nueva Ecija. “We call on the DAR and the DENR to distribute the 2,000 hectares agricultural lands to Pesante CARP petitioners and distribute all alienable and disposable lands in the Yulo King Ranch to qualified farmer beneficiaries,” said CCCP and Pesante-Pilipinas in a statement. −
4
LATHALAIN
LUNES 3 OKTUBRE 2016
IN REAL TERMS BREAKING THE blunders of martial law −
ALDRIN VILLEGAS
MORE THAN THREE DECADES AFTER THE DICTATORSHIP OF LATE PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS was toppled, the contested legacies of his “New Society” remain as one of the most polarizing stories in our history. It is viewed as either the “Dark Chapter” in the country’s history, or the “Golden Age” for the Philippine economy. Many Filipinos today find recourse in the latter version amid growing frustrations over the failures of succeeding administrations, from heavy traffic to perennial poverty. In a post-People Power state of mind, people choose to half forget the horrors of Martial Law, says Assistant Professor Richard Heydarian of De La Salle University. From a “Marcos pa ‘rin” vandal defacing the People Power Monument, to social media posts saying “Marcos was the best president the country ever had,” people are not just simply forgetting but actively constructing a past. However, there is a danger in this version of a past that never really existed: a deceptive nostalgia that the Marcos years were a period of peace and prosperity, according to a statement released by the UP Department of History. As the “Architect of the New Society,” Marcos justified Martial Law through the supposed success of the economy. However, unpacking his manufactured reality reveals an economic record that has one story to tell—a crisis in the guise of the myth of a golden age. − Work conditions Contrary to the notion that industrialization characterized the New Society, crony capitalism was the defining system that dominated the economy. Marcos’ cronies were awarded industries, from television to car manufacturing, and ambitious industrial projects such as the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). Many of these, however, ended up impractical and bankrupt. It led to the stagnation of the manufacturing sector, which should have been the backbone on which the economy rested. More so, the productivity per worker increased only at a rate of less than two percent, the slowest in East Asia. “The process of growth via government deficits can be sustained without huge increases in foreign indebtedness only if the expenditures are validated by increasing productivity per worker. In any event, this was not what occurred in the Philippines,” UPSE faculties noted in their critique. Alongside the downfall of productivity is the drop in employment rate, where the number of jobless rose from 5.2 percent to 5.9 percent from 1978 to 1983, while underemployment tripled from 10.2 percent to 29.0 percent. These numbers provide a glimpse of poverty and the deteriorating welfare of Filipino households during that time. As a result, there was a rise in the number of overseas Filipino workers after 1986, with the dissatisfaction in the labor force especially among the skilled workers. Both the agricultural and fishery sectors also suffered under the New Society. Agricultural output went down by 30 percent between 1972 and 1980, while the increase in fishery output has gone to commercial fishing operators at the expense of small fishermen. Under Martial Law, Marcos was trading off basic human rights for the nonexistent economic gains. In November 1975 during the period of national emergency, he prevented labor union strikes altogether. “[T]he martial-law regime prohibited strikes in so-called vital industries, such as public utilities, transportation, communication, oil refining and distribution, banking, hospitals, schools,” says Director Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development.
Infrastructure The myth of progress under the New Society is heavily founded on Marcos’ infrastructure projects that exist today. Pioneering hospitals were built such as the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. Government support for the arts was also manifested in architectural projects commissioned by Imelda Marcos: Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine International Convention Center, and the Makiling Center for the Arts, among others. “[H]is unparalleled achievements and contributions to the country, especially in infrastructure development, albeit persistently shunned from the spotlight, will remain as his lasting legacy. For as long as they stand, Marcos lives,” says economist Gerardo Sicat, one of Marcos’ top technocrats. Yet this legacy, comes at a huge price. According to Sicat’s colleagues from the UP School of Economics (UPSE) in their critique of the economy under Martial Law, the heavy spending increased government deficits from P0.8 billion per year to P2.3 billion, which could not be covered by domestic savings. Consequently, the gap had to be funded by foreign borrowings, where debt quadrupled from $2.6 billion to $10.5 billion in 1980. Worse is that 33 percent of the country’s borrowing in Marcos’ term was pocketed by himself and his cronies, a staggering $8 billion, according to think tank IBON foundation. Of all his infrastructure projects, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) stands as the symbol of failure and wasted resources. Costing $2.3 billion to build, the BNPP requires P40 million a year to maintain it—a sinkhole through which financial resources poured out for zero watts of electricity.
Sources: An Analysis of the Philippine Economic Crisis, The Economic Ruins of Martial Law, The Truth About the Economy under the Marcos Regime, Marcos Years Marked 'Golden Age' of PH Economy? Look at the data
Foreign debt “The experience of the less developed country borrowers is filled with irony, but nowhere is this more apparent than in the Philippines”, the National Bureau of Economic Research stated. From a $1 billion debt at the start of Marcos’ term, foreign debt soared to $28 billion as he fled the country in 1986—an amount Filipinos will pay until 2025, 39 years after he was ousted from office. Economist Ronald Mendoza says “debt is not necessarily detrimental to a country’s economic growth and development, when managed well and invested judiciously.” But this was not the case in the New Society. The centralized form of government made it easier for the State to spend for capital outlays using foreign money. With the imposition of Martial Law in 1972, public investment was primarily financed by foreign borrowing. As such, the decade of the 1970s was described as the period of “debt-driven growth.” During this period, the Philippines became one of the heaviest borrower-countries in the world. Much of the money was channeled to infrastructure and promoting tourism, yet the country lagged behind in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), the total market value of all goods and services produced domestically. Neighboring countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia registered an average of 5.4 percent GDP growth rate, while the Philippines recorded an average of only 3.4 percent, which dropped to 1.4 percent in 1986. With the record-high government spending, the Marcos government was confronted with a sharp devaluation of the peso. According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the peso-dollar exchange rate in 1966 was at P3.50 to a dollar, and in 1986, it was P20.53 to a dollar.
GROWTH RATES OF GDP PER CAPITA IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 1950s - 1980s
3.1 PHL
6.2 SGP
4.2 THA
3.2 MYS
3.3 IDN
EMPLOYMENT 1978 Unemployed
Underemployed
5.2% of the labor force
10.2% of the labor force
800,000
1,500,000
1983
Illustration by Guia Abogado
Unemployed
Underemployed
5.9% of the labor force
29% of the labor force
1,200,000 5,600,000
Page Design by John Reczon Calay
LUNES 3 OKTUBRE 2016
KULTURA
al ellectu a Sa int ikit k a m mga elitism ihiwalay ng n ng sa gh palita k g la a d ip a ang pa babang uri. pakik nasas a g a m n s yo a s p ma inilala ahok , lalo ang g lum mulat ihan. tual s n a c a a e h m h ll a a e T a kakay o. Imbis n a int rso at k a ra m g g m n a r g u n ku ng ng aya kuro-k g kamalaya ang dis ga sa h e. a gpah ang m elitists gtalastasan lan josep o, na a sa hiling a s t a in w s a a v e t k r n a t a w a t sa r a n u ip k o g a p a − ma ik p b e in n k u a r a s pa mga nakab ang ’t tinit asan upo s erte ng pag anilang pad g a s n a a iy d n m it m o a li n w k ut niTah ma buk a k mga ginaga agpa ma rigo D g ang (LNMB). A Pagbu iwang mina abababa s peryor. luhang p Bago gulong Rod a mailibin ng u ak ga su anila’t an ni g a b n k r a m n a a iy y a k s a K a n g n a g B n a i o ng m il dat a’y m ya. ili bila klusib lipunan. na si P ilya Marcos n ng mga h g n r s a n n a a k s d s a a e a ip r a t ga do m kais apa g ide sa g mg g Digm ng ong sa ng ng pa ya sa Libin ating dikta ang d agpalitan n lden Bello anilan a lawan aanali mga ganit ng mil g d ip a ang k binabasag ” ng Ika la up s n a a o ik t W a il k g o ic k a n i n ip d o g p n de pa n s A d a pa at ag g-ii g al ad alipika lumab lya’t nitong gtalastasan ng pa layunin n pagtaw na “politic ra droga e g ya, kw g gerilyang mga meda s n g a a n la t s k ip n r a n as na a a ik e o a w t s k n t it k r a a a g o b lo a y p a g p y a Sup halim sund niyan misira ilang mas m inususog mpan n sa p ial Law. d at ma g r u a a g n a s k a a a h a ig w w arihan ng Is s d a Is ig a tin rs o b ng hid a ng Mart orta pangy yo n . rte Die ng mga ito g u p a s e o k Panda nan ito. u t k a m le it s u is p g ik g g d D a o n n s lama a n non ha 6 Pe iktim mga komu walan nila a itaa uporta ello a ag-iimbot n hala sa s s B g a g i n n a patoto nga ang pla a naging b ugat ng 198 rangal suri s n p i a a s p a ur pagsu g batas n g ka n a a n g m g a a dahil s te. Binatiko sa walang sawalang-b id s a p e s Nagbu alists at mg g iniwang s sa pagpapa u t a t ga il g “s am sa ter ito— aligan ng len sa om n lists s loy e ng m ni Du saurus” dah gs at pag mga salitan lim ng s o ng s uti ng ban ngang lan at tama t a a r d Marco yang paghil ulot ng loya n ito sa part s la e a n n g a t il b li a a r n h u il s a e a a m a k k t r p s a u u a a d lu g a l a a d iy p D u n n g k g n “ m an icia ay oa pag Kung t g nakikitan silang agkakalulon inamit isya na ortyur at p trajud ang m Iniaalis nit ng lahat sa ika san. an g-hust sa ex ng pantao. G inakusahan a sa p g t n. n alasta nong dalubw y g a a t a n Power or, kawalan a iy g g b u t a n t n a p in im m a a s t li g a a p y ,” a b a ik a ik b it n g la r b If r d k “ a a a e m a il a , g t t k p Am ka gm tinu ay s . Sion sa dik ilya a na an stasan are na ma ribilehiyo n omsky, isang s,” “m ination” na t. ng lo ining F ema agtala t iba lk g pam o S a ip h n fo it g a ik u w p n h k c m y o s a iw u C t ma na g is hall sa p gam . bo l clas a sis lagad at ang os ni Noam na gu aki an asyon 1970s as for g specia ng bo “mass babawal na bansang A ulok n ing ide ve... s noong ang sa lum yan. Imbis lad ng, “A o sa b as na isan g Binatik ang diskrimin le who are a m a lo m a in r a P in ip h i fo il ip n a g u P p d b t e sa ng ng belie ts an sopo, Hang n peo naman an ng mga uri, lumala ow becaus gbaba ratang ay time” a anitong at pilo u mea though t they should se task Sinisi ng pa g mga pa g a g m tual' yo f imposing o babaw kanyang s e shall e humility a h r c a h a g e a k w n ‘p w ll m e a , takbo g n e le t d ir a n 'in l din the ess o a ng pagit on. “W ot have th g peop r priesthoo Jose a asyon. Sa mapan . And ral-ara apakit ukasy n e busin er, and tellin human ty aan sa la d k “A h in hika, o u t ie e o w u c d c Ip o d g e id !” t o in d e s n h . s n n h a f o a g w a c t e o g ” , n o m u h n n e t a n d p a e c m e p r f n in in , m k ect.” hs o mo lalim o driv man argu ing fo sa i. people ally more a at resp al trut puti, ki’t ma “civiliz ayabang, eg are only hu niya. itaas ang ur atong doctrin llectual in th 're re ipino— la at a e ibinab ng mas mala ng panlipun ang nasa y d m il e u e ,” h w P e la p t h r t t a m a a e a p g o t ld g e h ang n d o t w g a in a a m w h a is a n s id a ib p t o b a g w a n n u n p it im il n k a e r m a eks dah hali is to na aw a derst ld be kadau g bikt mang g mag nang dge fo n b a n it u n a n n a a g a u o a le o a b m h b ih h ih m o w s n a w t la e o g a m m n r n tio sa ble . Pa kara amih ng dala mang ang g posiblen s n a m a n g k a ra take k popula bakas na g a p ro ito ng a ka r aas sa nanalo to mis it hindi lika mga na na natili ang m ba mang bog s Ilan la ng katagan . Tinatawag ay mas mat a g u g la n n h k a M a u u a n w g a m m o a N w na i pa g isa sites eya— di ha an, abab g hu g dit hil na g mali maram ocial media kaisipang an tante nang ang id i sa ing m sa lipunan Ilan laman lan, simbah g walan g panig, da n. r s nagig ulong d o a . k — a in r n a p ” u g a g w s a u n r a n a k ik a m o m im e a n u b p sa pw o n elitis aba mas g lip se— p a re h g tao agamit laan, mga ectual niya’y n i J o t u n ay n a arap n naikakahon ng sa iisan ging m g pamaha h n a m i a o r u k y m u g a “intell s in g g n i a d kin ng mga upan g a ya ang op iba. li, hin di lam akamaramin akibat nito una a a ang yo n g iba, at opinyon ng Sa hu pon ito hin sa ka g y pin stitus . Kapuna-p makita niy m a o in a is n m t s m a o, at li g a a an an lu e n a kays mund g” nsyah akapu ung p ainas a midya bakod par in e ctual n k g g r ip e n n w a t il ll o o g A a P lu e u it t p . Ang aim ang an. sa b ernet ang m wa n g ng in ng “toreng ya, na lahat. edia ataas b a ya n ling m yon sa int aring limba al elitism a aisipa o m a m m li g a k g it d a l h ib g a s − m g B n ia g a a m a e c s n sa ps aw mg ctu Tor ang yag. ng orma ng so ganib na ula a a. Tin ong hango pahira anag ang intelle balik agmat sayan ang g imp Nagsim g akademy kadali at map sot ng n. Walang at lalo lam g min g pan n ng malin aliw i r n r a n e a M a u n t n b n l g a a a a n n in an an ng map yana lastas l at b lipuna g magkaiba larang ower na is an sa mara aging ro samba sinisii pakikipag ta kusyon sa w an y t g luga apat m n w d a la il y a is b a d g d o ivor sa paglalara t y it ito laha ti ng e ng alaka layan it ginam g klas a ka h a nagtat ginam aria. g nang lumilikha at hindi man aniton m ang pagk n g M a g m n a la g ng lali birhe a nan lema. siglo n g tao a pinala ang uri. ng Ika-19 ung saan an ng problem as ng prob awi lase un p li n a k n a g ong k wang n a p n r a u it o a s p n y li a s m il n g a u h dala ng sitw Zapata g pa a da ng d — enneth n Espeleta ng uri lipuna an ng d Class ’t iban ademy at teknikal pakita K a it k n a a g a n a ib s ip a h li a a p o a g s n n J g n o o n ni ng sa ul Ya ry a Tungg anag na plikad mulub larawa aroon Dibuho g pahina ni J truggle rong Histo ács, Marx s aliw s lang lu itong pagla ng mas kum asa. Nagk piit, at n s M o b Luk a li g cla it yan. ika am ka Diseny an an t na uri. S i György amala Ginam mikha ng w awa ng mg gbukod, na kaisip n a ring k akauring a n g lu u p u n d a a g a k lu g n a h m a n o a s m nit te ang a pa at m magka sness, inil ideya ng sa par abot s ademya bil ad. g baw g mga aging iwang ‘di na ang sciou ak alo an amalayan n lid n m n , a a o a o e s o C p r t p a k o g in n s e in k n g a o p tilihin r o ip g il in t e a a t n p e n k o g r g A a pa tang mga ang tibon kongk ang p laban unan. il a is p p a g s la g li u s g n e i a a a la o n b s g ang y a in il ip na tas sis aw o ng mala haban ng ga Aniya, n ayon sa an isie” ay nag nila n ikha it anila, k laban a a a o y s Lumil Nawawalan kat iniisip m e la kama “bourg pumapabor agawa ay lu ag a. a ‘p s s t a g o n m a gg g ng angk nabibil disyon a uring man ghihirap. makis s ga kon pa tao na ang m ilang naman nilang mga ka ab k a s a g la a m kumaw upang
5
6
opinyon
lunes 3 oktubre 2016
Siya nawa −
CHESTER HIGUIT
Papuri sa ama ng digmaan kontra droga Amain namin, sumasalangit ka. Sambahin ang kagustuhan mong paslangin ang mga akusado. Mapasaamin ang batas mo. Sundin ang loob mong kumitil ng mga mahihirap liban sa makapangyarihan. Bigyan mo kami ng mga larawan ng mga napapaslang araw-araw, at patawarin mo kami sa tuwing makapagbibigay ng awa. Nauunawaan naming ang pagbabago’y nasusumpungan lang sa digmaan, at ang pagkitil sa mga maralita’y pagkitil na rin sa kahirapan. Huwag niyo na silang ipahintulot sa hustisya, at iadya sila sa kanilang mga karapatan. Amen. Aba Ginoong Pangulo, punong puno na ng disgrasya. Ang mga nananahimik ay sumasaiyo, lubos kang pinapanigan ng mga hindi nakikialam, at ganoon din naman ang iyong alagad na si Bato. Aming Pangulo, bukal ng dugo ng mga pumanaw. Ipanalangin mo kaming walang kasalanan, ngayon at kung kami’y ipapapatay. Siya nawa. Luwalhati sa Pangulo, sa Bato, at sa mga napag-utusang kumitil ng buhay. Kapara sa mga nasawi noong unang-una, hanggang sa ilang daan pang papaslangin ng digmaan. Siya nawa.
Papuri sa ama ng diktadurya Amain namin, sambahin ka. Hindi malilimot ang Batas Militar mo. Ipagbunyi ang gintong panahon mong ibinaon sa utang ang mga Pilipino. Ipaunawa sa amin ang mga kabayanihan mo, gaya ng pagkitil sa kalayaan ng midya at pag-tortyur ng maraming Pilipino. Huwag mo kaming ipahintulot sa kahit na sinong nagmamarunong, at iadya mo kami sa mga nagsasabing alam nila ang kasaysayan. Amen. Aba Ginoong Imelda, napupuno ka ng grasya, ang yaman ng bayan ay nasa sa iyo. Bukod kang pinagpala sa babaeng lahat at pinagpala naman ang iyong anak na si Bongbong. Santa Imelda, Ina ng mamahaling luho, ipanalangin kaming inyong ninakawan, ngayon at kung kami’y mababayaran. Siya nawa. Luwalhati sa Ama, sa Ina, at sa kanilang mga anak. Kapara noong ginintuang panahon ng dating Pangulong Marcos, hanggang maihimlay ang labi niya sa libingan ng mga bayani. Siya nawa.
Kapara nang sa karapatan nilang mabuhay, makapagkamit ng katarungan, at maprotektahan ng batas. Siya nawa.
Papuri sa mga pumanaw Sumasalangit silang mga pumanaw, noong Batas Militar hanggang sa kasalukuyan. Mapasaamin ang kakayahang igiit ang katarungan. Ipagpatuloy ang pagtatanggol sa karapatan ng mga naaapi at walang kasalanan. Bigyan niyo kami ng lakas ng loob na tumindig at makialam upang tutulan ang pagbabaliktad sa kasaysayan at kawalang hustisya. Patawarin niyo kami sa aming pag-aalinlangan, para nang maitama namin ang pagkakamali ng mga namamahala sa amin. Huwag niyo kaming ipahintulot sa pagwawalang bahala, at iadya kami sa lahat ng kaduwagan. Amen. Aba mga ginoong biktima ng digmaan kontra droga, kahirapan at korupsiyon ang kumitil sa inyo, bukod kayong hinusgahan ng pamahalaan, at gayundin naman ng walang pagtutol na mamamayan. Santa Maria at Panginoon, ipanalangin nawa ang mga pinaslang ngayon at kung makakamit pa ang katarungan. Siya nawa. Luwalhati sa mga maralita, mga naging martir, mga naulila, at sa kanikanilang pamilya. Kapara sa karapatan nilang mabuhay, makapagkamit ng katarungan, at maprotektahan ng batas. Siya nawa. −
UNDAUNTED SIPAT −
CHESTER HIGUIT
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Rally, November 2015
LAKBAYDIWA e u l a ca b i l i n g
Makababawi rin Palagi akong sinasabihan ni Tatang noong bata pa ako na magbubunga ng masama ang anumang porma ng kalabisan. Mahilig kasi ako sa noon sa kendi at tsokolate, lalo na yung nakabalot sa gintong foil na hugis pera na iniipon kong parang barya. Hindi ko masyadong sineryoso ang payong iyon ni Tatang hanggang isang araw, noong pitong taong gulang ako, nang mabunutan ako ng ngipin nang wala sa oras dahil sa labis na pagkahumaling sa matamis na tsokolate. Tunay nga ang sinabi ni Tatang at dapat nakinig agad ako sa kaniya. Sa tuwing binabalikan ko ang alaalang iyon, napapaisip ako bigla sa kasalukuyang lagay ng lipunan: magulo at mapanukso, dahil sa labis na pagkahumaling ng iilan sa kapangyarihan, karangyaan, at kayamanan. Sa pagkakawari ko, hindi siguro magaganap ang mga pamamaslang sa mga magsasaka nitong mga nagdaang buwan kung naipamahagi sana nang tama ang lupang sakahan sa kanila. Wala sanang bakwit na mga katutubo laluna sa Mindanao, kung walang gahaman sa pagmina ng yamang mineral sa kanilang lupang minana. Patuloy sana ang operasyon ng mga itinayo nilang paaralan sa halip na magsilbi bilang pasilidad ng mga militar. Buhay din sana ang mga biktima ng extrajudicial killings sa panahon ng diktadurya at kahit sa mga sumunod pang administrasyon. Dahil sa pagnanais ng mga nakaupo na magkaroon ng higit na kontrol sa mamamayan, halos supilin na ang karapatan ng mga taong malayang makapagpahayag at lumahok sa kritikal na diskursong para sa ikabubuti rin nila. Higit sa lahat, ang labis na pagnanais ng kasalukuyang pangulo na puksain ang industriya ng ilegal na droga sa bansa, ay naningil ng buhay maging ng mga ordinaryong taong napagkamalang adik o nagbebenta ng bawal na gamot. Ang labis na pagkahumaling naman ng karamihan sa pangakong pagbabagong hatid niya ay nagbunga ng tuluyang pagkabulag sa maling tugon ng pangulo sa gyera kontra droga. Sa mga pagkakataong dumadako na sa politikal na takbo ang isip ko, agad akong sumasandig sa isa pang kawikaang sinasabi ni Tatang na, "Sa huli't huli gagawa ang kalikasan o Siyang nakatataas ng paraan upang ibalik sa balanse at waksiin ang anumang uri ng 'di pagkakapantay-pantay na meron sa lipunan. Sisingilin daw ang dapat singilin, at mananagot ang sinumang managot. Kumakain pa rin naman ako ng tsokolateng kendi magpahanggang ngayon. Ngunit ika nga, "in moderate amount." Walang makatatalo sa lasa nito: naglalaban ang tamis at pait ngunit naroon pa rin ang balanse habang tinutunaw mo ito sa loob ng iyong bibig. Ganoon din sana ang maging takbo sa lipunan—na sa bawat pait na dulot ng pagpupunyagi ng tuwirang kalabisan, kapalit ay tamis ng tagumpay sa laban at kaginhawaan ng siyang pinagmamalabisan. −
LUNES 3 OKTUBRE 2016
EDITORYAL
7