By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

I was in EDSA February 23, 1986, a day after Cardinal Sin rallied Catholics to protect the Enrile-Ramos tandem from certain deaths. It was an event that a journalist would not miss. I listened and looked into the eyes of the hundreds those who quickly responded to the call but it was obvious no one really knew the whys and wherefores of the call. All they knew was it was the first time a church leader aired an SOS, so it had to be serious.

What was only evident was the willingness of people in Metro Manila to stand as united  front against a perceived persecution of the good. We felt we were the good guys!

But as I walked through the crowds, I wondered what the rest of the country was thinking at that moment. When I got home that evening, I made some calls to Dagupan to check what were people’s reaction to the call of Cardinal Sin. Most reactions were: “Nothing happening here. Why, what’s happening there?” I went to sleep.

The following day, I scanned newspapers of reports of engagements between the police-military and rallyists in the provinces. No engagements. No crowds. But the crowd in EDSA had multiplied by the thousands.

So, in hindsight, one realizes that there really is no unity in purpose and mind among Filipinos. We only respond to anything that directly affects us. The touted People Power that evolved in EDSA was really an isolated political event involving national political players, if at all, a calculated military action that challenged the chain of command.

This explains in part why the celebration of People Power remains a media hype and little else to people that reside outside of Metro Manila.

And what of those who were not old enough or weren’t born to witness the excitement that could have only happened in movie plots? They move on without an iota of discernment of the implications of that bloodless revolution. “Let’s talk about 2022 elections.” Tsk-tsk.. people power will soon be forgotten.

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DEATH KNELL FOR PEOPLE POWER. The observance of the 1986 People Power in the country came and went without much fanfare and enthusiasm unlike during the heyday of the politicians under the yellow LP influence of the Aquinos.

The serious disappointment over unrealized promises of reform that followed during and after President Noynoy Aquino’s term not only opened the proverbial Pandora’s box about it but led to the rejection of anything that reminded them of the failed promises of the once dominant LP. It didn’t help that the indifference of the young generations to the media hype added to the waning enthusiasm about it.

And if it should come to pass that FM, Jr. becomes the next president, I would not be surprised if moves to repeal the People Power law proclaiming it a source of national pride in the political history of the country. Why shouldn’t it? After all, his election as president is a validation of the Marcos camp’s claim that the touted People Power was simply a successful venture at power grab.

When that time comes, even the revered People Power heroes will no longer be around to refute the attempt to trash the holiday, and the young generation that wasn’t there in 1986 will simply move on and not care about it being removed as a national holiday and celebration.

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BRIAN’S HUBRIS. Dagupan Mayor Brian Lim who refuses to govern according to established rules of government to ensure good governance is digging his political grave deeper than he ever thought would ever be. All because of hubris.

Just because he thought his father, the late Mayor Benjie Lim got away without complying with similar documentary requirements for the passage of annual budgets in the past, Mayor Brian obviously thinks there’s no reason for him not to be able to get away with it as well. Or so he thought.

From where I sit, I don’t see him getting away with it because he is relying solely on the say-so of his barkada that had little or no experience in governance, just pretending to know it all. He should have known that his father relied solely on his own wits in manipulating the bureaucratic processes, nobody but he dictated the terms.

All attempts at corruption by his father were covered by legal processes. But Mayor Brian obviously thinks he can do better than his father by using brute political hubris as a front.

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THEY’RE GOING DOWN. If he had only seen to fully comply with budgeting policies at least in form as dictated by the national government, the intolerant majority in the city council would not have discovered the serious omissions of his administrations of late, his failure to enroll the city’s indigents in PhilHealth for full protection for the past two years.

Today, poor Mayor Brian is grasping at straws in a bid to sustain his grievous miscalculations. He was foolish to believe that lies about factual situations, using the public information office as his official front, can work for him. He got it all wrong to believe that officious statements even from his PIO can stand without validation by mainstream media.

Worse, for the first time, the city councilors are discrediting the PIO itself that has allowed itself to be transformed into a political propagandist dishing out lies and disinformation. (I commiserate with PIO chief Ging Cardinoza. Being a former active media practitioner, I’m sure Ging will forever regret that he allowed himself to be used for blatant unethical purposes. I sure hope Mayor Brian will make it up to him in whatever ways in the future). 

I also feel bad for some of key officials at the city hall who because of their boss’ hubris and intransigence, are going down with him. Among them, the head of the City’s Social Welfare Department, the market supervisor, PIO chief, city planning and development chief, budget chief and legal officer.

Even the DILG director, Marilyn Laguipo, may find herself in hot waters if senatoriable Raffy Tulfo delivers on his assurance that he will bring the city hall-protected kotong corruption at the market to the attention of DILG Sec. Año. It’s the duty of the DILG director to report non-compliance of LGUs with DILG’s policies but obviously even the order of Mayor Brian preventing the city’s department heads to appear before the city council was not even reported, much less the exposé about the unabated protection racket being protected by the city hall.

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E-SABONG’S IMPACT ON PANGASINAN. The decision of the Senate committee on Public Order headed by Sen. Bato dela Rosa, to ask Pagcor to suspend the licenses issued to 7 groups to operate e-sabong in the country should be supported by our Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

It’s gratifying to note that what appeared initially to be simply an investigation looking into the cases of missing 29 sabungeros resulted in condemnation of the e-sabong as an online gambling activity in the country. The senate committee hearing took into account the overall impact of the 24/7online gambling on families across the country.

The proceedings in the senate hearing presented a sharp contrast to the committee hearing at the House of Representatives that rushed to pass it in record time. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know and understand why the congressmen passed the e-sabong bill without thinking.

The board members can do their constituents a great service by looking into the impact of e-sabong via betting stations in our towns and cities over the past months. Surely, they knew or heard of families who found themselves heavily indebted because of the addiction of the breadwinner or a son in the family.

Operators of betting stations should also be asked the nature of their operations.

A SP hearing on the topic will be instructive to our 7 congress representatives who voted for the passage of the e-sabong bill. These accounts should tell that they should withdraw their support to the bill.

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