mongster's nest

- disturbing fantasies, traumatic verses, definitely mongrel thoughts

Who’s afraid of the Left?

Aside from being leaders of left-leaning organizations, the party-list Solons accused of sedition were elected by the Filipino people. Their mandate to work in the House of Representatives was given not by the Communist politburo but by the general public. Therefore, it is ironic that a fake President is ordering the arrest of legitimate lawmakers.

That Satur Ocampo and company are clamoring for Gloria Arroyo’s ouster is no secret. They have been publicly demanding Arroyo’s resignation since 2002. But it is not only the Left which wants a change of national leadership. Almost all major political blocs are now insisting Arroyo’s removal from power.

So why single out Satur and company for being seditious when everybody is conspiring to unseat Arroyo?

In fact, leaders of other organizations were more “seditious” during last week’s protest actions in Makati. I heard Chito Gascon provoking the crowd with “walang uwian, tuluy-tuloy na ito,” while Teddy Casiño made a simple appeal to fight for the people’s right to celebrate the 20th year of Edsa. I heard Butch Abad describing Arroyo an incompetent and unethical leader while Liza Maza narrated the heroic struggles of the people against the Marcos dictatorship.

So why jail only Crispin Beltran and company when everybody is guilty of issuing seditious remarks?

We saw Speaker Jose De Venecia raising the arms of Joema Sison during the signing of a peace agreement in 1998. It was a dialogue between the Left and the Right, but nobody complained.

We saw Vice President Gloria Arroyo seated between Satur Ocampo and Crispin Beltran discussing the people’s agenda during the Oust Estrada campaign. It was a dialogue between the Left and the Right, but nobody complained.

If ever the Left is engaged in talks with the Right today, it is a legitimate political tactic which has been done many times before. It is part of the broad united front against the Arroyo government. In this alliance, the Left is joined by other political blocs in the military, church, academe and other basic sectors.

So why single out Satur and company for plotting with the Right to oust Arroyo when all political forces belong in the same tactical alliance?

Billy Esposo is correct when he wrote that the government is using the Left bogeyman again to justify Proclamation 1017. The Left menace is being exaggerated to scare the middle class and divide the Opposition. After all, anti-communist bias is still strong in this part of the world.

This is unfair to the Left and to its constituency.

If ever there is one thing which Satur and company is guilty of, it is being a consistent ‘subversive’ in the eyes of the State. Then and now, they continue to fight for land reform, wage increase and better social services. They never deny their bias for the peasants, workers and the urban poor. They have always been accused of supporting the communist rebels.

Yet, despite being proud ‘subversives’ and despite being linked with the Red commandos in the countryside, Satur and company have always managed to top the party-list elections. We should recognize that the people are supportive of the ‘subversive’ programs of Satur and company.

Therefore, the government’s bellicose pronouncements against the Left are actually directed against the workers, peasants and the urban poor. Gloria Arroyo is afraid of another People Power which the Left can help mobilize together with other political forces.

This explains the government’s mad scheme to liquidate the leaders of the Left and its supporters. Seemingly, its long term plan is to eliminate the Left from the country’s political institutions, especially in Congress.

And before the misinformed middle-class intellectuals, conservatives and reactionaries quietly celebrate the State maneuver to expel the Left from Congress, it would be wise to remember the political consequences of edging out the Left from mainstream political life.

When Manuel Roxas unseated the seven members of the Democratic Alliance in Congress, on charges of poll fraud and terrorism, it discouraged the Left from participating in the elections again. It pushed the Reds to intensify their armed struggle in the provinces. For many decades (and even until today), the expulsion of the Left from Congress in 1946 was used as one of the arguments why joining the elections is a futile effort.

In 1987, the violence inflicted on Partido ng Bayan members convinced the Left about the counter productiveness of participating in the polls. This led to the intensification of clashes between the military and the rebels.

Now, members of Left-leaning party-list groups are harassed, abducted and killed. Then comes the threat to arrest and expel Satur and company from Congress.

This is no way to convince the Left to continue participating in the elections. This does not strengthen democracy.

Are we willing to go back to the days when Congress is the exclusive enclave of the elite and powerful? Are we really prepared to survive a political set-up with all of the Left forces waging their battles in the hills?

And after the government is done ridding the Left in the mainstream Opposition, do you think Gloria Arroyo would stop with her rampage? Who do you think would be her next target?

posted by: mongpalatino at March 04, 2006 11:49 | link | comments (3) |
reds

Comments:

#1  06 March 2006 - 18:56

 

Hmmm... Some "left" spin here?

Sorry but the party list solons are not elected by the people, yet their party indeed is. And no..., not by the general public, but by their supporters whose number is enough to get them to congress. And, your "fake" president got more votes even in her previous candidacies than your partylist reps combined.

And no, not almost all political blocs are asking Arroyo to resign. In fact, they even cannot get the majority in both congress and senate. And Satur and company is not singled out, there are rightist groups targetted as well. And how can you equate JDVs signing meeting with Joema to sign and peace covenant with a meeting of the left and right to oust the PGMA?

Need I go on?

Anonymous

#2  17 November 2006 - 20:34

 

ang galing naman... ayaw magpakilala... not worthy of a reply...

Anonymous

#3  20 May 2009 - 16:23

 

nobody's afraid of the left. It is the left who is afraid of the right. They don't want the right things to rule. they want chaos..With the advent of technologies, young people will not be lured to join in your armed struggle 'coz life itself is already a struggle. your life is boring. nobody recognizes you. you will die trying. But if you come out do a ninoy thing, may be what you are fighting for will be appreciated by us young generations. But no, you are not doing it right. your oldies are dying, tired.we know they want it right, but they dont have the choice because of people like you who'se always afraid of doing what is right.

Anonymous

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