Irrelevant na rin ang konsepto ng pagpapaypay ng nasyunalismo, demokrasya, matinong gubyerno, bagong pulitika at iba pang lenggwahe at jargon na ginagamit ng mga matatandang kilusan para itarak ang kanilang alternatiba sa kasalukuyan.

Laos na nga din ang “serve the people” at “man for the masses” dahil nilabnaw na ito ng kontra-komunistang propaganda ng militar laban sa mga partidong patuloy pa ring lumalaban sa marginal, header at footnotes ng kabuuang political landscape at kasaysayan ng lipunan.

Paos na ang henerasyong umaatungal sa kahabaan sa EDSA, umaariba sa kahabaan ng Recto at higit sa lahat, wala nang dating ang Mendiola, Plaza Miranda, Liwasang Bonifacio. Pandidilatan at kibit balikat na rin ang mga panipi mula sa sulatin nina Marx, Engel, Lenin at Mao at malamang sa hindi bibihira na rin ang nakakakilala kina Prodhoun, Stirner at Warren. Minamani-mani na lamang ng henerasyong ito ang konsepto ng modelo at influences gaya ng pagkawala ng iconodules sa panahong ninanaknak ng iconoclasts ang monolitikong kapangyarihan ng mga relihiyon.

Irrelevant na nga rin ang konsepto ng MTV at ang henerasyong itong ng kabataan na nabubuhay sa espasyo ng MySpace, bumubuo ng komunidad sa tulong ng Multiply at naglalahad ng pansariling kuru-kuro at pananaw sa pamamagitan ng blog, nagpapakasaya sa pamamagitan ng RPG, nakikipagtalakan sa pamamagitan ng forums at higit sa lahat, 24/7 plugged in para hanapin si pag-ibig at masumpungan ang kalibugan.

Sa totoong buhay nga lang din ay sasapat na ang mga call centers na parang kabuting nagsusulputan para tanggapin ang malaking bilang ng mga kabataang marunong mameke English Carabao at makapamuntong New Jersey o Manhattan upang hubugin ang sarili nilang dimension, batas at pagbibigay ng buhay na patotoo sa post-modernong konsepto ng personal freedom at individual choice sa kabila ng kawalang malay sa kung sino si Nietzche, Foucalt, Baudrillard at iba pang pangalang mahirap i-memorize.

Walang kabuhay-buhay at walang kalibug-libog ang kabataan sa usaping lalampas sa kanilang sarili at kahit mabuhay pa si Rizal sa libingan upang igiit na ang “kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan” ay mas nanaisin na lamang niyang humimlay sa rebultong binabantayan gaya ng pagbabantay sa labi ni Bonifacio kesa maggiit at manermon hinggil sa papel ng kabataan sa kanyang lipunan.

Kaya nga mas makabubuti pang burahin na lamang sa limot ang linyang iyan sa napakaraming panimula o panghuling gitla ng mga madalas umaakyat sa entablado para magpaliwanag, mangatwiran, mangumbinsi at maglahad na para bagang kapado nila at basado nila ang galaw, buhay at ritmo ng kabataan. Kulang na lamang ay sabihin nating, sawa na kami sa hamon, puro na lamang challenges, wala man lang pag-asang binibigay.

Sumisiklo ang sinisismo, pesimismo at idealismo na parang mga electronic particles sa hangin at ang pagsasalimbayan nito’y nagbibigay ng isang chilling effect kung saan ang buong lipunan ay umiikot pero isang static, stagnated at space-warped. Wala itong pinag-iba sa treadmill, stationary bicycle at iba pang analohiyang nagpapakita ng galaw ngunit walang pag-usad.

Ito ang matuturing nating defining moment sa kasaysayan ng henerasyon ito: limitations, mortality and breaking points. Apathetic para sa iilan, complacent para sa marami. Binabaon tayo sa dami ng hamon ng kasaysayan, tumatakas sa paghanap ng matinding tulak pero patuloy na hinahapo sa paikut-ikot na ikid ng buhay kasabay ng pagkuyakoy sa kung ano ang latag natin.

Sa panghuling salita, masaya na ang henerasyong ito sa mundo nila bagaman alam nilang the ang luma ay di na makapamumuno sa lumang paraan dahil winasak na nito ang kanyang pagiging lehitimo, kapangyarihan and pang-akit. At higit sa lahat, walang gagawin ang herasyong ito kahit alam nilang sa kanilang sinapupunan susulpot ang bago na hindi tinatakan bilang komunista, hindi nilamon ng sistema at hindi umaastang messiah na magliligtas sa sambayanan.

Kay sarap bang mabuhay sa isang time-space warped?

Although I remained loyal to Akbayan as party member and even served as its youth spokesperson for a while, I considered myself as a closet member of Aksyon Kabataan.

I personally knew RSR during his first attempt at the presidency in 1998. I was an avid supporter and volunteer for the Roco for President Movement. I met him many times during EDSA Dos, and when he was the secretary of Education.

Months before the election, I invited him to be our keynote speaker for the National Congress of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP). I have also met him several times in his office in Strata 2000 while visiting some friends who worked in his campaign. Usually, I was there on Thursdays as my former boss hosted his show at Zoe-TV that houses in the same building.

During those meetings, I have come to the belief that RSR could make a difference if given a chance.

At the height of the recent political crisis, I asked my friends in Aksyon when RSR would stand again to challenge Gloria. They told me that RSR was on a leave from Aksyon because of his bout with prostate cancer, the same reason why he almost quit his candidacy. I felt sad though hopeful that things will be all right. The political circumstances that time was not favoring my fellow Oragon.

Around 10:20 am on August 5, I received a text message from someone close to RSR bearing news that he passed away due to complications brought by the cancer after three weeks of being confined at the St. Luke’s Hospital.

I replied: “Please extend my and my groups sympathies to the family of RSR and let be assure that we will continue to stand for the ideals of RSR…our prayers to him and to his family.”

Surely, RSR will be missed by us, the youth who found hope in him. His idealism taught us that no one could buy our principles.

For some, Roco’s following must look like a personality cult but beyond the fanaticism is a true and exemplary leader who pushed the youth to act and to not let waste. He was the best choice.

Unfortunately, before RSR could contribute to treating the social malaise, he was overwhelmed by his own struggle against prostate cancer.

It leaves us now to accept that RSR has gone to “Maogmang Lugar,” a happy place in Bicolano. However, the agenda of hope will remain. The hope continues. The challenge of pursuing the legacy of RSR is now at the hands of the youth and his believers. As Roco put it, “Tuloy ang laban. Tuloy ang paniniwala. Idol ko ang Pilipino!”

Jose Ma. Montelibano once wrote, “The fate of the nation lies in the hands of the young, whether they are students or young military officers. It is their whole lives, which have yet to be lived out in the next five or six decades whom fate will favor more than those in the pre-departure area. It is the young and their idealism whom destiny awaits.”

I believe that in this season of protests, mass actions, prayer vigils and marches will remain to be among the favorite ways of fighting for the interests of the marginalized, oppressed and disregarded masses. In all fronts, from the real world to the cyberspace, the clamor for truth also remains to be a unifying factor for all citizens who are concerned and willing to be involved in charting the path for positive changes and alternative route to development.

Months of struggling and engaging in the campaign for Gloria’s removal have taught us the need to capture the imagination of those who remain to be skeptical amidst the direct impact of the political crisis in their daily lives. Basing our assumptions on respectable survey results, everyone thinks that Gloria must go. However, many are not convinced that the only way to impeach Gloria is through the parliament of the street. I believe that aside from the political connections, international acceptability and power of the purse, Gloria’s luck is a result of the apathy of the citizens and the incapacity of the masses to rise above their primary economic needs.

Also, the question of “What’s next after Gloria’s removal?” has become more difficult to answer as it connotes uncertainty with Noli, a probable junta brought by military adventurism, an unknown terrain of a transition government and other fear factors that remain to be a turn-off for the general populace considered to be in favor of non-violent and constitutional means of resolving the crisis. But I am beginning to believe that it’s a lame excuse for not going beyond their comfort zone, and a result of the distrusting nature of the Pinoy culture and apathy amidst the fact that the constitution they are relying on are dead letters.

Even worse, the politicians masquerading as progressives and even the public appeal of symbolical leaders of the united and popular front for the resignation, ouster and even to the basic premise of truth seeking no longer bewitched the public to join us. Thus, we were not able to optimize the use of the streets nor cover the entire stretch of EDSA.

We failed to deliver the single message that we want Gloria out not simply because of the issues and concerns raised in the articles of impeachment, nor the Juetengate nor the Gloriagate. Beyond the politically centered basis of Gloria’s ouster, the people’s complaint has never been mainstreamed to agitate people to be involved.

We failed to include in our campaigns issues such as the farmers’ lament on the vicious attack of the likes of Arroyos, Cojuangcos, Tuazons who offensively use their influence to maintain their landholdings amidst the agrarian reform program or the plight of the youth and students who are being neglected in their educational rights because this government is prioritizing debt servicing over education even if this is enshrined in the constitution. The sloganeering on the role of women and worker in nation building amidst the adherence to bankcrupt economic policies remains to be an assailable point against Gloria.

The list can go on and on and on, which can only manifest that Gloria does not have the political will to deliver what is due to the people. Her power is used only to divide and rule on the people who do not wish to be govern, and Arroyo derives pleasure from such disunity.

Thus, it is high time that we do not only call for Gloria’s ouster but work double time.

It is imperative to really go on the ground and go back to basics of educating the people on our alternatives. We must start with showing them the weaknesses of our alternative to make them contribute to enriching a common path for a viable Philippines. With this, we could create a blueprint which is not crafted by intellectual minds alone, but also validated and reaffirmed by the target groups that are supposed to benefit and act as stakeholders.

Let us not claim that Gloria will be out of office the sooner, the better. She will stay for a while, but we will triumph in the end. Despite the fact that public perception is no longer weighing in favor of the truth, resign, impeach and oust (TRIO) campaign, I believe the enemies are more keen on going for RIOT, as preempted by Ramos in his not so far fetched idea of a civil war.

Defeat comes only when you raises the white flag.

We will not be the first to raise the white flag as we continuously struggle to produce leaders who will rise above public acceptability to rally the people towards one common goal of establishing a genuine government of the people. What we have right now are acceptable faces who do not necessarily transcend their own vested interests as part of the past ruling factions or filial, sentimental struggle.

We have to unmasked the motives and intents of the likes of Jose De Venecia, who delivers the dismissal of the impeachment complaint, and whose idea of system change is going towards the direction of hailing himself as the Chief.

We have to harmonize and create hegemony in the fragmented unities of convenience among our ranks. We have to fix our eyes on the thinking middle class and petty buorgeioise to draw them in all fronts beyond the streets. We have to watch out for military adventurism and be ready to accept with open arms those who remain loyal to the people’s cause and proclaim to protect, uphold and promote human rights. We have to influence the media and find means to infiltrate the sphere of public opinion.

Let us not rely only on holy interventions because since the beginning, nasa tao ang gawa, nasa Diyos ang awa. We cannot rely on the Filipino Bahala nasystem because that is a sure path towards defeat.

We do not trust that the institutions will serve to the best of our interest. We have agreed that there is a need to change the system. The opportune time is now but we have to confront our own demons because the angels of change are not really perfect.

Think. Reflect. Hope.

The burden of changing the system is not the sole responsibility of the social movements and progressive formations alone. Half of the work includes ordinary people from all walks of life. They must be involved. They cannot afford to be fencesitters in the political scene just because they do not want to go beyond their comforts because, as I quote it from one learnings:

“They may avoid suffering but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live. Chained by their certitudes, they are slaves. They have forfeited their freedom. Only people who risks is free.”

And am back to writing my thoughts.

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Si Gari, 25 ay nahanap na ang sariling mundo bilang manggagawa para sa kanayunang kaunlaran at repormang agraryo. Bukod sa Tinig, mababasa siya sa Bangketa Republique.