IN THE history of the country, there have been many attempts to hide
the truth from the people. Truth can be manipulated by those in power.
When the Japanese empire successfully invaded the country during the
second world war, it sought to hide its evil intent by placing the
Philippines as one of the members of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity
Sphere. Fast forward to the Marcos era, a few years after the declaration
of Martial Law, Marcos proclaimed September 21 as the national thanksgiving
day to conceal the repressive character of the New Society.
This is no different from the dominant appreciation to the historical
significance of July 4, the country's former Independence day and
now celebrated as the "Philippine-American Friendship day."
Like the 'thanksgiving day' of Marcos, the Philippine-American friendship
day is a big misnomer. Whatever name the government may ascribe it,
July 4 will always symbolize the continuing subservience of our leaders
to imperial United States.
The Philippine-American friendship day is one of the biggest lies
in the history of the country. It is a hoax and a grave insult similar
to Marcos' fake war medals, or to the government statistics that the
Philippine economy is strong and robust. The friendship of the United
States and the Philippines is not between two equal brothers but more
like that of between a spotted hyena and a rabbit in the wild.
So, if July 4 is no longer the independece day, and the best we can
expect to receive from big brother America will never be more than
what they spent on the lavish state dinner for President Macapagal-Arroyo,
why are we gathered here today? What exactly do we want to highlight
in our continuing commemmoration of July 4?
The first reason is provoked by no less than the shameless, indecent,
immoral and barefaced puppetry of the present administration to the
United States. I want to be more precise here, and be more candid,
so I say: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a puppet of the United
States.
After the rejection of the US Bases treaty in 1991, we have seen
Presidents Ramos and Estrada maneuvered the law to pave the way for
the step by step, installment return of US troops in the country.
But they were unable to push this project to a grand scale and they
slightly attempted, though at least there was an attempt to disguise
their real objective of inviting back the US military.
Now, we have the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In all its naked puppetry, does not even try to conceal its bootlicking
to every whim and caprice of the big brother United States.
When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the main beneficiary of People
Power II, whose presidency she owed to the people of Edsa Dos, including
the Letran community, which composed one of the biggest student delegations
in the anti-Estrada campaign, proudly remarked that her mandate as
President comes from US President George Bush recognizing her as the
Philippine president, I say that is puppetry.
When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, without considering the welfare
of overseas Filipino workers nor the sensitivity to the Arab sentiments,
and while the world demonstrated its opposition to the warmongering
Bush, offered an unsolicited assistance and unconditional support
to the US invasion of Iraq, I say that is puppetry.
When there is the Mutual Logistics and Support Agreement, Balikatan
exercises and the International Criminal Court immunity for US troops
to help solve and directly intervene in the solution of a domestic
problem, again that is puppetry.
Before, when speaking about subservience and puppetry, I use more
neutral words, careful not to talk about vague ideas. Then Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo came, proving to everyone that the Marcos legacy
of puppetry can even be surpassed. Gloria is the best and classic
example of a puppet president. No complex explanations needed. No
hard arguments to prove. She makes a perfect model to simplify what
we mean by neo-colonialism.
So, if there is anything more that is highlighted by our commemmoration
of July 4 today, it is no other than the continuing ugly subservience
of our leaders to the United States and the lack of an independent
foreign policy.
The second reason for our gathering today is related to the proposal
to amend the National Constitution. People often refer to the lifting
of term limits of elected officials and the shifting of the form of
government as the latent aim in amending the Charter. These are true
and are in itself utterably hideous.
But there are more sinister motives in the haste to which they want
the amendment to be done. And this is another reason why July 4 becomes
more appropriate to expose this evil design. There is the proposal
to delete from the Constitution whatever nationalist provisions that
remain in the Charter. In particular, they want to allow foreign ownership
of corporations, lands and resources of the country. For all its flaws
and limitations, the 1987 Constitution contains some protection against
foreign exploitation and plunder of our economy. Something which we
must be on guard to protect.
I will not delve into the details of the Charter Change, but as a
student, I just want to briefly emphasize some implications of this
proposal to the education sector. Foreign corporations can own and
establish schools in the country without government regulation of
their curriculum and school policies. They can teach Filipino students
whatever they want without being mandated to discuss Philippine history
and culture. State universities will disappear because the government
must keep the playing field competitive by foregoing state subsidies.
We heard President Macapagal-Arroyo ordering the use of English as
the medium of instruction in schools and her positive response to
the proposal to move the classes to September. Behind the rhetoric
of global competitiveness and desire to spare the children from flooding
in the months of June to August, her arguments by the way have failed
to convince us, is the intention to standardize the country's educational
system to the structure of education in other countries because we
are a signatory to the General Agreement on Trade and Services, education
is now no longer a social service, but a potential profit-making trade
and business venture.
To conclude my topic today, commemmoratring July 4 is not only an
occasion to highlight the all-out puppetry of our leaders. It becomes
a venue to renew our commitment to the nationalist cause. It allows
us to be more vigilant in asserting our patriotic and democratic aspirations
as a people.
From this day forward, July 4 will not just be a painful reminder
of the colonial and neo-colonial experience of the Philippines. It
will also serve as an inspiration to be more creative, more determined,
more resolute to achieve lasting victories in our nationalist crusade.
