Bonifacio: Never a Nuisance
By Christie S.C.G..Jamoralin

IN THIS country where leadership is measured by the amount of wealth in one's pocket, it is easy to be labeled as a nuisance. In a nation replete with power-hungry politicians, noble causes are deemed insignificant.

Andres Bonifacio, a revered hero who fought for our freedom, will today be regarded as a pest in Philippine politics. If he runs for president, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will brand him as a "nuisance candidate". His kind of idealism will undoubtedly include him in the ranks of other marginalized candidated like Ugboc. His humble background will drive him not to be taken as seriously as other powerful candidates.

Poor and middle class citizens after all have never been considered in the6 arena, except when they show such force that is hard to contend. Cash-strapped Filipinos have no place in a system that primarily exist for money and prestige, and service only second.

No matter how great is his vision for the Philippines, and no matter how laudable are his policies once in service, Bonifacio will still be seen in a mocking sort of way, notwithstanding his contributions in society.

It was after all the same fate that Bonifacio went through in the hands of fellow Filipinos who betrayed him. It was the same economic and political class that plotted his downfall as the Supremo of the revolution. It was the same hub of people who snatched away the glory and essence of the struggle from the toiling class led by Bonifacio.

If anything, these so-called legitimate aspirants for the 1998 elections are land owners and capitalists like the illustrados that toppled the Supremo then. Indeed, the one thing that they will protect first is their own interest, and not the interest of the landless peasant or the exploited worker.

If there is anyone who can further the interest of the people, it is the one who truly came from their own ranks, and not mere pretenders. Andres Bonifacio, with his feel for the masses should never be viewed as a pest. The revolutionary who truly fights for the people is never a nuisance.

This originally untitled editorial was the fifth-placer in the 1998-1999 Philippine Collegian Editorial Examinations.

The accompanying photo is owned by the National Commision on Culture and the Arts.