Heroes
Chief Justice Reynato Puno may have a bastard of a brother but I like the way this man thinks. He described the arroyo regime’s efforts to implement the US government’s so-called War on Terror as “mindless” and “knee-jerk.” Since he became the country’s chief magistrate, the Court has ruled arroyo’s calibrated preemptive response, Presidential Proclamation 1017 and cha-cha moves as unconstitutional. In its judicious disagreement with the police’s arbitrary arrest tactics, it allowed Rep. Satur Ocampo to post bail early this month. I sincerely wish there’d be more Reynato Punos in government. But I believe he is the exception that proves the rule—that this government is a royal pain in the people’s battered (with an “a”, not with a “u” please) ass.
Puno correctly pointed out that the ongoing spate of human rights violations—the extrajudicial killings of activists and journalists, the banning of rallies, the passage of the so-called anti-terror law, among others—are just arroyo’s way of pandering up to the US principals to shore up her illegitimate government. (Not his words exactly but this is how I get him.) It seems to be working; gloria is still in the Palace and ruling the country like Nero, along with her husband who refuses to keel over and breath his last.
Today, we visited a North Caloocan community on a fact-finding mission about the effects of urban militarization in nine areas here in Metro Manila. In that community, we shot a video of an AFP poster obviously directed against activists in the area. That alone produces a chilling effect against the people who before enjoyed peace and quiet despite their grinding poverty. Nearby, a soldier inside an SUV stood guard, obviously keeping tabs on the activities of suspected “enemies of the state.”
Since December, platoons of soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army’s dubious Civilian-Military Organization put up camps inside nine urban poor barangays in Metro Manila. These soldiers in full combat gear go around, distribute pamphlets and terrorize the people. They even hit a teenager with an armalite butt in Parola, Tondo. All these are in violation of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, CARHRIHL (Part 4, Article 12) and the International Humanitarian Law.
(Logic 101: When men in camouflaged fatigue uniforms have with them assault rifles, they are combat soldiers. Combat soldiers have no business inside civilian communities. Combat soldiers inside civilian communities hurting hapless boys are gloria’s bastards.)
We interviewed Maricon. The way she narrated her experiences, it was clear this woman is as intelligent as Norberto Gonzales is dumb. She lives in a hovel but she is as classy as Raul Gonzalez is crass. Her life in service of the people is as noble as gloria arroyo is evil.
Since December, she said, she had been tailed, harassed and threatened countless times. All of these she now suffers simply because she is a community organizer under Bayan Muna. When “bad cop” tactics did not work on her, she was bribed with a thousand pesos each day she would work with the military in putting up a bogus people’s organization in the area.
Maricon always put up a brave front in the soldiers’ presence. Based on her narration, many times she succeeded in putting the soldiers in their proper place. She made them speechless with pointed and clear answers to their incessant interrogation. I am sure that even their PMA graduate CO, a jerk surnamed Mabanag, could not make heads or tails of Maricon and the other brave women of the community. It just shows the billions of pesos spent on the officers’ education and the entire budget of the military organization are wasted on them all when they can not even justify their operations to an unshod woman living in a hovel at the city’s edge.
But Maricon was candid enough to admit to us that there were nights she could not sleep because of sheer terror of what might happen to her and her kids. When the soldiers “visited” her many times daily, she listened to every noise when she was already in bed and it was dark outside. Previously, she said, she could go around her neighborhood even when it was already late. Now, she could hardly go anywhere without a companion, lest she is abducted or killed or both. Like countless others.
Years after these cursed times, people will remember those who resisted. Books shall be written about their bravery against soldiers, police, gloria and her principals. Songs shall be sung about their commitment to keep the light burning in the dark. Exalted persons like Chief Justice Puno shall be given their due but ordinary mortals like the Maricons of this blighted country will be held in our hearts as true heroes of our people.
