Shit na Malagkit!!!! State Of Emergency… and !?!?...
Well things are going incredibly pear shaped in the Philippines right now and it’s all happening on our TV as we speak. A brief recount..
• A State of Emergency was declared by GMA the president due to a coup plot… apparently already foiled 2 days prior… It is not the first coup attempt and indeed there have been many rumblings in the military after the Hello Garci tapes emerged that caught GMA in the act of rigging the election. She has avoided being called to account despite her steady fall in credibility, not bolstered by four cases of corruption against her.
• Since the State of Emergency was declared - the day before the anniversary of the People Power revolution - all public assembly and rallies have been banned, the major TV stations ABS-CBN and GMA7 has been encircled by police, the office of a critical newspaper, The Tribune has been raided with similar raids expected to follow and the media has received a circular from the presidential office banning all interviews with opposition leaders.
• Arrests. Most notable was the arrest of a second term Congressman, Crispin Beltran, a progressive and critical opponent. He was arrested by plain clothes officers who used a warrant dating from 1985!!! i.e. the Marcos years of Martial Law. This is despite the fact that the charge of sedition was cleared under the administration of Aquino and would thus be null and void. Another progressive congressman, Satur Ocampo, only narrowly escaped arrest. People have continued to protest and have thus been arrested. There has also been the arrest of several officers, including Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who was accused of planning to bring troops to a rally today commemorating the anniversary of the protests that brought down Marcos. He was not leading a coup; rather he led a group of soldiers to withdraw their support for the president.
• There was a prayer rally held yesterday which was addressed by former president Aquino who is exhorting people to resist the return to Martial Law and not be silenced as she reiterates her call for GMA to resign. Even former president Ramos who saved GMA from downfall at the outset of the election fraud scandal is now said to be “appalled” at the latest turn of events.
Obviously, GMA is afraid of what might emerge from people freely meeting to commemorate People Power and reflect upon the horrors of Martial Law in comparison to the present situation. The journalists, activists, human rights workers, church people, etc are being mowed down in the countryside and recently even in Manila! Nothing is done, the most bloodthirsty militia men are promoted and the branding of people as Communists essentially seems to be a license to kill. How ironic that the military is now being accused of colluding with Communists. Decode this as critical of the corrupt and bloody government!!!
Now who is not critical of this unbelieveable excuse for a state!? The day before the Emergency began, even the Makati Business Council was calling for people for protest on the streets. Right now as I type there is a battalion of Marines outside Fort Bonifacio (headquarters) being flanked by civilians who are supporting their protest against the sacking of their Major General. Senator Magsaysay is exhorting people to rally and speaks of the abject poverty that is getting worse all the while the government is adding more taxes to pay off rampant corruption and World Bank debt. The situation has become so unstable under GMA's leadership that there is no choice now but change. People Power happened through a partnership between the military and the civilian population and that may well unfold now that the military are taking to the streets. GMA should have resigned long ago and the desperation of her current actions will probably bring about the outcome of what she most fears. Watch this space!! If something big doesn’t happen in the next few days, I give up!!!
• A State of Emergency was declared by GMA the president due to a coup plot… apparently already foiled 2 days prior… It is not the first coup attempt and indeed there have been many rumblings in the military after the Hello Garci tapes emerged that caught GMA in the act of rigging the election. She has avoided being called to account despite her steady fall in credibility, not bolstered by four cases of corruption against her.
• Since the State of Emergency was declared - the day before the anniversary of the People Power revolution - all public assembly and rallies have been banned, the major TV stations ABS-CBN and GMA7 has been encircled by police, the office of a critical newspaper, The Tribune has been raided with similar raids expected to follow and the media has received a circular from the presidential office banning all interviews with opposition leaders.
• Arrests. Most notable was the arrest of a second term Congressman, Crispin Beltran, a progressive and critical opponent. He was arrested by plain clothes officers who used a warrant dating from 1985!!! i.e. the Marcos years of Martial Law. This is despite the fact that the charge of sedition was cleared under the administration of Aquino and would thus be null and void. Another progressive congressman, Satur Ocampo, only narrowly escaped arrest. People have continued to protest and have thus been arrested. There has also been the arrest of several officers, including Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who was accused of planning to bring troops to a rally today commemorating the anniversary of the protests that brought down Marcos. He was not leading a coup; rather he led a group of soldiers to withdraw their support for the president.
• There was a prayer rally held yesterday which was addressed by former president Aquino who is exhorting people to resist the return to Martial Law and not be silenced as she reiterates her call for GMA to resign. Even former president Ramos who saved GMA from downfall at the outset of the election fraud scandal is now said to be “appalled” at the latest turn of events.
Obviously, GMA is afraid of what might emerge from people freely meeting to commemorate People Power and reflect upon the horrors of Martial Law in comparison to the present situation. The journalists, activists, human rights workers, church people, etc are being mowed down in the countryside and recently even in Manila! Nothing is done, the most bloodthirsty militia men are promoted and the branding of people as Communists essentially seems to be a license to kill. How ironic that the military is now being accused of colluding with Communists. Decode this as critical of the corrupt and bloody government!!!
Now who is not critical of this unbelieveable excuse for a state!? The day before the Emergency began, even the Makati Business Council was calling for people for protest on the streets. Right now as I type there is a battalion of Marines outside Fort Bonifacio (headquarters) being flanked by civilians who are supporting their protest against the sacking of their Major General. Senator Magsaysay is exhorting people to rally and speaks of the abject poverty that is getting worse all the while the government is adding more taxes to pay off rampant corruption and World Bank debt. The situation has become so unstable under GMA's leadership that there is no choice now but change. People Power happened through a partnership between the military and the civilian population and that may well unfold now that the military are taking to the streets. GMA should have resigned long ago and the desperation of her current actions will probably bring about the outcome of what she most fears. Watch this space!! If something big doesn’t happen in the next few days, I give up!!!