DECLARATION OF A STATE OF PANIC

Buencamino writes political commentary for Action for Economic Reforms. This article was published in Business Mirror, March 1, 2006 edition, p. A10.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said he will go after those who incite to sedition and rebellion.

Here are half-a-dozen things that Mrs. Gloria Arroyo and her cabal have done to incite to sedition and rebellion:

1. Hello Garci Tapes

2. Lies and obstructionism at the Hello Garci Hearings

3. Aborted Impeachment

4. Calibrated Pre-Emptive Response

5. EO 464

6. Declaration of a State of Emergency

Here is an incomplete list of things they did that may not incite to sedition and rebellion but are certainly revolting:

1. Shelving of the extortion raps against former Justice Secretary Hernani Perez

2. AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) cover-up and subsequent slap on the wrist against Gen. Carlos Garcia

3. Jueteng payolas

4. Ignacio Bunye presenting two fake versions of the Hello Garci Tapes to the public

5. Raul Gonzales saying I will never admit that it’s Mrs. Arroyo on the tape

6. The “disappearance” of Garci

7. “I am sorry”

8. Fidel Ramos propping up Mrs. Arroyo in her hour of need

9. Claim by Mike Defensor that it was Mrs. Arroyo’s voice on the tapes but she was not doing the talking

10. Phone taps by ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the AFP)

11. Alleged involvement of top AFP and PNP (Philippine National Police) officials in election cheating

12. The Fertilizer scam

13. The “disappearance” of Jocelyn Bolante

14. Manny Pacquiao between Mike Arroyo and Luis “Chavit” Singson and the whole world being reminded of Christ crucified between the usual suspects

15. Alleged involvement of the Arroyo family in smuggling

16. Mike Defensor saying they are willing to shed blood

17. Gloria Arroyo claiming she is the best person to lead the country

18. General Arturo Lomibao taking over as editor-in -chief of the Daily Tribune 19. The use of goons to make warrantless arrests

19. Mistaking truncheons for popular support

20. Cancellation of EDSA 1 commemoration

21. Plagiarizing Proclamation 1081, the martial law declaration

But there are a several things to be thankful for:

1. Manolo Quezon’s comparison of GMA’s government to a bitch and her puppies

2. Decent and highly decorated AFP officers demonstrating courage and integrity

3. GMA depending on corrupt PNP officials as her last line of defense

4. A clear line between good and evil

And civics lessons remembered:

Government authority is a delegated power. It comes from the people. Thus a government is only legitimate when it is duly elected and not when it is self-elected.

Justice is the most vital component of government authority. Without justice even a duly elected government loses its legitimacy.

And, finally, some approaches to fighting tyranny:

Thomas Jefferson:  “If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are the stake.”

Hunter S. Thompson:  “In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: Not necessarily to Win, but mainly to keep from Losing Completely.”

Frederick O. Douglas: “Your forefathers were men of peace; but they preferred revolution to peaceful submission to bondage. They were quiet men but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression. They showed forbearance but they knew its limits. They believed in order but not the order of tyranny. With them nothing was ‘settled’ that was not right. With them, justice, liberty and humanity were ‘final’—but not slavery and oppression. You may well cherish the memory of such men, for they seized upon eternal principles, and set a glorious example in their defense. Mark them.”

And may I humbly add, “It’s too late to say, ‘I am sorry.’ Bastusan na.”