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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Revolutionary Governments By Antonio C. Abaya Written March 19, 2006 For the Standard Today, March 21 issue We have reached a fork in our national life in which we must make a critical choice. Do we keep on treading the beaten path in the way we conduct our political debates and resolve our political problems? Or do we blaze a new trail into unknown territory and explore new possibilities other than our previous sad experiences with the trapos? It may be a measure of our desperation that the idea of a revolutionary government has been openly discussed and proposed in the past 12 months or so, although the word �revolutionary� still seems to frighten some people. Consequently, some of the proponents prefer to gingerly refer to them as �transition council� or �caretaker government.� But these are just semantic devices to hide the revolutionary governments being proposed. Of course, the communists have had a head start over everyone else, having waged bloody insurgencies in the past and present to attempt to install revolutionary governments, in the 1940s and 1950s for a Soviet-style new order under the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas or PKP of the Lava brothers, from the 1960s to the present for a Maoist dictatorship under the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP of Joma Sison. The PKP, its armed component, the HMB or Huks having been defeated militarily by the AFP under then Defense Secretary (later, President) Ramon Magsaysay in the 1950s, formally folded its revolutionary tent by signing a live-and-let-live accommodation with then President Marcos in the 1970s. The CPP has proved to be a tougher nut to crack. While the PKP�s HMB operated only in Central Luzon and, to a lesser extent, in the Quezon-Bicol and Panay areas, the NPA of the CPP has established guerilla fronts in more than a hundred places, from Abra in Northern Luzon to Davao in Southern Mindanao. And even though the armed strength of the NPA has declined from a high of 27,000 fighters in the late 1980s to only 7,000 in 2005 � according to the military � the legal and above-ground front organizations of the NDF, the political arm of the CPP, have been allowed to proliferate like tilapias in practically all sectors of Philippine society. The communists now have well-established front organizations not only among peasants, fisher folk and urban industrial workers, but also among students, the academe, nuns and priests and seminarians, women, public school teachers, medical workers, government employees, migrant workers, jeepney and bus drivers, and now, surreptitiously, even among the military. About ten years ago, the military estimated that about seven percent of the country�s barangays were controlled or �influenced� by the NPA. That percentage must now be around 12 or 15% and growing, nurtured by continuing poor governance, lack of political will to institute socio-economic reforms, and the seeming reluctance of the corruption-wracked military to hunt them down in their mountain redoubts. The collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, and the transformation of China into a �stinking capitalist country� were temporary setbacks from which the CPP/NPA/NDF have long since recovered as local conditions persist to breed the social discontent on which their ideology feeds. In addition, the Maoist insurgency has become financially self-sufficient, no longer dependent on contributions from leftist funding organizations in Western Europe, as they collect �revolutionary taxes� from private companies operating in the countryside, and they have access to the pork barrel allocations of at least 12 party-list congressmen allied with or sympathetic to their armed struggle. Aside from the MILF operating in its small enclaves in Southern Mindanao, Sulu and Basilan, only the CPP/NPA/NDF has the organization and infrastructure to establish a �revolutionary government�, as in fact they already claim they have, with its own flag, passports and national anthem. The other �revolutionary governments� that have been openly proposed are mere paper constructs that have little or no basis in reality. Gregorio Honasan�s verbose National Recovery Program or NRP is said to be the inspiration for the Magdalo warriors who staged the Oakwood Mutiny of July 2003 and tried to stage a coup in February 2006. But Honasan is hounded by failure after failure, the blackest mark for any aspiring revolutionary leader. He should really retire from the revolution business before he earns a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most failed coup attempts. If any of his attempts had succeeded, Kuya would long have been installed as head of junta. A reader with an Arabic name has emailed me his observation that Honasan�s NRP is patterned after the ideology of Michel Alfaq and Salah al-Bitar, founders of the Ba�ath Party, which is still in power in Syria and was in power in Iraq until the fall of Saddam Hussein. �Ba�ath�, he wrote, is an Arabic word meaning �re-emergence� or �recovery.� I have yet to do research on the Ba�ath Party, but its rise to power in Syria and Iraq in the late 1950-60s may have been inspired by nationalist dreams of �recovering� the glories of ancient Syria and ancient Iraq (site of the ancient civilizations of Babylon,. Sumer and Ur) before they were absorbed in the 14th century by the Ottoman Turkish Empire, only to be occupied by the French and the British, respectively, after the Turks were defeated in the First World War in 1918. But what exactly is Gringo trying to �recover�? Like Honasan, retired Gen. Fortunato Abat had revolutionary ambitions spelled out in his 54-point (or was it 62-point?) manifesto, and actually declared a �revolutionary transition government� last December, with himself as president and the Club Filipino as the seat of his government. But without an armed component and a civilian mass base in support, his was more farce than force, and he has become a mere footnote in the unraveling of this the Third (or is it the Fourth?) Philippine Republic. (Manolo Quezon wrote to say it is the Fifth.) Taken more seriously, because it apparently enjoys the financial support of deposed President Joseph Estrada and the endorsement of Joma Sison, is the Solidarity �transition council� organized since at least July last year by Horacio �Boy� Morales, chief political lieutenant of Estrada and co-founder in 1972 of the NDF, the political arm of Joma�s CPP. Chaired by former AFP COS, former defense secretary and former executive secretary (under President Arroyo) Renato (�Mr. Clean�) de Villa, Solidarity counted among its members such worthies as Susan Roces and Evangelist Eddie Villanueva, as well as four communists and former communists (Satur Ocampo, Crispin Beltran, Dodong Nemenzo and Morales himself). I had written in my article Marching with the Communists (March 07) that Solidarity was apparently meant to take over the reins of government after President Arroyo was overthrown following withdrawal of support by certain elite military units last Feb. 24-26. As the operative transition or revolutionary government, Solidarity � or more exactly its communist and pro-communist core � would have become the dominant ideological component of what was to have been a restoration of President Estrada. The Trojan Horse of the communist movement. But in a curious development as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (March 12), Renato de Villa stated that he would resign from such a transition council if Joma Sison were made a member of it. (Bully for you, Rene!) He could only have been referring to Solidarity. So was there a plan to insert Joma Sison into Solidarity? The Trojan Horse plot thickens. Sen. Panfilo Lacson (who apparently had also been invited to join) and Evangelist Villanueva also issued statements that they would not join the transition council either, ostensibly because they could not see how it could function effectively, given the divergent agendas of its purported members, but more likely also because membership in the council would have barred them from running for president later. Have we then seen the last of Solidarity? I hope so. But there is another �transitional revolutionary government� waiting in the wings, this one organized by former UP president Dodong Nemenzo under his Laban ng Masa organization, and apparently assisted by party-list congresswoman Lisa Hontiveros-Baraquel. In a recent interview with Ricky Carandang on ANC, Nemenzo, disputing claims by �Tony Abaya, whom no one takes seriously�, admits that he is a Marxist but has nothing to do with the CPP of Joma Sison. I have no doubt that he is speaking the truth, but it is only half the truth. The other half is that he was a junior member of the politburo of the PKP and was the designated PKP liaison with the CPSU (the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) while he was enrolled, on a PKP scholarship, at the University of Manchester in the UK. Under existing Philippine laws, it is neither a crime nor a misdemeanor to belong, or to have belonged, to any communist organization, or to believe that Communism is the most ideal form of socio-economic-political order. But in an open society, full disclosure of one�s political past is a minimum measure of honesty, especially from someone who is proposing a revolutionary government, so that the public may know where he is coming from and judge where he is likely to lead to. I myself have been proposing a revolutionary government in more than a dozen articles going back to 2002, all archived in www.tapatt.org, because I have concluded that the present political system is decayed and corrupted beyond repair and is no longer capable of cleansing itself. But, like Gen. Abat, I have neither an armed component nor a civilian mass base behind me. However, unlike Gen. Abat, I am not proclaiming myself head of any revolutionary transition council and will not designate the Makati Sports Club (or the Starbucks Coffee Shop in Rockwell) as the seat of my revolutionary government. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |
| Reactions to �Revolutionary Governments� G'day Tony ---- how are you ??????? Got an email from my wife in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.. She was almost in a state of panic ---- firstly sounded happy. Gloria had come to town, but so many soldiers. Next morning she said---sorry, wrong. Yep a lot of soldiers and helicopters but not Gloria. These guys were on the hunt for Gringo Honasan. There had been some fighting in or near Sagay as they were trying to flush out the enemy. They were now in San Carlos as part of the campaign to find the villain. As you can imagine---these folk were almost petrified---she said there�s a war and its all around us. She asked--please check the news for any reports. I reassured her and said the Government of the day had been hunting for Gringo for the past 10 years or more---don�t worry. Since Cory�s time. Anyhow it�s amazing how the locals can get so worried---I don�t think she was watching the TV news---I am sure there would have been something there. OK Tony---waiting for your next news report. Actually you do a far better job than the free press. My friends are always waiting to see what Tony has to say. Thanks, mate. John Craige, [email protected] Technical Manager, Cy Waste Sdn. Bhd. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 21, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir ABAYA, Please find attached reaction and personal theory in the current Philippine political arena. Thank you and please continue the fight versus this invisible "hunyango" enemy of the "Pinoy Nation", the communists. Ador Ramoso, [email protected] Atlanta, Georgia, March 21, 2006 Sir ABAYA: I agree with you. The rise of a number of so called "revolutionary/transition governments" was a product of desperation and obviously conflicting self interest for the post GMA government agenda by the trapos, military adventurists, neophyte power opportunists, turncoats and communists. All of these hyenas trying to get the biggest bite out of the perceived power vacuum after GMA, agree unanimously to evict GMA from the seat of power but could not agree whom they will put in place, neither what form of rules they will follow afterwards. The recent expose of the "Batasan 5" related to their supposed meeting of minds with GMA prior to ousting "Erap" clearly revealed this and other shots behind the scenes. "Santa banana", as E. Jurado used to say, their revelation is tantamount to admitting they are really part of decades old rebellion against the Philippine government. That is, whoever is running that much coveted "wheelchair". Following are the points I can't help but notice, together with my own theory; 1) They hope to find a defense from their revelation that if their actions then and now can be called rebellion, then GMA is also guilty of such. Maybe they failed to understand the difference that GMA is now in-charge and her brief stint with them can be viewed as an upper hand for GMA since now, she can say, "yeah, now I know who the hard core enemies of the state are and I will deal with you in the right time�. 2) Their revelation confirmed to the public that they are communist/communist fronts together with their supposed "pro-poor organizations". Parts of the "20 point agenda" they said was presented to then VP GMA were, freedom for communist/militant detainees (they call them political detainees) and resumption of peace talk with the CPP/NDF/NPA once GMA is in the "wheelchair". 3) One reason they can't agree now with the other destabilizers for a specific leader (if ever they can find one credible alternative), is they don't want to commit the same mistake now and find themselves under the custody of the senate next time. That is why they prefer to negotiate for a revolutionary, transition, or junta government, whatever, as long as it is not a well organized one that is harder to topple later on. The other factions of the destabilizers have the same mindset and objective, �TH� Trying Hard intellectuals cum nationalists. 4) Their revelation confirmed that they are running a parallel operation with Gringo "Putol" Honasan, as evidenced in history. Who is not going to stop planning and launching a coup until he is in power. No matter who the president is. He only mellowed a little bit during FVR�s reign, thinking the "wheelchair" is just within reach from his senatorial chair. The same is true with these communist/communist fronts, they won't stop crawling towards that "wheelchair", whoever administration it is as long as it is not theirs yet. As you mentioned, they are more organized and operate on two fronts, armed struggle and the creeping invasion of the halls of congress. 5) Two �Trojan Horses� are now in the works. One led by �Putol� inside the military establishment, the other in the halls of congress. If nothing drastic is done soon, these two will explode from within and nobody can stop them. Supported as you mentioned by some clerics, students, academe, media, labor, peasants/farmers and some wealthy backers (who are dreaming of being part of the future inner circle). Honestly, with the degree of communist or communist influence now in the midst of Philippine politics, I hate to say this but I think the country now needs one �J. Edgar Hoover� to prevent the inevitable from happening. �God� save the Philippines, Mabuhay! wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Too bad for Dodong Nemenzo! I want you to know that many people take you seriously. I am one of them. Millet Castro, [email protected] Faculty Member, Assumption College March 21, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hey, we your minions take you seriously!!!! Jose Custodio, [email protected] March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You recently wrote: �A reader with an Arabic name has emailed me his observation that Honasan�s NRP is patterned after the ideology of Michel Alfaq and Salah al-Bitar, founders of the Ba�ath Party, which is still in power in Syria and was in power in Iraq until the fall of Saddam Hussein. �Ba�ath�, he wrote, is an Arabic word meaning �re-emergence� or �recovery.� �I have yet to do research on the Ba�ath Party, but its rise to power in Syria and Iraq in the late 1950-60s may have been inspired by nationalist dreams of �recovering� the glories of ancient Syria and ancient Iraq before they were absorbed in the 14th century by the Ottoman Turkish Empire, only to be occupied by the French and the British, respectively, after the Turks were defeated in the First World War in 1918. But what exactly is Gringo trying to �recover��? Just as an aside and coming from a not-disinterested party, the Consul General of UAE in Hong Kong, Saeed Aljunaibi, told me: "Ba'athist writing and "preaching" is a conundrum. It sounds heartfelt and raises nationalist feelings, but when you analyze the hour-long sermons, they turn in on themselves and are completely without meaning." I spent some time in the Middle East (Lebanon, Syria, UAE, Saudi, Oman) in the early 1980's when the Ba'athists were a serious and most brutal force. I recommend having a look at what the Syrian Ba'athists, under the command of Assad, managed to accomplish in Hama, in the northwest of Syria, just before I arrived in Beirut in March of 1982. The following web site is a beginning: http://www.2la.org/lebanon/ee/terrorsy.html. It is worth further exploration by an intellect such as yours. Robin Moyer, [email protected] Former TIME photographer, March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, How clever, funny in parts, witty indeed, and completely well presented again, Tocayo. Put them into a book - have college political science students discuss your columns and, again, have some group of trainers design a program using your columns as the substance of their training program. It is supposed to change values of young Filipinos. A devoted tocayo. Best to Marika and the kids. Also be extra careful, people you tend to bulldoze might run amock. Keep that Teflon (what is the bullet proof material they use these days?) handy. Tony Joaquin, [email protected] Daly City, California, March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Our problem in the Philippines is that almost 99% of our anti-graft leaders - both in the public and private sectors - are like a stupid general who doesn't know his enemy and goes to battle without a battle gear and without his foot soldiers. Sometimes he goes to the battle with foot soldiers but without giving them their battle gears. And you know what happens. If we would ask the advise of Bill Clinton who that enemy is, he would most probably say, "IT'S JUSTICE, STUPID!" And what is the battle gear and who are the foot soldiers against grafters? It's the Jury and the jurors are the "foot soldiers" of course. This concept is fully explained in my article which I have published in the following web site: http://philippinegovantigraft.homestead.com/Solution1.html We may force PGMA out and another lunkhead takes over her place just like almost all of her predecessors. Then, where will we start again? With another nitwit? God bless you and your family. Marlowe Camello, [email protected] Homeland, California, March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I agree that this is the only form that can make the country get back on its feet. They just need to get their acts together. Bombing Moll, [email protected], March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Jose Maria Sison, the Chief of the New People�s Army and founder of the CPP is up into his histrionics again. Now that the Arroyo government has declared an all out war against the NPAs following series of failed peace negotiations, Joma issued a statement that only will they be willing to pursue negotiations if a new government is installed. This is of course full of deceit. Joma seemed to have quickly forgotten that even as the big powers have declared and listed the NPA as a terrorist organization, the Arroyo government stupidly tried to reach out to the communist leaders to forego with its futile struggle for a communist state. The lull during the protracted peace negotiations only gave the NPAs the much needed time to recruit, to gather firearms, and to setup extortion operations. What makes Joma restive and combative these days is the government�s move to cripple the communist fronts especially, those occupying congressional seats. The government has suspected that the pork barrel of the communist representatives are being spent, not for the welfare of the sector that they represent, but to nurture their ideology which is so banal it has been relegated to the archives only for historical reference. Joma�s dissertations are so congruent to the voices that have been discrediting and destabilizing the Arroyo government. The cadence and rhetoric are so analogous. There is no mistaking Joma�s NPA�and their legal fronts of the communists play a major role in the orchestration of Oust GMA campaign. Those actively involved in the failed coup are in the state of desperate denial. Even those who were caught by the TV cameras are now playing a different tune -- that they are merely exercising their right of _expression may have credence alright, but, when they invite and induce the masses to provide a human phalanx to protect the mutinous Rangers and Marines and their commandants, is entirely a different story. That looked like a rebellion in the making, assuming it has not. Time Magazine uncovered this plot to overthrow the Arroyo government. Time vividly described the coup plot which was hatched in the safe house of Jose �Peping� Cojuangco, brother of ex-President Cory Aquino who is a major player in the Oust GMA cabal. Again, the major players in that secret meeting deny the Time story. On the other hand, Time Magazine stood by their correspondent Nelly Sindayen who wrote about the said planned coup plot. Now, one wonders why those named by Time Magazine are not being �Invited� for questioning while Dinky Soliman, whose reputation argues against herself, was picked up for utterly irrational motive. Soliman, who has to tint her hair scintillating red to invite attention, naturally used her �repression� and opportunity to speak her piece again. This government wants to show muscle but at the rate they are bungling, this campaign against the de-stabilizers and coup plotters will end up in a zarzuela. The law enforcers ought to be circumspect in carrying out arrest orders, otherwise their recklessness will boomerang and give the plotters another attempt to bring this government down. Make no mistake about it. Menardo Wenceslao, [email protected] March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy Furnished) Indeed, yes. Interesting. But no solutions proposed. Of course, we know there are no solutions to the Philippines. Alas. A. Lin Neumann, [email protected] Editor-in-Residence Journalism and Media Studies Centre University of Hong Kong, March 23, 2006 Lin � Do you know Abaya? I think he's one of the few who know their history. Do you agree that this is a brilliant piece ? Betty wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: In the current impasse that retains the dwarf in the Palace, the past and present of the Philippines don't look good. And its future also seems scary. Our options for the future are either more of GMA or her replacement by insatiable trapos, military goons or communist conspirators. Or councils like Solidarity that have all of the above. No wonder so many Filipinos are leaving. Other options need to be put forth and developed. But doing so may open you to being named a de-stabilizer if you're not pro-GMA. For instance, if you try to just help by bringing in business, you could end up losing not just your investment but even your reputation, as demonstrated by the experience of Loida Nicolas Lewis, who found out the hard way that her sister Mely wasn't wrong in bolting the GMA stable. What may be needed is a broader front, led or backed by a group like Couples for Christ - and linked to the OFWs for funding back-up - espousing entrepreneurial empowerment in the provinces of origin of the members of said movement. By just helping its own members to get their projects off the ground, the movement avoids any political branding (except the risk that GMA calls it hers, which would be the kiss of death that we have to risk, especially if she'll really get government to fund the projects)�� We cannot not do anything. That would be tantamount to an endorsement of the status quo. Tito Osias, [email protected] March 24, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It's about time we have something positive to proclaim, and not dwell on the negative news most of the time. Please check out this new website - http://www.goodnewspilipinas.com Good News Pilipinas is a plain, simple, and feel-good website. It's a source of positive information about the country. GNP says it has no agenda, and just wants to feature the Philippines as a beautiful country, and the Filipino people as hospitable, talented, smart, and resourceful. GNP stands for Great Nation of Pinoys. Yett Montalvan, [email protected] March 22, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww What then is your formula to end this political devastation to our country? Jovito Palo, [email protected] March 26, 2006 MY REPLY. The solution has to be begin with a revolutionary government of the correct ideological orientation. They key, therefore, is to make sure that our putataive revolutionary government has the correct ideological orientation. That means that Boy Morales� Solidarity and Dodong Nemenzo�s Laban ng Bayan, as well as Gringo Honasan�s Magdalo junta, are not acceptable, in my opinion.. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww |
| Sir, You wrote: "Under existing Philippine laws, it is neither a crime nor a misdemeanor to belong, or to have belonged, to any communist organization, or to believe that Communism is the most ideal form of socio-economic-political order." But in this country, those accused of being communists or sympathizers of communists are harassed, abducted and killed. Mong Palatino, [email protected] March 28, 2006 MY REPLY. That�s because they insist on waging armed revolution against the state, or actively support those who do. Those who choose to play at revolution should not complain when they are singed by counter-revolution. Revolution is not a picnic. As in physics, for every action, there is a reaction. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww |
| You wrote:: �But, like Gen. Abat, I have neither an armed component nor a civilian mass base behind me. However, unlike Gen. Abat, I am not proclaiming myself head of any revolutionary council and will not designate the Makati Sports Club (or the Starbucks Coffee Shop in Rockwell) as the seat of my revolutionary government.� I like the humor you injected in this particular column! Obviously, your wit is an outlet for your frustration with the current situation. Way to go! I could only empathize with you. What I can't understand about the communist movement in The Philippines is why it proliferates when its founding organization in the former USSR had been dissolved. What's going on?! Are the Philippine commies still clinging to the old adage that "ang taong nagigipit; kahit sa patalim ay kumakapit?" Is the situation in Inang Bayan that desperate? Or could all these be the result of unjustified killings of those who criticize the government that we read about so much? Rome Farol, [email protected] April 05, 2006 MY REPLY. I suggest you read my article �The Defeat of Revolution� (Nov. 15, 2006) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww |
| I appreciate the way you analyze the situation and I am quite convinced that something must be done. But as we said, Never dare to struggle if you are not sure of winning. If we play by the rules and the ways of our enemy or oppositors, then we are bound to lose.
May be we can adapt the method of : BRINGING DOWN OUR ENEMY OR OPPOSITOR TO OUR OWN BATTLE. What could it be that we have to discover or invent, and work for? Mere words would not change them, but WORDS PLUS ACTION, no matter how small, but all of us getting together, then it becomes BIG, with IMPACT, hence effective. Rodolfo Cada, [email protected], Oct. 29, 2006 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |