People Power Advice #3: Challenger
Frank A. Hilario
June 12, 2009
Revised 13 June 2009. The original short essay Advice #1 of 09 June has expanded into 7 different short essays uploaded separately – after suddenly yesterday I wanted to dramatize the phenomenon called People Power in distinct contrast with what Imperial Manila is now trying to raise to the nth power. The series is really my way of saying, 'Good luck! For People Power, you need more than good luck.'
People Power Advice #1: Charismatic Leader
People Power Advice #2: Martyr
People Power Advice #3: Challenger
People Power Advice #4: Love
People Power Advice #5: Systems
People Power Advice #6: Enlightenment
People Power Advice #7: Theory & Practice
REMEMBER JUAN PONCE ENRILE & FIDEL RAMOS?
For People Power, the original, we had 2 Challengers to Presidential Power: Enrile as Minister of National Defense and Ramos as AFP Vice Chief of Staff. Together, they triggered the first People Power Revolution in history, that is to say, with them began the series of events that resulted in the ouster of President Ferdinand E Marcos and the installation of President Corazon 'Cory' Aquino. All these happened without bloodshed, from Day 1 (23 February 1986) to Day 3 (25 February 1986) where at hundreds of thousands (1 million or more at the peak) of warm bodies showed up to provide a human shield to the military rebels.
Without the 2 challengers acting as 1, there would not have been a start of People Power. The problem with the current campaign for People Power 3 is that there are too many challengers, and they are not united. You don't expect these people to unite as they are all presidential aspirants: Bro Eddie, Noli De Castro, Francis Escudero, Joseph Estrada, Loren Legarda, Manuel Roxas, Gilberto Teodoro, and Manuel Villar. In the first place, they shouldn't be supporting People Power because there is no guarantee that any of them will become President. They can't control People Power; nobody can.
REMEMBER CHAVIT SINGSON?
For People Power 2, we had a Challenger to Presidential Power, someone who was perfect for the role of accuser and initiator. In the numbers game, Luis 'Chavit' Singson was buddy-buddy to Jose 'Erap' Estrada, President of the Republic of the Philippines. But the love of numbers is the root of all lovers' quarrels, so they quarreled. And Chavit decided to expose Erap to the glare of broad daylight. (You can read a summary of it here, 'Chavit Singson,' wikipilipinas.org.) The emperor had no clothes.
To do that, Chavit had to fight the man who played the heroic cowboy in Philippine movies, with or without a horse. Or played a chivalrous knight with or without any armor. Erap had always been the hero. Now the tide had turned; he was now the villain. From hero to heel, that was quite a transformation. That moved the classes and the masses.
Did we believe in the integrity and credibility of Chavit Singson? Not necessarily. But we believed that what he was doing was right. And the accused had his day in court, days & weeks & years in court in fact. In a democracy, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
So, Chavit Singson is a martyr, a different kind. A martyr doesn't have to be blameless – Jose Rizal wasn't – and this other kind of martyr doesn't have to die.
So if you see a clone of Chavit Singson, kindly email me; use the Comments Box below.
REMEMBER DAVID & GOLIATH?
Open your Bible and read 1 Samuel 17: 31-51, beginning with the verse where Saul doubts that the boy would amount to anything against the warrior with a long experience, not to mention a loud mouth, up to the verse which says David grasped the sword of Goliath, killed him and cut off his head.
David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. ¶ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David's hand. 1 Samuel 17: 49-50 NRSV
Essentially, what did Chavit Singson do? He threw a stone at Goliath Joseph 'Erap' Estrada. But, unlike in David's case, this stone didn't strike the forehead of Goliath at once – it travelled as fast as a turtle on a rocky shore. Eventually, that stone did find its way home, sinking into the forehead, and Goliath fell face down on the ground. We had to keep faith with that stone to find its target. It pays to keep faith.
What about in the case of Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos: Weren't they 2 Davids? No, they were only 1 David - they had only 1 slingshot. They hurled only 1 challenge. The presidency of Ferdinand E Marcos was over, done, kaput.
23 years later, in the media, including blogs, there is much bad language used, especially against GMA and her supporters. So much name-calling. People talk, people throw cuss words. Going back to the Bible, I note that in defeating Goliath, David did not throw big words, as the opposition is wont to do in the case of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, GMA. Instead, David threw a small stone that, blessed by God, found its mark. David kept his faith in his God. Have we kept faith in our God?
Now then, to those who consider GMA the Goliath to defeat, that's a laugh because GMA looks puny. But remember: Small but terrible. Still, if you insist, let the one who has no sin cast the first stone! (That would be John 8: 1-11.)
People Power Advice #1: Charismatic Leader
People Power Advice #2: Martyr
People Power Advice #3: Challenger
People Power Advice #4: Love
People Power Advice #5: Systems
People Power Advice #6: Enlightenment
People Power Advice #7: Theory & Practice
REMEMBER JUAN PONCE ENRILE & FIDEL RAMOS?
For People Power, the original, we had 2 Challengers to Presidential Power: Enrile as Minister of National Defense and Ramos as AFP Vice Chief of Staff. Together, they triggered the first People Power Revolution in history, that is to say, with them began the series of events that resulted in the ouster of President Ferdinand E Marcos and the installation of President Corazon 'Cory' Aquino. All these happened without bloodshed, from Day 1 (23 February 1986) to Day 3 (25 February 1986) where at hundreds of thousands (1 million or more at the peak) of warm bodies showed up to provide a human shield to the military rebels.
Without the 2 challengers acting as 1, there would not have been a start of People Power. The problem with the current campaign for People Power 3 is that there are too many challengers, and they are not united. You don't expect these people to unite as they are all presidential aspirants: Bro Eddie, Noli De Castro, Francis Escudero, Joseph Estrada, Loren Legarda, Manuel Roxas, Gilberto Teodoro, and Manuel Villar. In the first place, they shouldn't be supporting People Power because there is no guarantee that any of them will become President. They can't control People Power; nobody can.
REMEMBER CHAVIT SINGSON?
For People Power 2, we had a Challenger to Presidential Power, someone who was perfect for the role of accuser and initiator. In the numbers game, Luis 'Chavit' Singson was buddy-buddy to Jose 'Erap' Estrada, President of the Republic of the Philippines. But the love of numbers is the root of all lovers' quarrels, so they quarreled. And Chavit decided to expose Erap to the glare of broad daylight. (You can read a summary of it here, 'Chavit Singson,' wikipilipinas.org.) The emperor had no clothes.
To do that, Chavit had to fight the man who played the heroic cowboy in Philippine movies, with or without a horse. Or played a chivalrous knight with or without any armor. Erap had always been the hero. Now the tide had turned; he was now the villain. From hero to heel, that was quite a transformation. That moved the classes and the masses.
Did we believe in the integrity and credibility of Chavit Singson? Not necessarily. But we believed that what he was doing was right. And the accused had his day in court, days & weeks & years in court in fact. In a democracy, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
So, Chavit Singson is a martyr, a different kind. A martyr doesn't have to be blameless – Jose Rizal wasn't – and this other kind of martyr doesn't have to die.
So if you see a clone of Chavit Singson, kindly email me; use the Comments Box below.
REMEMBER DAVID & GOLIATH?
Open your Bible and read 1 Samuel 17: 31-51, beginning with the verse where Saul doubts that the boy would amount to anything against the warrior with a long experience, not to mention a loud mouth, up to the verse which says David grasped the sword of Goliath, killed him and cut off his head.
David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground. ¶ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David's hand. 1 Samuel 17: 49-50 NRSV
Essentially, what did Chavit Singson do? He threw a stone at Goliath Joseph 'Erap' Estrada. But, unlike in David's case, this stone didn't strike the forehead of Goliath at once – it travelled as fast as a turtle on a rocky shore. Eventually, that stone did find its way home, sinking into the forehead, and Goliath fell face down on the ground. We had to keep faith with that stone to find its target. It pays to keep faith.
What about in the case of Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos: Weren't they 2 Davids? No, they were only 1 David - they had only 1 slingshot. They hurled only 1 challenge. The presidency of Ferdinand E Marcos was over, done, kaput.
23 years later, in the media, including blogs, there is much bad language used, especially against GMA and her supporters. So much name-calling. People talk, people throw cuss words. Going back to the Bible, I note that in defeating Goliath, David did not throw big words, as the opposition is wont to do in the case of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, GMA. Instead, David threw a small stone that, blessed by God, found its mark. David kept his faith in his God. Have we kept faith in our God?
Now then, to those who consider GMA the Goliath to defeat, that's a laugh because GMA looks puny. But remember: Small but terrible. Still, if you insist, let the one who has no sin cast the first stone! (That would be John 8: 1-11.)