People Power Advice #4: Love
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 THE FLOWERS?
In trying to wage People Power 3, what are they doing in the case of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, GMA? They are waging a campaign of hate. You can't wage People Power out of hate. It's a contradiction. There is no way to peace but peace. There is no way to love but love.
On the 3rd week of February 1986, the Filipino people rose against President Ferdinand E Marcos. This was following the rebellion led by Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Valdez Ramos – the historical drama starring an Ilocano President and his erstwhile Ilocano friends; Ramos was also a relative of Marcos. In turn, this was followed by the call on radio by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, beloved Archbishop of the Philippines, for the people to support 'our friends' – as he referred to the two rebel leaders and their miniscule group at Camp Crame (headquarters of the Philippine National Police) and at Camp Aguinaldo (headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines).
And hundreds of thousands came, counting up to 1 million or more at any one time, in all shapes and sizes, rich and poor. And of course, mostly the Roman Catholics came, they who have a long history of defying the odds, challenging the gods that be, they who have been crucified, they who believe in miracles. Angela Stuart-Santiago (1995? stuartxchange.org) vehemently denies that EDSA was a miracle – I Frank A Hilario do not deny the miracle and, of course, I am a Roman Catholic. I believe we just disagree on how to define miracle; Angela must think that a miracle is first an act of God, manna from heaven; on the contrary, I think it is first an act of man believing in God. I was there, but I didn't go Day 1 (23 February 1986), neither on Day 2 – because I was afraid. I couldn't summon enough faith. But my wife and I kept listening to Radyo Bandido anyway, and when I thought the side of Marcos was winning, I told myself it was now or never, and so I went on Day 3 (25 February 1986). The miracle of it all is that People Power happened – if it wasn't a miracle, why didn't it happen in other countries that had other monstrosities and other gods?
And so on those People Power days the girls, women, nuns came with rosaries and Virgin Maries and flowers. They came in peace and in love. The flowers were not special, but the occasion was special and so was the love – that's what the flowers told those who received them, the soldiers. And the soldiers embraced the love. Love your enemies! That was the miracle, wasn't it?
REMEMBER CARDINAL SIN?
Recalling Day 1 of People Power, Jaime Cardinal Sin said (stuartxchange.org):
In subsequent calls, I summoned the people to fill the streets precisely to avoid bloodshed and fratricide. Our intent was to make sure the first spark of fire would not be struck; that the first drop of blood would not be spilled. The call to fill the spaces around Crame and Aguinaldo was a summons 'to love, not war.'
In 4 words then, we can summarize the way to wage another People Power, another EDSA Revolution:
Make love, not war.
Continuing to demonize is not making love; continuing to denounce is making hate; continuing to demonstrate anger is making war, not love. I hate war.
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 THE FLOWERS?
In trying to wage People Power 3, what are they doing in the case of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, GMA? They are waging a campaign of hate. You can't wage People Power out of hate. It's a contradiction. There is no way to peace but peace. There is no way to love but love.
On the 3rd week of February 1986, the Filipino people rose against President Ferdinand E Marcos. This was following the rebellion led by Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and AFP Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Valdez Ramos – the historical drama starring an Ilocano President and his erstwhile Ilocano friends; Ramos was also a relative of Marcos. In turn, this was followed by the call on radio by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, beloved Archbishop of the Philippines, for the people to support 'our friends' – as he referred to the two rebel leaders and their miniscule group at Camp Crame (headquarters of the Philippine National Police) and at Camp Aguinaldo (headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines).
And hundreds of thousands came, counting up to 1 million or more at any one time, in all shapes and sizes, rich and poor. And of course, mostly the Roman Catholics came, they who have a long history of defying the odds, challenging the gods that be, they who have been crucified, they who believe in miracles. Angela Stuart-Santiago (1995? stuartxchange.org) vehemently denies that EDSA was a miracle – I Frank A Hilario do not deny the miracle and, of course, I am a Roman Catholic. I believe we just disagree on how to define miracle; Angela must think that a miracle is first an act of God, manna from heaven; on the contrary, I think it is first an act of man believing in God. I was there, but I didn't go Day 1 (23 February 1986), neither on Day 2 – because I was afraid. I couldn't summon enough faith. But my wife and I kept listening to Radyo Bandido anyway, and when I thought the side of Marcos was winning, I told myself it was now or never, and so I went on Day 3 (25 February 1986). The miracle of it all is that People Power happened – if it wasn't a miracle, why didn't it happen in other countries that had other monstrosities and other gods?
And so on those People Power days the girls, women, nuns came with rosaries and Virgin Maries and flowers. They came in peace and in love. The flowers were not special, but the occasion was special and so was the love – that's what the flowers told those who received them, the soldiers. And the soldiers embraced the love. Love your enemies! That was the miracle, wasn't it?
REMEMBER CARDINAL SIN?
Recalling Day 1 of People Power, Jaime Cardinal Sin said (stuartxchange.org):
In subsequent calls, I summoned the people to fill the streets precisely to avoid bloodshed and fratricide. Our intent was to make sure the first spark of fire would not be struck; that the first drop of blood would not be spilled. The call to fill the spaces around Crame and Aguinaldo was a summons 'to love, not war.'
In 4 words then, we can summarize the way to wage another People Power, another EDSA Revolution:
Make love, not war.
Continuing to demonize is not making love; continuing to denounce is making hate; continuing to demonstrate anger is making war, not love. I hate war.
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