People Power Advice #7: Theory & Practice
Frank A. Hilario
June 13, 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
WHERE IS THE PHILIPPINES NOW? According to China View (ANN, 09 June 2009, news.xinhuanet.com):
(Philippine President Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo, who (was) swept into power in a 2001 military-backed popular revolt, has become increasingly unpopular after a string of corruption scandals implicating the First Family was exposed. Arroyo was rated as the least trusted ranking government official as the approving rate (was) at only 11 percent in the capital region.
I think not. Where people think GMA is, is not where the Philippines is. And no, it is not the President who is crucial in People Power. It is not the military either – it's the people, and that's why it's called People Power. Without the people rising up, the military cannot back up just anybody.
And I never believed in surveys myself. How pathetic are the people who follow the dictates of the opinions of, say, 4,000 consenting adults presented to represent the opinions of 40,000,000 grown-ups. In my opinion, this a dictate of Imperial Manila. Since when did good government start depending on opinion polls?
The opposition groups in the Philippines are very good at voicing out their disgust over anomalies they associate with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – is that all they're good at? 'Militant youths on Tuesday sneaked past police and presidential guards to hold a demonstration at Mendiola Bridge – a no-rally zone during weekdays' (gmanews.tv). Is that the best the militant youths can do?
Rallies have been held in Manila and other cities in the Philippines to protest against constitutional changes which would extend the leadership of President Gloria Arroyo' – Karen Percy (10 June 2009, abc.net.au). Do they know that even if GMA rams through such amendments, the people still have to approve the changes in a plebiscite? You forgot. Yesterday, when I told someone exactly that, he said the people would be deceived again and vote for the amendments. Maybe he didn't realize it, but he was trying to tell me this: You can fool all the people all the time.
They're not listening to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago either, who has a beautiful twin suggestion (if I heard her right - if it wasn't she saying it, then I am):
(1) Get on with the presidential elections of 2010.
(2) Get on with constitutional change, Cha-Cha. Get on with the dance of change! Let's just make sure, to borrow from US President Barack Obama, that it's a change we can all believe in.
But they insist that GMA resigns now. 'Oust GMA' says a mouth-mask sign of an Anakbayan youth protester (Oliver Teves, 10 June 2009, irrawaddy.org). What's the matter with the Youth: They think that if GMA goes, the country will be released from her bondage of centuries of Ours versus Yours? That if GMA isn't President anymore, the richer will become poorer, and the poorer richer?
What's the matter with the Opposition: Under a presidential system with GMA still President, they don't think they can win in 2010? Or, do they now love their congressional committees so much they can't live without them, so they will not contemplate a shift to a parliamentary system?
Philippine National Police, PNP spokesman and Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina warned Makati protesters to stay within designated areas (Dennis Carcamo, 09 June, philstar.com). That refers only to geographical, not topical areas. If I know rallyists, as I have been one of them, they will ramble on and stray out of the topic.
Thousands expected to join anti-Arroyo rally in Makati' (ANN, 10 June 2009, philstar.com). Thousands did join (Teves as cited). 5,000? 50,000? That's nothing; if you want People Power, it must be hundreds of thousands; you can start with 500,000 warm bodies.
The national police were going to use TV cameras to monitor protest (Abigal Kwok, 10 June 2009, newsinfo.inquirer.net). That is thinking out of the idiot box; I think it's a brilliant idea. From now on, every protest action would be documented, never ignored by the authorities. That's what the protesters want, don't they, to be paid attention to?
On the other hand, videocamming protesters is probably a waste of taxpayer's money; the recording would be awful. I just know it. Been there, done that. It's not the technology, folks. The technology is high-resolution, wide angle, telescopic. But, you know, over the years, the protesters have been merely mouthing the same beloved slogans, changing only the names they shout or show. I was one of the first to join rallies and demonstrations, in the middle 1960s; I used to be a copywriter for Pacifica Publicity Bureau in the 1970s, and so I believe I know enough to credit the poor audio-visual displays of People Power consciousness-raising to lack of creativity. Alas, they don't teach creativity in schools (not to mention offices) like they should.
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
WHERE IS THE PHILIPPINES NOW? According to China View (ANN, 09 June 2009, news.xinhuanet.com):
(Philippine President Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo, who (was) swept into power in a 2001 military-backed popular revolt, has become increasingly unpopular after a string of corruption scandals implicating the First Family was exposed. Arroyo was rated as the least trusted ranking government official as the approving rate (was) at only 11 percent in the capital region.
I think not. Where people think GMA is, is not where the Philippines is. And no, it is not the President who is crucial in People Power. It is not the military either – it's the people, and that's why it's called People Power. Without the people rising up, the military cannot back up just anybody.
And I never believed in surveys myself. How pathetic are the people who follow the dictates of the opinions of, say, 4,000 consenting adults presented to represent the opinions of 40,000,000 grown-ups. In my opinion, this a dictate of Imperial Manila. Since when did good government start depending on opinion polls?
The opposition groups in the Philippines are very good at voicing out their disgust over anomalies they associate with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – is that all they're good at? 'Militant youths on Tuesday sneaked past police and presidential guards to hold a demonstration at Mendiola Bridge – a no-rally zone during weekdays' (gmanews.tv). Is that the best the militant youths can do?
Rallies have been held in Manila and other cities in the Philippines to protest against constitutional changes which would extend the leadership of President Gloria Arroyo' – Karen Percy (10 June 2009, abc.net.au). Do they know that even if GMA rams through such amendments, the people still have to approve the changes in a plebiscite? You forgot. Yesterday, when I told someone exactly that, he said the people would be deceived again and vote for the amendments. Maybe he didn't realize it, but he was trying to tell me this: You can fool all the people all the time.
They're not listening to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago either, who has a beautiful twin suggestion (if I heard her right - if it wasn't she saying it, then I am):
(1) Get on with the presidential elections of 2010.
(2) Get on with constitutional change, Cha-Cha. Get on with the dance of change! Let's just make sure, to borrow from US President Barack Obama, that it's a change we can all believe in.
But they insist that GMA resigns now. 'Oust GMA' says a mouth-mask sign of an Anakbayan youth protester (Oliver Teves, 10 June 2009, irrawaddy.org). What's the matter with the Youth: They think that if GMA goes, the country will be released from her bondage of centuries of Ours versus Yours? That if GMA isn't President anymore, the richer will become poorer, and the poorer richer?
What's the matter with the Opposition: Under a presidential system with GMA still President, they don't think they can win in 2010? Or, do they now love their congressional committees so much they can't live without them, so they will not contemplate a shift to a parliamentary system?
Philippine National Police, PNP spokesman and Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina warned Makati protesters to stay within designated areas (Dennis Carcamo, 09 June, philstar.com). That refers only to geographical, not topical areas. If I know rallyists, as I have been one of them, they will ramble on and stray out of the topic.
Thousands expected to join anti-Arroyo rally in Makati' (ANN, 10 June 2009, philstar.com). Thousands did join (Teves as cited). 5,000? 50,000? That's nothing; if you want People Power, it must be hundreds of thousands; you can start with 500,000 warm bodies.
The national police were going to use TV cameras to monitor protest (Abigal Kwok, 10 June 2009, newsinfo.inquirer.net). That is thinking out of the idiot box; I think it's a brilliant idea. From now on, every protest action would be documented, never ignored by the authorities. That's what the protesters want, don't they, to be paid attention to?
On the other hand, videocamming protesters is probably a waste of taxpayer's money; the recording would be awful. I just know it. Been there, done that. It's not the technology, folks. The technology is high-resolution, wide angle, telescopic. But, you know, over the years, the protesters have been merely mouthing the same beloved slogans, changing only the names they shout or show. I was one of the first to join rallies and demonstrations, in the middle 1960s; I used to be a copywriter for Pacifica Publicity Bureau in the 1970s, and so I believe I know enough to credit the poor audio-visual displays of People Power consciousness-raising to lack of creativity. Alas, they don't teach creativity in schools (not to mention offices) like they should.
Print
Email
