Some special things happened on earth 32 years ago. I could not research a lot of things, other than using the help of Mr. Google for information. December 9, 1979 was Sunday back then. I am hoping I have the capability of Lam-ang, an Ilocano epic to be able to conduct a research what really happened that date.

Internet tells that me that exactly, 32 years ago, the eradication of smallpox was certified. This marked the first eradication of any human disease. Before its eradication, smallpox claimed more than 300 million lives in the 20th century alone.

At the end of World War II, smallpox was still reported in 95 countries. The World Health Organization of the United Nations believed global eradication of the virus was an attainable goal and, in 1966, appropriated $2.5 million for a program to promote mass vaccinations. The following year, 42 countries reported 10 million cases of smallpox. On October 22, 1977, the last known case of naturally acquired smallpox was reported in Somalia, and on December 9, 1979 in Geneva, Switzerland, a World Health Organization panel declared that smallpox had been eradicated from the world.

32 years ago, after the victory of their Islamic revolution, Iran decides to accept Soviet Union’s protection under the threat of US intervention after Islamic fighters held hostage 52 Americans after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Islamic revolution.

On that same date, Star Trek: The Motion Picture broke Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope ‘s record ($7,19 mil) for highest debut for a science fiction film & also had the highest debut of 1979.

Armenian terrorists who were fighting Turkey at that time bomb Rome, Italy’s international airport damaging the office of Panam, British Airways and Philippine Airlines bureaus were damaged by bomb attacks took place in city center. New Armenian Resistance Group took the responsibility of the incident, in which 9 people were injured.

A beautiful Francys Mayela Sudnicka, a Venezuelan model of Polish ancestry was born. In 2006 she was the representative in Miss Earth held in Manila against 82 other women as Miss Earth Poland. She placed as one of the finalists. She placed in the top 8.

Olivia Lufkin, professionally known as OLIVIA, is a bilingual singer-songwriter was also born on this date. She is the daughter of an American father and an Okinawan mother. Lufkin began her solo career after being in the Japanese girl group D&D. She gained mainstream success in 2006 after creating songs for the fictional band Trapnest under the alias of Olivia Inspi’ Reira (Trapnest), and the songs were used for the popular anime adaptation of Nana.

Born also on the same date is Chen Hao, Chinese actress, singer and model. She starred in many Chinese films namely Requital (1992), Postmen in the Mountains (1999), Gimme Kudos (2005), Twins Mission (2007), The Founding of a Republic (2009), Tiny Dust, True Love (2009) and also in the TV series (The Great Dunhuang, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and Three Kingdoms).

On this same date, two communist rebels Ka Caloy and and Ka Nimfa bore their second son at the hinterland barangays of San Joaquin (part of Ibajay, Aklan) but under the administration of Pandan, Antique.

He was later turned over to his grandparents in Lezo, Aklan, grew up, studied, became politically, socially conscious and is now blogging about this date.

Tomorrow, he will celebrate the International Human Rights Day.

I could not feel any sympathy to the former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to whom is now practicing every possibility of evading her crimes, and worst turning her lawyers as the best (spin) doctors to keep her from tasting the “cold bars” of jail for her to answer the crimes she committed against the Filipino people while being in office as President of the Philippine Republic for nine years.

I also cannot avoid to be dismayed and yes outrage for the zarzuela being shown to us by the government, the court as well the press in bringing about the case of “house arrest”, “hospital arrest” and other technical jargons just to avoid her of being put behind bars, like the usual procedures done to any suspect of any crime.

Arroyo, being the former President of the Republic does not deserve the luxury of being considered a VIP for her crimes. Not only that she betrayed the people who have stood their grounds against the corrupt presidency of former Pres. Joseph Estrada that pave way to her ascension to power during EDSA 2, but also steals the presidency during 2004 elections.

Politically, Arroyo has been rejected by the people that paved way for the election of opposition senators in 2007 and again the rejection of the people for her anointed candidates in 2010 election.

In economy, being the so-called economic expert that is schooled in the US prestigious universities, Arroyo has brought havoc to the economic conditions of the people by blindly following the mantra of neo-liberalization that not only dwarf the capability of the business owned by Filipinos to compete against foreign investors it also resulted to massive unemployment and the highest rate of poverty among the underprivileged sectors of society.

Arroyo, is worst than Marcos when it comes to human rights violations. Under her term, thousands of activists has been recorded missing, killed, harassed and tagged as enemy of the states under the auspices of the AFP counter-insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya.

Based on the records of Karapatan, for the first half of 2009, there has been 34 victims of extrajudicial killings. From January 21, 2001 to June 30, 2009, the victims of extrajudicial killings have reached to 1,032, victims of enforced disappearance at 202. Meanwhile, the use of abduction rather than to arrest has also intensified. In 2010, 20 victims have been abducted bringing the total victims to 521.

Arroyo governance is proven for its incompetence, and brazenly commits plunder of the people’s money and the tolerance of corruption that affected the lives of Filipinos that should have receive the services from the government that instead goes to the pocket of the few individuals in office.

I am outrage, that as a son of a former detainee, and later the first victim of extrajudicial killing under this new administration, we still need to look for justice. Yet our hopes are being tested when we saw on TV, read on newspaper, and heard on radio that those in power, the influential people in the upper echelons of the society can easily circumvent the justice system in their favor, when those arrested for trump charges will suffer.

My father was jailed twice in 1993 and 2004 for trump charges. All trump up cases that was filed by the military and the police has been dismissed but it took years and later months for him to get out of jail. His coco-lumber business suffered and our limited finances drained in order to support his incarceration.

Arroyo, and many others can easily evade justice with the use of their influence and money, while the innocent that are only fighting for their principles and beliefs can easily be detained and charged with all the crimes in the book without proper investigation.

We have already seen many cases that the justice system is always blind to those who cannot afford to hire a battery of lawyers, to those whose income is enough for their daily subsistence and cannot even afford to visit their relatives who were jailed for petty crimes and prisoners who has been waiting for years for the prosecutor to hear their case.

Justice is swift to those who dare to violate the law, when they are incapable of bribing another judge, another prosecutor; to look for the witnesses themselves instead being done by the law enforcement agencies.

I also felt insulted when the government with all its mighty powers can also listen to the stupidity of reasoning’s that even a highschool student can understand, that there is no such thing as equal in the eyes of the law since the system we have has been corrupted for so long, and the reality that sometimes justice can only be dispensed in other manner because of the impossibility of achieving at the present.

*Photo courtesy of Kilusan.Net

Reality strikes when time comes we need someone to look up to when we dream of something big or small. If you can’t find one that is in the list of dead heroes in your list, I think it’s normal to dream to expect something supernatural will come to save the day.

My fictional hero when I was young and until now is Wolverine. He lost his mind while being subjected to scientific experiment of his uncanny abilities. He can heal himself when his wounded and will go berserk when he’s mad. He doesn’t need health insurance and hates the authority when he sees something amiss.

Few of us like Wolverine. Many have been dumbfounded by SpongeBob, many has been crying their hearts out watching Korean telenovelas and has been attached to the visual plot of love triangle, Cinderella type Pinoy’s soap operas.

Many have given attention to the fact that 1 peso coin is now equivalent to the 1 cent Lapu-lapu when I was young and yes, they complain but they are not doing anything. When the price of rice is no longer within the reach for their day’s earning life seems to be remain the same.

They eager to watch the trilogy of Ramgen, Pacquiao and Naruto-like Gloria that dominates their TV every evening and were the ones hopeful to be the next lucky winner of Lotto, Will Time Big Time, Eat Bulaga and Happy yepee yehey.

They failed to realize that tomorrow another price increase on oil will again decrease the value of their hard-earned piso; the expensive fare to work, the price of galunggong will also follow the rhythm of increases. They are eager instead to know why Kris broke up with James, and why Kris brother Noynoy remains a bachelor.

They failed to ask themselves where is the “matuwid na daan” when the corrupt former president can still grab the headlines of being in house arrest and the government wondering the best way to make her answer he crimes when a theft that steal a bread for his family will be brought straight to jail and awaits years of being behind bars without seeing a judge to see his case.

They still don’t dare that Congress is proposing to tax again the people to earn money for the government when they has been suffering for very low wages, no security of tenure, and the anti-labor policies that has been a burden to them. But the likes of Lucio Tan are still smiles despite of billions of pesos of unpaid taxes that when properly accounted for by the government is enough to solve the deficit.

They don’t give a damn when drivers complaint of high oil prices, and scorns the latter instead when they go gaga conducting their transport strikes when in fact that the government should have at least reprimand the oil companies to minimize their greed for profit.

They clap their hands when the government official’s smiles and nods with Clinton, when on our own soil we need to ratify an unfair military agreement beneath a foreign military warship instead of our own government office. A little respect for our country’s sovereignty is disregarded since we have been a loyal puppet to that Great American Empire for decades.

We failed to shed a tear or express our disgust when urban poor houses are being demolished; the farmer killed in the decade long struggle in Hacienda Luisita. They are lazy you say, without reading your own history books why urban poor’s who were once farmers flocked to the cities and why farmers who were just fighting for their right to till the land were being hunted like bandits.

We no longer know why Andres Bonifacio was called a supremo, and why illustrados lead by Aguinaldo killed him, since we were enthralled with the love story of Jose Rizal but still falls short of knowing why they have died for our land.
The apathy and ignorance we suffer from day to day is a common tragic occurrence. We tend to believe the lies instead of seeking the truth. We tend to remain on a distant, and stand to be neutral. When we will realize that doing nothing with injustice and oppression put us on the position of favoring it without knowing.

We tend to claim that we don’t like politics since we always says that stomach comes first. But when you look for something to feed you will realize that those who govern you and those has been enjoying perks of the government policies has been eating the biggest share of your country’s wealth and resources at the expense of your children and your descendants.

Until when will you realize that the neighbor you have been calling radical has been right all along. Because he have the guts to face the people who has installed the system that begets the injustice and oppression.

Until when the people believe in fiction, supernatural and superheroes. When will they dare to rediscover their history books and know that the forefathers cause remains valid and the enemy they fought and shed their blood with remains a bigger foe until today?

I agree with Cristina Guevarra, my fellow at Hustisya in her post at the Philippine Star that much has been attributed to the press coverage of the death of Ram Revilla and the father of pop-star Charice Pempengco. The issue has now been solved at an unbelievable pace, since authorities want to give an impression that justice will be serve at the preying eyes of the people that have been star-studded and glued to their TV sets every night.

It’s a celebrated case, and I am all praise for the police authorities in solving the case swiftly and hopefully justice will be fully served to those who have committed the crime. But let’s talk about other celebrated cases that sadly have missed the ongoing, beat-by-beat reports by journalists, and the fast track investigation by concerned authorities.

The killings of progressives and the individuals that seems like that until now remain unsolved. The press attention to the case is waning, like the scenarios at the earlier coverage of Ampatuan Massacre we are now left to be feed by the attempted flight by GMA to Singapore, and the controversial win of Manny Pacquiao.

These cases of extra judicial killings commonly attributed by family of the victims as well as the Left to be under the counter-insurgency campaigns of the government has not get the attention of the press.

It has become a common scenario that may hit the headline today, but in the end, they will buried on the Regional News or just a tidbit on a police reports on a newspaper, radio and TV.

It does not get much attention form the common people, because we may have been duped with the dumbness of watching SpongeBob Square Pants, and the drama over the love-trio love affairs and poor soon to be rich Cinderella story mostly shown on Pinoy’s soap opera.

We may have been used to the military propaganda that those who were killed were indeed communists or their sympathizers without getting the least possible evidence, why they were killed in the first place.

I understand the story behind the poor media coverage; I was once a newspaper, radio and TV journalist myself before being sworn in as a town legislator to replace my slain activist town councilor father. The story behind those who killed was no longer sellable. Yes, the sad part of journalism in the Philippines is the commercialization.

I have not yet lost my moment of belief that those responsible for killing Fr. Fausto Tentorio, Leonard Co, Gerry Ortega, farmers at Hacienda Luisita, Fernando Baldomero, the surfacing of abducted activist such as Jonas Burgos, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan will be solved.

But the only way to make their cases appear on the radar of the PNP, NBI, and CIDG radar are for the press to make their story alive as well. What happen to the case, were the mastermind, suspect has been identified, what are the investigators doing for the suspects whom the family and witnesses has given the police? What happen to the family whom are still looking for justice, still looking for their love ones whom were abducted?

But still, questions should be asked, why the police when conducting investigation involving military elements who were tagged as the one who abducted/killed these personalities, are not in the mood to pursue the case?

Why, why, why?

Answers are infinite within the circles of the families and victims when they gather together in Manila. But not all of them is capable of shouldering the fare to meet together and bring their case to the Halls of Justice, and Malacanang, which on my own opinion is not interested, even to pay a lip service for the benefit of the family that those who were killed will get justice, and issue a warning to the perpetrators that they will soon face a day in courts.

I would not wonder, that some of the families prefer to move on, accept the bitter pill of losing someone, and wish that someday, when the Justice system of our country will not serve them, will look for justice elsewhere.

Gueverra correctly describes it “This nation is thirsty for justice. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there is overwhelming public attention to the killing of Revilla and Pempengco. Yet, many of the victims of killings, who became the voice to the voiceless and stood their ground even at the face of death, remain unsolved.”

Activist are called street parliamentarian. That is enough to say they conduct speeches, present he people’s agenda to the streets because they were not represented in the both house of Congress.

The national democratic (ND) Left that was born in the 1960s due to internal crisis in politics and economy and also with the influence on the resurgence of rebellions and revolutions in Asia and elsewhere.
It poses alternative agenda on the issue of land, wages, education, freedom of speech and assembly, human rights and many things that during the Dark Days of Martial Law, presenting it to the lawmakers and asking them to act on it would be taboo.

Now in 2001, when the party-list system was introduced in 1998, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the peasant, workers, women, youth, indigenous people etc. saw the opportunity of having their own representatives in Congress.

Bayan Muna (People’s First) won an astounding victory in its first entry to electoral politics. Its membership and leadership is composed of people identified with the Left (read: ND).

For the first time, the people had a chance for their issues to be heard at the halls of Batasang Pambansa where for decades has been ruled by the representatives of the rich and famous.

They have made their words into action in direct challenge to those who claim activist are just a nuisance in the society, they were the very people who pretend to know the problems of the country but are not doing anything to solve it or at least participate in solving it.

Afterwards, more partylist were voted by the people such as Anakpawis, Gabriela, and later on Act Teachers, and Kabataan.

Despite being considered as a secondary citizen congressman and woman, these activist solons has regularly submitted various House Bills and resolutions that are aimed to protect the interest of the many, defend our country’s sovereignty and patrimony but because Congress remains the halls of the elite most of it were not passed. They were also at the forefront of exposing various anomalies in the government. After all they were elected to represent the people, and representing them to the Congress is what they do.

The difference between these parties, unlike other party-list organizations who were established at the time of elections and can no longer be found by their constituents after winning, they remain closely link with the people. You can never see a Congressman like them that will be always seen and speaking at rallies, being bombarded by water cannon during dispersal’s and going to far-flung community to hear the grievances of people and bring them to the Halls of Congress for its needed actions.

Persecution

It is recorded in the History that the Left won few seat in the Congress after the World War II when our country was a United State colonial state, but instead of letting them do they work, allowing them to represent their people they were accused of rebellion and expelled in an effort to stop them from voting against various one-sided agreement that favors the US when the call for granting independence to the Philippines was strong.

Essentially, after the so-called Independence on July 4, 1946, because of pressures from the US, the Philippine economy, politics, military has been subservient to the dictates of the former colony master.

Now after the Left entered politics, despite pronouncements by the government to let them into the fold, its membership were hunted, killed, accused of trumped up charges and branded as communist or their sympathizers.

It is also important to note that although some of the members of the Left were former rebels, they were no longer been combatants. BUt most of the membership were ordinary civilians only with different belief. However, just because they are considered communist (just because they espouse socialist ideals) whether they in plain view civilians, the state forces (whom repeatedly denies despite evidence of their crimes are presented on broad daylight) want to silence these people, and even the lawmakers in Congress were charged in a vain attempt to oust them (again) from the halls of the elite Congress.

These actions against the left are alarming. A state of terror is being presented by the state to quell any forms of dissent without formally declaring a Martial Law. Despite being a signatory in various Human Rights Agreement, the state forces as well as the government itself takes no action in killing the members of the progressive partylist, and evidence shows that cover up are even being done in investigating the crime to allow perpetrators to be off the hook.

Never Daunted

As I understand in books I read as well as news I read over the internet, shows that repression against the progressives only shows the desperation of a state since it can no longer afford to give empty promises as well as conduct reform to give a breathing space for the poor in the worsening economic crisis brought about by oppressive policies.

The left has presented a sounder agenda that will benefit the less-privilege; programs of government that will satisfy the need for equal distribution of country’s resources as well as make the country progressive and develop that can be at par with the developing nations.

It presents a more independent and fair foreign policy, whom we can choose any country to be our partner regardless of ideology and political system they espouse without being bullied and instead respected.

The persecution also shows that the Left is being embraced by people because it demonstrate that for the first time, these lawmakers represent their concerns and are being demonized and killed because of the people’s cause.

It is only a mater of time, that people will realize and will fought for the necessity in overhauling the corrupt and decadent system that we have today and put their own representatives to the halls of Congress, elect their own president that represent their interest.

Ideas, ideas. It is what you believe in whether you have get it from other people, reading books, listening or watching the media, or just based on what you experienced shapes the very person that is you. You believe in something that you consider is right and is ready to defend it come what may.

We have derived our ideas from theories. People from the old or the present “thinkers” may have influenced you that later on accept it as you own. Discussion, debates and sharing of thoughts for things you believe and what others do polished your mind for it to become your ideology.

When I was young, my olds told me that a ship or a rice will come out of my wound when I don’t eat the food that I hate. I believe them since I am in no position to argue.

My elder brother Greg, told me that chocolates comes from soil and those little brown hard soil that is located in our backyard are hardened chocolates and I need to watch for new ones for me to eat. I complied but later I discovered that those chocolates were brought from a store and he just want to make fun of me by scattering those tiny chocolates on the ground.

My youngest brother when we were young doesn’t want to eat fish, unless it is a dit dit isda. It’s a fish with no specific specie that we made him to believe because we just heard the children song on a TV that sings dit dit isda.

I believed that God exist not because I have talked to seen him, but because my oldies, neighbors and later on teachers and a priest told me. I was given a bible by a friend and yes, I religiously read it, listened to drama over the radio during Lenten season. I memorized the bible when I was young, but right now, I can’t even pray Our Father without committing a pronunciation mistake.

I believed then that rebels were evil, although my father served as a communist for 25 years before he was caught by the military when I was in highschool. But later, I began to ask why there are rebels anyway?

We were fond of guns after military many times raided our house, stole my grandmothers Spanish coins, and when I went to highschool and later on college I want to be solider. I joined ROTC, and later on took PMA exam but however new ideas forbid me to pursue the career. My brother did join the PMA but upon knowing he is the son of a former rebel he was the target of initiation that forced him to go out and study elsewhere.

I joined LFS in UP Visayas not because I like the ideas of the left. I just joined my 34 other classmates who wanted to have a group and it so happened LFS people were the most active organizers we joined in, but it is only a semester when we decided all to bolt out. I was a freshman in college and my first time to become independent and the hours of meeting every time we go out from class is a chore.

I joined ROTC after but I was being the target of the superiors, maybe their culture of violence forcing me to box my fellow cadets forced me to go out. I later joined back LFS and there it started for me to widen my interest in reading and understanding politics. How can you discuss national issues, defend your position when your being attacked on topics whether it is from left or from the rightist when your not reading.

I was having serious family problem for me to stop schooling for a semester, I then transferred to Aklan College and upon knowing LFS people again recruited this time, and I did not refused. I began to study history, my favorite subject since elementary.

I began to think hard after reading books that tells another picture of what the school books told me. In school they told me that Rizal is a hero since he advocated reforms, and those who took up arms are bandits, although not really mentioning Bonifacio, but the likes of Macario Sakay, and yes the demonization of Moro people since they are always going berserk. Later did I know that they were the only one who was never actually invaded by the Americans because of their indomitable spirit to remain free.

I read the works of Marx, Lenin, Mao because they were cheaply available in bookstores and later comrades provided me the needed materials so that I may not read books talking about Marxism but essentially attacking it.

I also read liberal books written by various authors talking about philosophy, ethics, masonry, witchcraft, or just romantic or adventure novels I found inside the library or at the PIA office located just next to our school.

I also read military books, from Sun Tzu’s Art of War, to Victor’s Corpuz “Silent War”. I meticulously collected the works of Mao, Lenin, Che Guevarra and Kim Jong Il. I was amazed how many ideas can be read over the internet and become so interested in conspiracy theories.

I believed in aliens. We are just among the civilization that exists in the universe. I believe that we were once apes, since no human skeleton were found that has the age of those ape man found that had lived billions years ago.

I believed that indeed our country is not really free, despite being granted independence in 1946, since based on my readings and ideas I happened to adapt as my own, we don’t have an independent foreign policy, we joined wars not our own, we are forced to swallow the red pill of austerity measures dictated by the corporate powers from the West at the expense of our people.

I believed that we can only be called a free country, if freedom of expression is expressly granted and the right to dissent is accepted. I believed that the gap between rich and the poor is exemplified by those who are sitting in the congress, and those who were caught making criminal acts escape jail terms while those who steal to feed their families lingers in jail without seeing a judge to hear their case.

I accepted many ideas in my life. I read them, listened to them; weigh them if it is applicable to me, or to my neighbor. But I firmly believed that these ideas, whether they are radical or reactionary will only be proven correct and just if many people accept it as their own and it will benefit the many instead of the few.

We have many stories to tell, whenever you meet new friends or long time acquaintances. Stories that are sometimes, funny or just some topic that you want to talk about that come and go under the sun. But there are stories that sometimes are hard to share, and once you opened your mouth to tell it, you are forced to hold back the tears, the sorrow, the anger.

These are the stories that you need to share for someone who are plain curious or just want to know how the story happened and what effect had it for you and for the subject of the story.

I went to Manila on the 18th of August. It’s a week-long trip for a series of activities. I went on the invitation to attend the launching of End Impunity Alliance. I meet other people who tell the stories of grief, anger and search for justice for their killed relatives, friends and still beaming with hope that the victims of forced disappearance will still be found.

Their stories are not the usual bedtime stories that we want to hear, since the pain of losing someone you love and the angst on the injustice that seemingly being perpetrated by the state lingers. Their stories injure the very sense of my human being, subsequently the respect for the basic human rights to live is denied.

We heard a story of a wife and a father killed in front of his child, a father jailed many times for fabricated charges, a son, a daughter, a father and mother abducted by state agents and to whom we never heard again.

The story of people who wanted to help, to keep the family safe that after being done harm by the perpetrators to their love ones, they who were only out to call justice are being cased, tailed, and monitored by the agents of the state.

The sad part of the story shows the usual; they are the ones who dared to challenge the status quo, the ones who dared to study their plight, their surroundings, their life and the realization of inequality. They fought for something that they thought were right, but instead of being listened to, they are branded first as communist or its sympathizers and then killed, abducted and never found again.

There is no moral lesson for this stories, since morality is absent to those who perpetrated the crime. It shows that the declaration of the government that it is there to protect human rights and to ensure people’s right to speak their grievances are lies and they who dared to challenge are answered with guns, showing the culture of impunity to instill fear.

But grim it may seem for these story tellers to remember and share their predicaments, it still shows hope. The very reason that they come out in the open despite of the pain, the risk, they bound together and united with others who share the same experience.

They learned that the very state that they had hoped to help them is the very institution that tramples on their right, the one who stole the love of a father and a mother to the child, the care and guidance for the oppressed.
Their story also reveals that those who assumed that upon abducting, killing, and instilling fear on the heart of these story tellers, they were instead awakened.

Their understanding of why their love ones choose to trek a path that less traveled were now being embraced by them, and if one love one was lost hundreds more joined in to continue what the subject of the story has started.

Video courtesy of ArkibongBayan.org

Ilonggo: Ari ang pula nga saludo ko sa akon tatay nga si Fernando Baldomero.
Engrish: Here’s my red salute to my father Fernando Baldomero.

It’s already a grim scenario for the Left in the Philippines. There is no more delineation between armed combatants and civilians when it comes to killings and despite of repeated condemnations from various sectors in the Philippine society as well as in the international arena, Philippines who happened to claim “democracy” after the fall of a dictator decades ago have a muted state when it comes to upholding the basic human rights of every person to live.

The culture of impunity and disdain on the respect of one’s life by perpetrators of the killings against persons who have different political orientation and conviction is already a common scenario. No offenders were brought to trial, and if there’s one, they are well protected at every means by a government who should have on its mandate respect and uphold the right of every person to dissent and bring their grievances.

But the scenario is different when you read the lines on the Armed Forces headquarters that says “A soldier and a human rights defender” when their foot soldiers were commanded to shoot to kill anyone they deemed to be an enemy of the state, whether they bear arms or not, in complete disregard to all protocols and conventions that its very government have signed in international treaties and gatherings.

The very orientation of an armed component of the state that considers anyone a target because the person being tagged as an enemy is the one who lead the rallies, the one who organize the people to know their rights and assert it, and the one who wakes the people consciousness to rebel because the State has abandoned its obligations to protect the welfare of the many and has been for decades protected only the interest of the few.

Numbers are rising despite the pronouncements of making the perpetrators answer for their offenses, and worse, promoted the cold-blooded killers to generals in an attempt to show the “iron fist” to anyone who dare to question the status quo.

It’s not sad but infuriating to know that when a person is killed they can easily be tagged as a communist without proper investigation wherein there is no justification for the acts since whether they believe in capitalism, socialism or communism, it is their inherent right to believe in such ideology and should not be harmed.

It is sad to know that foot soldiers are made as pawn because of their security oplans, forced by their superiors to kill their own kind; the farmers, the workers, the poor who were like them but so happened to have been aroused, organized and mobilize because the reality exist that when they don’t struggle the disparity and divide between those who own the wealth and those who worked for it will be wide and the consequences of hunger and depravity is life-threatening.

It is also saddening that majority of the people are not appalled, maybe because of conditioning by the mass media, the church and the propaganda machinery of the state that makes their concept of life to accept that it is a normalcy.

But we expect the worse to come, since in every death, in every fallen comrade, another one rise up along with thousands of others and will just follow the path the fallen had taken to continue what they have started and on their own hands, they will make those criminals and their agents answer for their crimes.

Ginisa tayo sa sarili nating mantika is a an ample example of what Filipinos are experiencing today with the unabated oil prices increases. Giant oil firms lead by the three cartels, Shell, Petron and Caltex shows how corporation can dictate the government even at the expense of its own people.

Our own Department of Energy (DOE) the agency that should oversee, regulates the oil industry is now left to be its own spokesperson that is fast as lightning in defending the exorbitant increases instead of finding ways to avert it since oil is a lifeblood of the economy.

Now, we see the increase of oil prices, and its after effects the increase of all the prices of basic commodities including fares, electricty, etc., but the wage of our workers are kept low at record levels while the government ensures to safeguard the oil company’s profit.

Oil companies and even our government tell us that we can’t do anything since the world spot market dictates the oil prices. Partly true, but when properly investigated it is proven to be a lie. Oil prices are dictated by speculation in the international market that is commanded by countries who are its main producers. The reason for wars in the Middle East, and the so-called supply versus demand only give way for massive profiteering that oil companies in the Philippines highly benefits.

If we consider the argument that oil prices hike are dictated by international influence, it is still overpriced. According to a research think-tank Ibon Foundation, oil prices are overpriced by as much as P6 per liter because of the value added tax imposed on oil.

Despite pronouncements from the government that lifting the VAT on oil will be risky for the coffers of the government in reality it does not serve its purpose. We consumers are the losing end at the government inability to protect us from the lies of the oil companies in imposing unfair prices while allowing them to rake super profits at the behest of the populace.

Worse, by imposing VAT on oil, oil prices jacked-up thus contributing the soaring of prices and inflation that only intensify the divide between rich and the poor. Meanwhile, the value-added tax that the government claims is being used to be spent on social services is instead being used to pay off debts including that of the previous dictator Ferdinand Marcos from the IMF-WB.

The unabated oil price hike is the government and its officials fault. By allowing the total control of the oil industry to the capitalist, the prices are no longer controlled by the government.

The Republic Act 8479 otherwise known as the “Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998 was passed by Congress and approve into law by then President Fidel Ramos. It was said to deregulate the oil industry to “foster a truly competitive market which can better achieve the social policy objectives of fair prices and adequate, continuous supply of environmentally-clean and high quality petroleum products”.

But instead of allowing competition, the end-result is the patterns of increases by oil companies even the new players because essentially the market is dominated by the oil cartels who dictate the prices without government intervention.

Oil companies are taking advantage of the law, hiking pump prices of all petroleum products by around 535% since the Oil Deregulation Law was first implemented in April 1996 and has resulted to rising cost of living for every Filipinos since the law was passed.

Instead of ensuring that the economy is stable, by providing people something to save for their already small earnings the government is hell-bent in protecting only the interest of the corporates. By giving up its control and without power to command prices to safeguard the consumers, oil companies are running amuck of ensuring that they bleed the people dry.

Despite of the fact the six out of ten Filipinos favors the scrapping of the oil deregulation law as well as the VAT imposed on oil, and instead of finding alternative measures to raise revenues and go after well-known tax evaders to cover up deficit in government budget we are being forced to carry the big burden of these government lack of responsibility to its people.

Although it may be accepted that our government has no control on speculators and the giant oil corporations who dictate the prices of oil it should at least intervene in the local oil industry to protect the consumers.

By nationalizing the oil industry, and getting oil from countries who offer cheaper prices and getting the right technology from friendly countries in refining the oil we import as well as those alternative energy sources that our country possess such as coal, and natural gas we will remain a poor and suffering country up to the next decade when the people will be fed up to rise and change this regime.