USAPING MIGRANTE: ‘Babay Gloria’

USAPING MIGRANTE: ‘Babay Gloria’

In the last couple of weeks, I have been following the political drama in the Philippines brought about by the $329 million ZTE-NBN contract scandal. The twist of events has been quite thrilling. And quite frankly, it thrills me to the bones. It is so especially when I saw Jun Lozada on TV telling the Senate body everything he knew about the anomalous deal. It was he, a fellow Bicolano, who brings back the hope in the mind of the Filipino people. It was he who proved that there is light after dark – darkness being one in the company of his former bosses. It was he who put life back again in the battle against corruption and all “evils” in the government. It was he who woke up many sleeping bodies – and souls – to march again in the streets to prove to the world that there is no such thing as “people power fatigue.”

What I like about Lozada is that he is true. He does not deny he was a party to the negotiations of the ZTE-NBN contract. He has an inside story of the deal. He knows the people involved in the deal. That is why government elements tried to “abduct” Lozada upon arrival in the airport from Hong Kong to keep him from appearing before the Senate. But it was a “cover-up” that was gone wrong – very wrong. It was also a blatant use of state power and government resources to conceal the truth.

Some people say Lozada is also corrupt. Or, at least, he made some official deals favourable to his family when he was the president of Philippine Forest Corporation. What of it? In fact, he did not deny that. What he is doing now is redeeming his own self for the whole country. His gory revelation regarding Benjamin Abalos and Mike Arroyo being at the center of the scandal has made the people angry and – alive. The attempted bribery to Jun Lozada for him not to come out with truth in public has made the people angrier and say: enough is enough!

From “Hello Garci” to ZTE-NBN scandal, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has made all the efforts to conceal the truth. The Executive Order 464 is only one of those. But, we knew it all along. We heard the Garci tape many times. Still many people had been fooled by her “I am sorry” speech, and say let us give her a chance. But how about those human rights crimes committed under her regime? How about that great fertilizer scam? How about the OWWA funds allegedly used during the 2004 national elections?
You have Gloria leading the country like that, you have a country leading into the abyss of darkness.
With all this, Gloria is still clinging on to power saying people are tired of people power. No, she says the world will not forgive the Philippines if another “people power” takes place. She should have not said that in the first place. She should listen to her people not to what the world will say. Is she not a beneficiary of EDSA II? Well, she is a beneficiary indeed, but not a part of EDSA II.

Still, there are people now who say “Let’s wait na lang for 2010 for Gloria to finish her term,” by then we can make our choice for the next leader. In the first place, what term? Let us not forget the “Hello Garci” scandal. In the second place, why wait for 2010? In the third place, a leader who has lost the moral ascendancy to govern must not wait anymore; she should resign now and make way for an election. Come on, save your self. Or, face the wave of protests until the end.

Some people say the surge of protests now is orchestrated by Erap and his cohorts. Some argue so why Gloria should resign if Erap will stay (maybe back in power) after her. No, the people are protesting for truth, they are fighting for justice and accountability. They are voicing their disgust against lying, cheating, killing and the culture of corruption in government. If you cannot see the genuine people protests, you cannot see the reality of genuine change. If you cannot distinguish people power from hakot power, you are doomed to

The call for the resignation or ouster of Arroyo is not a call for restoring Erap in the Palace. No, it is not and it will never be. The call is about restoring the spirit of EDSA and the fruits of democracy. Erap says the people are ashamed of celebrating EDSA II. What? I was part of EDSA II and I am not ashamed of it. Erap should be the one to be ashamed. He was the “thief” in Joker Arroyo’s “This country cannot be run by a thief.” Gloria should be the one to be ashamed. She is the one who let the “thief” get his freedom again – for political bargaining.

The call for the resignation or ouster of Arroyo is not a call for restoring Erap again. It is a call for restoring people power, it is a call for honour in public service, and it is a call for people to assert their rights over their abusive leaders. It is a call for change in governance, it is a call for truth to prevail. If Jun Lozada has seen the light, why not Romulo Neri? If Jun Lozada has sacrificed his life to tell the truth, why not Romulo Neri. If Jun Lozada has done great service to his country, why not Gloria? My friends have a word for that: kapal.

But the clock is ticking. I think if there is one sector that can push for change and pressure Arroyo to resign it is the OFWs. The millions of Filipino migrant workers should demand the end of the Arroyo regime for its blatant neglect for their rights and welfare. It is time to make singil: Support this petition http://www.petitiononline.com/babay/petition.html.

Babay, Gloria. (Comments and reactions are welcome at usapingmigrante@gmail.com.)