Chapter 32
The Flight
That Ferdinand Marcos was already
considered a terminal case on the remaining few months of 1985 was mere
platitude among many observers. Words
even circulated around that Uncle Sam was merely waiting in the wings any
opportune time most likely when to drop him without forcing the latter to stage
harakiri running around berserk. Dropping him like hot potato was indeed seems
eminent as Uncle Sam had no other choice as multitude of Filipinos was breath
away from victory already pressing Malacañang main entrance. But not to the man
himself who was still capable of pulling some surprises from under his sleeves.
He was not even afraid of the rebel forces whose numbers bloated to
22,500 more than half in 1985 from
measly 10,500 in 1983 in roughly two year’s armed combatant expansion. How much
more that time he was still in power with all the support of the
military.
“Sick joke,” Marcos must be mumbling against those pressing him to give up. He still has all those aces stuck under his
sleeve and would be ready picking them
up when the need arises to quell the
fire of rebellion, must have been also
his make believe battle cry. Well
said for
as far as the Apo is concerned, it was not yet time to recapitulate let alone, die pure and
simple not knowing that time for reckoning of his past was fast approaching as
seen from the seas of multitude
gradually swelling advancing to Malacañang to hand over their
verdict.
“How could he afford sleeping away anyway when tons of money
scattered throughout the world great bulk of which were securely deposited in
Swiss Banks whose secrecy has been legend since World War I. Germany, Haiti,
Iran and the Philippines to name a few have opened an account there only that
those depositors are no ordinary mortals,” Driarco analyzed. Imelda Marcos’ anathema on February 2005
seems prophetic when she alarmed Switzerland
“We
did not even pinch any human right victim.”
“It sucks!” Driarco easily responded.
“That as far as she is concerned. If she could
only look at those graphics showing systematic torture, she would easily
swallow her alibi faster than she would swallow her saliva!” he retorted
reeling.
“Think of Lakay Ferdie and beautiful Imelda
who methodically rob the country’s
wealth blind, clean and dry with impunity leaving it poor owing $28
Billion debt to World Bank and IMF as they leave their power behind while they
enjoy ironically with much gusto their celebrated loot at will. It’s no
ordinary feat for Juan to do it. But
they both did it extra-ordinary,” his thoughts further carried him onward.
Carmen Pedrosa, a columnist would later write
“The Conjugal Dictatorship” narrating
in graphic account how the first couple did it. The other book “The Untold Story of Imelda Romualdez Marcos” is such other engrossing book
relating the dramatic fairy-tale story of
Imelda from a mere bodega girl to a canteen girl in the Senate
before then Congressman Marcos was
smitten by her charm. The rest so to speak was history as she would soon
morphed into a multi-millionaire catching up with the world’s wealthiest
Joneses.
Holding on for dear life, not even his
deteriorating health gradually taking its toll
could force him yielding his celebrated loot. Kidney was no doubt methodically making Marcos’ life difficult. His puffy face tells
it all seen in many TV appearances
sapping his strength gradually like a cankerous cancer eating meticulously his
vital flesh. This proves to one and all
that as citizens of the world, he is also dispensable like all the rest of
creation. Aware that time is pushing him
against the wall, he surprisingly called for a snap election few months later.
That was in February of 1986.
Unfortunately, that call proved to be his
last undoing, a kiss of death to his undefeated political career sealing his
honeymoon with politics beyond his wildest imagination. The Filipinos were
robbed off of victory alleging Cory Aquino’s camp rigging off the result of
election favoring of course Ninoy Aquino’s widow. Ergo, wasting no time, he had Tolentino, his running mate, and
himself proclaimed as winning candidates in Malacañng balcony of course mostly
his loyalists in attendance.
“Good grief Charlie Brown! It was the first
time that the Philippines
Sadly though, it confirms to be Marcos’ last hurrah as thousands of Filipinos were already pressing Malacañang’s
gate to probably deliver the final coup ‘d grace. Seething with anger
accumulating over the years, they were seemingly out for the biggest kill
against the greatest plunderer of the nation.
Seeing the great multitude cutting barb wires amidst guns and cannons so
to speak, probably finally convinced Marcos of eating his words that not all 60
million population are that cowards prompting him staging his last and graceful exit from
Malacañang palace and the country.
Good that at least he did not succumb to
the unsolicited advice from Gen. Ver, his once trusted servant leapfrogging
into a rabid Marcos General and loyalist, to bomb Camp Aguinaldo where the
mutineers led by Enrile and Fidel Ramos and thousand others holed in. And or EDSA whose 54 kilometers were filled
with people from all walks of life.
“Who says that Judas is only in the bible
giving headache to Jesus. He was right
there in the Philippines too
reincarnated in Camp
Aguinaldo
What would have been considered a
historical disgrace to the ailing President incredibly became his last saving
grace interpreted by Post Martial Law Media. That delighting mostly many
loyalists’ camp of course. One thing was sure though, freedom was back and
people could speak their minds raving and ranting on different issues without any fear and
tremble.
“That’s why there still that tag of greatness attached to his name,” says a
Marcos loyalist forever rightfully intoned.
Maybe.
Unknown though to him and great many others is the fact that it was not
definitely advisable blowing up Camp
Aguinaldo into bits and pieces let alone cooling off the intensity of People
Power gaining momentum sustained by peoples
power coming alive along Epifanio del los Santos Avenue or EDSA providing
him excellent and legitimate excuse of sneaking out from the
palace. He would have been roasted alive
by the Filipinos he exploited had White House did not intervene.
“No thanks to Pentagon connection for
showing great mercy sparing Apo Ferdie’s life his hoarded gold and other
amassed wealth included’” he snapped back in consolation.
“Hail, hail the gangs all here. What a heck
together in this stormy weather. . . .” Ka Ferdie, the Cojuangco’s, Bendicto’s
and the rest of Alibaba’s entourage might have sang merrily while aboard that
American jet plane shopping safer country.
“Oh no Poaoy men not Hawaii!,” Marcos might
have begged and exclaimed griping as he and the first lady were escorted by an
American servicemen down to Honolulu
tarmac. This was on Feb. 26, 1986. Asian Journal recorded the following
luggage after few hours Marcos party
landed in Honolulu:
“300
crates on board C-141 cargo jet. .. took 25 custom officers five hours
to tag
the bags and identify the contents. . .
. There were 278 crates of jewelry
and art worth an estimated US45 million. 22
crates contained more than
Ph27.7million in newly minted currency, mostly
hundred-peso denominations
worth approximately US$1,270,000.00 . . . . certificates
of deposit from
Philippine banks worth about US$1 million, 5 handguns, 154
videotapes,
17 cassette tapes and 2,068 pages of documents . . . .”
Driarco was disoriented of the
figures and facts learned. But surely of course, such properties were just the
tip of an iceberg.
The same feather flocks together. Thus, he
joins the likes of Baby Duc Duvalier of Haiti ,
Shah Pavlavi of Iran ,
Anastacio Somoza of Nicaragua Philippines ’ ground in Laoag much later not
until his double in exquisite wax
was displayed in Aglipayan
Church right across their residence in
Batac, Ilocos Sur.
. . . . . . . . . . .
No doubt, the nine long years of military
rule was a nightmare to Juan. “If I were
dreaming about it, I would rather not wake up until I have dreamed it away from
my consciousness,” Driarco opined. So
many lives were wasted from academe to the church, labor unions to farmers,
students to enlisted men and ordinary
citizens to civilians. It’s just what militarization is capable of doing.
Treasured intuitions too collapsed one after the other. To aggravate the problem, the country was
held captive by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and their Filipino
cohorts practically ramming down into Juan’s mouth what to do with his economy
from levying of additional burdensome taxes from beleaguered tax payers to
prompt payment of his financial obligation.
Debt cap has been rallied only to get categorical “No!” answer from
those powerful international Monetary bodies. Juan suffers all the more.
“Most unlikely, you can just even request
for a moratorium of your obligation unless you’d like to have your economy
strangled squeezed to death by IMF the way it did to other countries like those
in Latin American countries like Brazil ,
Peru and Argentina
Pulling off surprising victory on the just
concluded snap election notwithstanding the claim on the contrary by the
opposing camp that Marcos and Tolentino
actually won, she finally set the tone of her administration opening the
Malacanang to the general viewing public exposing the extravagance of the first
couple. “Gee, how could the first couple can ill afford living that lavish life
while millions of Filipinos were naked, starved to death and homeless,” Juan
exclaimed seeing the ostentatious display of wealth inside the palace.
He who runs away during a fight naturally
lost, was how Sen. Rene Saguisag justifies the legality of Cory’s victory in
one of his appearance in Dong Puno’s highly rated Viewpoint’s talk show.
Just like in cockfights in other words. But it was not a cockfight, but an
election, the opposing gentleman would openly argue against. So what, Juan might probably intervene. He
has been deprived of basic necessities in life, decent living in his own land for
so long. Enough is enough. It’s time to welcome the widow that is Cory to
provide the necessary lift.
True enough, she did great favor to Juan by
giving him back his security and freedom to live mangled by Marcos. As
categorically declared in her inaugural address on the 25th of
February to be magnanimous in victory, she released the first batch of 441
detainees and 39 prisoners in her third day of office. Horacio Morales, Fr. Ed de le Torre and Lt.
Victor Corpus, an erstwhile professor at Philippine Military Academy in Baguio
Undoubtedly, the restoration of democracy
buried in the quagmire by the late dictator was swift gradually restoring too Juan’s normal breathing spree savoring anew the freshness of democracy. She also formed the Presidential Commission
on Human Rights. Though devoid of any
police power, it helped every Filipino seek redress against any human right violators. After her declaration of provisional or revolutionary government, she went on
proclaiming the creation of Constitutional Commission primarily tasked in
formulating draft of Constitution after
thorough consultation with Filipino people in a national consensus scale all
throughout the country. Successfully
ratified, it would later became law of
the land stipulating all those principles of
effective and legal governance.
The transition from dictatorial to
democratic was not all beds and roses though for Juan. Dwindling economy, $28 Billion IMF debt,
sporadic hostilities between the reds and military, bloated bureaucracy,
possible resurgence of fascist rule given the power and unpredictability of
Marcos’ loyalists camp, termination of Military Bases Agreement, internecine
strife of Muslims’ for autonomy and independence in Mindanao, above all else bread and butter for Juan
painted a rather challenging and narrow path for peace and development.
One of her drawback though was when she
declared the controversial and problematic $2.3 Billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant not her priority
concern. Such unpopular decision and gesture
boomeranged to her administration waning gradually her popularity giving
pressures to nationalists block and opposition in the House of Congress and
Senate. This white elephant build yet
over a volcanic area draining taxpayers money as the country pays millions of
pesos in interest alone daily should have really been addressed. And there’s no other way to do it than really
facing and addressing the problem squarely. When this would be
however, is yet to be seen as she was top heavy and preoccupied with enormous
problems inherited from Marcos.
Obviously, the homework for President Cory
Aquino was huge and difficult. But there’s no other way out than really facing and start solving it. Gratefully,
democratic space was all there left for consultation. It’s all what Cory
and the people need to move on. It’s what Juan badly needs as he was once
deprived during military rule, many
starved to death that he has no recourse but to go up in the hills.
The 1,200,000 signatories started it all
proving to one and all that Filipinos are not that stupid and ignorant and that
given the chance to shine, could turn any events upside down such as
restoration of democracy not through the barrel of a gun but through the power
of the ballots in an election.
“It’s time to participate not just support
because supporting is merely saliva power.”
“Nothing is indeed worthwhile than really
serving the country. That Filipinos have
shown to the whole world how to introduce sweeping change through people’s
power without any bloodshed is no ordinary feat. Juan just did it with minimum
damage if at all, to the claim of the
contrary,” the consoling thought giving him fleeting contentment.
Again the transition was far from
over. This is the challenge facing every
Filipino today. Indiscriminate firing would still fill the air unabated if
there would be no sincerity of working out lasting peace for both camps.
Ceasefire would just be in papers only, no substance whatsoever if only
summoned during Christmas and holidays.
Such would be tragedy for democracy. As such the next generation might
soon wake up only to just died down without seeing the dawn of genuine
democracy let alone, worked out and practiced.
We will never fail. How could we
when we have not even tried and worked it, one columnist would succinctly puts
it. Perhaps, the Brother’s Four relevant question would still be asked: When would we ever learn, when would we ever
learn?
While there is still time to do and act or
when we have ourselves already blown into bits and pieces as Aldous Huxley puts
it bravely fictionalized in his “The
Brave New World”. Let us be therefore
all be brave but not at the expense of squeezing each other’s throat but
by building better working human relationship between and among us
Filipinos. After all, we belong to the
same race, creed and living in the same nation eating the same food in this
rice and corn eating republic.
Earlier, it has been noticeably observed
that the lists of casualties of past dictatorship was long. No doubt on that.
Fr. Driacro, Taklin and the rest of the gang were just part of the great
multitude sacrificed for the freedom of the country. The trend is still progressing and that
should preoccupied everybody’s mind as it seems we have not exorcised the
country’s evil yet. Think for instance
of the statistics gathered by Task force Detainees. It’s alarming to Juan
painting black scenario around him – 4.5 million children affected or exposed
to the conflict, 10 million people killed, injured, sick or displaced by the
conflict. The saddest reality one has to grapple with is that those who
received the worst beatings are mostly civilians from poorest regions. To top it all around 120,000 were already
displace evacuees rivaling boatpeople of Vietnam
in Bataan and Palawan . Internal refugees, that’s what Juan would
commonly call unfortunately in his own homeland.
How to stop this senseless killings is
precisely the challenge hurl to each one of us.
No use wasting lives. It’s only given once. Live it abundantly, advised St. Paul
Driarco finally stop pounding his
typewriter thinking he has bare his soul out and done his part. It was time
for the critics to comment to his piece.
As he marked his character and individuality in it, it’s time to listen to
feedback from the right eyes and see what might be done to improve his piece.
And devil may care. He doesn’t mind for as long as he already delivered his
best shot. Closing with a short prayer, he paused with a consoling thought that his message of peace in this
magnum opus would reverberate saturating the entire 7,100 island of the
archipelago with his Peace! On that note, he could now afford sleeping
peacefully without fear.
. . . . . . . . . . .
No doubt, the nine long years of military
rule was a nightmare to Juan. “If I were
dreaming about it, I would rather not wake up until I have dreamed it away from
my consciousness,” Driarco opined. So
many lives were wasted from academe to the church, labor unions to farmers,
students to enlisted men and ordinary
citizens to civilians. It’s just what militarization is capable of doing.
Treasured intuitions too collapsed one after the other. To aggravate the problem, the country was
held captive by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and their Filipino
cohorts practically ramming down into Juan’s mouth what to do with his economy
from levying of additional burdensome taxes from beleaguered tax payers to
prompt payment of his financial obligation.
Debt cap has been rallied only to get categorical “No!” answer from
those powerful international Monetary bodies. Juan suffers all the more.
“Most unlikely, you can just even request
for a moratorium of your obligation unless you’d like to have your economy
strangled squeezed to death by IMF the way it did to other countries like those
in Latin American countries like Brazil ,
Peru and Argentina
Pulling off surprising victory on the just
concluded snap election notwithstanding the claim on the contrary by the
opposing camp that Marcos and Tolentino
actually won, she finally set the tone of her administration opening the
Malacanang to the general viewing public exposing the extravagance of the first
couple. “Gee, how could the first couple can ill afford living that lavish life
while millions of Filipinos were naked, starved to death and homeless,” Juan
exclaimed seeing the ostentatious display of wealth inside the palace.
He who runs away during a fight naturally
lost, was how Sen. Rene Saguisag justifies the legality of Cory’s victory in
one of his appearance in Dong Puno’s highly rated Viewpoint’s talk show.
Just like in cockfights in other words. But it was not a cockfight, but an
election, the opposing gentleman would openly argue against. So what, Juan might probably intervene. He
has been deprived of basic necessities in life, decent living in his own land for
so long. Enough is enough. It’s time to welcome the widow that is Cory to
provide the necessary lift.
True enough, she did great favor to Juan by
giving him back his security and freedom to live mangled by Marcos. As
categorically declared in her inaugural address on the 25th of
February to be magnanimous in victory, she released the first batch of 441
detainees and 39 prisoners in her third day of office. Horacio Morales, Fr. Ed de le Torre and Lt.
Victor Corpus, an erstwhile professor at Philippine Military Academy in Baguio
Undoubtedly, the restoration of democracy
buried in the quagmire by the late dictator was swift gradually restoring too Juan’s normal breathing spree savoring anew the freshness of democracy. She also formed the Presidential Commission
on Human Rights. Though devoid of any
police power, it helped every Filipino seek redress against any human right violators. After her declaration of provisional or revolutionary government, she went on
proclaiming the creation of Constitutional Commission primarily tasked in
formulating draft of Constitution after
thorough consultation with Filipino people in a national consensus scale all
throughout the country. Successfully
ratified, it would later became law of
the land stipulating all those principles of
effective and legal governance.
The transition from dictatorial to
democratic was not all beds and roses though for Juan. Dwindling economy, $28 Billion IMF debt,
sporadic hostilities between the reds and military, bloated bureaucracy,
possible resurgence of fascist rule given the power and unpredictability of
Marcos’ loyalists camp, termination of Military Bases Agreement, internecine
strife of Muslims’ for autonomy and independence in Mindanao, above all else bread and butter for Juan
painted a rather challenging and narrow path for peace and development.
One of her drawback though was when she
declared the controversial and problematic $2.3 Billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant not her priority
concern. Such unpopular decision and gesture
boomeranged to her administration waning gradually her popularity giving
pressures to nationalists block and opposition in the House of Congress and
Senate. This white elephant build yet
over a volcanic area draining taxpayers money as the country pays millions of
pesos in interest alone daily should have really been addressed. And there’s no other way to do it than really
facing and addressing the problem squarely. When this would be
however, is yet to be seen as she was top heavy and preoccupied with enormous
problems inherited from Marcos.
Obviously, the homework for President Cory
Aquino was huge and difficult. But there’s no other way out than really facing and start solving it. Gratefully,
democratic space was all there left for consultation. It’s all what Cory
and the people need to move on. It’s what Juan badly needs as he was once
deprived during military rule, many
starved to death that he has no recourse but to go up in the hills.
The 1,200,000 signatories started it all
proving to one and all that Filipinos are not that stupid and ignorant and that
given the chance to shine, could turn any events upside down such as
restoration of democracy not through the barrel of a gun but through the power
of the ballots in an election.
“It’s time to participate not just support
because supporting is merely saliva power.”
“Nothing is indeed worthwhile than really
serving the country. That Filipinos have
shown to the whole world how to introduce sweeping change through people’s
power without any bloodshed is no ordinary feat. Juan just did it with minimum
damage if at all, to the claim of the
contrary,” the consoling thought giving him fleeting contentment.
Again the transition was far from
over. This is the challenge facing every
Filipino today. Indiscriminate firing would still fill the air unabated if
there would be no sincerity of working out lasting peace for both camps.
Ceasefire would just be in papers only, no substance whatsoever if only
summoned during Christmas and holidays.
Such would be tragedy for democracy. As such the next generation might
soon wake up only to just died down without seeing the dawn of genuine
democracy let alone, worked out and practiced.
We will never fail. How could we
when we have not even tried and worked it, one columnist would succinctly puts
it. Perhaps, the Brother’s Four relevant question would still be asked: When would we ever learn, when would we ever
learn?
While there is still time to do and act or
when we have ourselves already blown into bits and pieces as Aldous Huxley puts
it bravely fictionalized in his “The
Brave New World”. Let us be therefore
all be brave but not at the expense of squeezing each other’s throat but
by building better working human relationship between and among us
Filipinos. After all, we belong to the
same race, creed and living in the same nation eating the same food in this
rice and corn eating republic.
Earlier, it has been noticeably observed
that the lists of casualties of past dictatorship was long. No doubt on that.
Fr. Driacro, Taklin and the rest of the gang were just part of the great
multitude sacrificed for the freedom of the country. The trend is still progressing and that
should preoccupied everybody’s mind as it seems we have not exorcised the
country’s evil yet. Think for instance
of the statistics gathered by Task force Detainees. It’s alarming to Juan
painting black scenario around him – 4.5 million children affected or exposed
to the conflict, 10 million people killed, injured, sick or displaced by the
conflict. The saddest reality one has to grapple with is that those who
received the worst beatings are mostly civilians from poorest regions. To top it all around 120,000 were already
displace evacuees rivaling boatpeople of Vietnam
in Bataan and Palawan . Internal refugees, that’s what Juan would
commonly call unfortunately in his own homeland.
How to stop this senseless killings is
precisely the challenge hurl to each one of us.
No use wasting lives. It’s only given once. Live it abundantly, advised St. Paul
Driarco finally stop pounding his
typewriter thinking he has bare his soul out and done his part. It was time
for the critics to comment to his piece.
As he marked his character and individuality in it, it’s time to listen to
feedback from the right eyes and see what might be done to improve his piece.
And devil may care. He doesn’t mind for as long as he already delivered his
best shot. Closing with a short prayer, he paused with a consoling thought that his message of peace in this
magnum opus would reverberate saturating the entire 7,100 island of the
archipelago with his Peace! On that note, he could now afford sleeping
peacefully without fear.
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