He has reneged on his pledges and his acts have all floundered in utter failure. One would ask Why?
Digging up on old issues of Gimbao (newsletter publication of the defunct DEMS or Development Education Media Services Inc.) I came upon this article by Davao scholar and historian Macario D. Tiu, written 19 years ago. The essay entitled “Culture of Defeat”. strikes me as still throbbing with bloody reality and still very relevant to the present-day crisis in Philippine society. And so I decided to have it reprinted in full here –
Female political prisoners at the Taguig City Jail (TCJ) slammed the BS Aquino government for constructing a “first class jail” meant only for high profile detainees such as pork barrel scammers Senators Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce-Enrile, and other personalities like Atty. Gigi Reyes and Janet Napoles.
Teachers across the country mounted a protest action today dubbed as “Black armband Friday” to demand increase in their salary and to condemn President Benigno Aquino III’s “arrogant defense” of his controversial use of government savings called Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Victims of alleged illegal recruitment seek support from local office of Migrante Davao as they file complaint with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in Davao City. The 27 victims are residents of Lupon, Davao Oriental who claimed they already gave P40,000 to P100,000 to a Korean national and his Filipino to facilitate their job placement to what appeared to be non-existing jobs in South Korea. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
I will not tell you about the ordeal we suffered, but I will tell you about how that did not stop me.
Campus journalists mark the 56th month commemoration of the Maguindanao massacre during the opening of the Press Freedom Week. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
It’s an exhausting day for this young girl who bikes off with her brother looking for useful trash as they navigate the tight road along C. Bangoy corner Palmagil, Davao City. (Medel V. Hernani/davaotoday.com)
Ironically, I must leave what I know as home for what I know as a battlefield: from Mindanao to Manila. Strange, how years before, my paradigm was in a complete reverse, patterned to common myths of vain consequence. And now, my permanent home will not be the mapped streets and affixed buildings of the known city that I head toward, but the roving mountains and seas, unmarked except by restless feet that follow stars and struggles. Soon enough, I shall be called back home.
Kilusang Mayo Uno spokesperson Romulado Basilio discusses the plight of the workers in the militant unions’ version of State of the Workers Address. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
