“Cory’s concept of democracy proved to be nothing but the democracy of the ruling elite,” Lumbera said. He said lands were back into the hands of big landlords, belying the meaning of genuine land reform.
He considered the successful campaign to end the lease of the US bases in the country an important achievement of the people’s movement during Aquino’s time.
Lumbera said the fourth landmark included the entry of partylist groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela in electoral politics.
“This means that the ideology of the national democratic movement has spread, he said. People start electing groups whose end goal is national liberation.”
He said that participation in an election is just one leg of the people’s journey. Acquiring seats in Congress is a test how far the efforts of the people’s movement have gone, so far, in realizing a society that the people envisions.
Sobrevega-Chan said that even people who don’t accept the national democratic ideology cannot dispute the truth. You cannot discount the fact that there is rice crisis and the workers are receiving measly wages, while on the other hand, there is a sector that exploits,” she said.
Bienvenido Lumbera(davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)
Lumbera said the time under President Arroyo is even worse than the Martial Law years.
In spite of the restrictions created by Martial Law, the movement was able to circumvent the rules set up by dictatorship. The same should be applied in arousing, mobilizing the masses to resist the current Arroyo regime,” he said.
Lumbera said that Marcos and Arroyo both have the resources to keep themselves in power but Arroyo gets away with all the controversies hounding her because of the susceptibility of the congressmen, mayors and governors to be bribed.
“She is good in finding the weakness in the local officials’ character,” Lumbera said.
After four decades of the journey toward achieving a society free from exploitation, the people’s movement remains credible, he said.
“The mere fact that the movement is still here despite threats, monetary problems and other obstacles means that it has kept its moral ascendancy,” said Sobrevega-Chan.
She said revisiting the past is good not only to honor those who offered their lives, or meet old and new generations of activists but also to review whether goals that the movement have set remain worth fighting for.
Lumbera said greatest challenge for the people’s movement is to consolidate its forces.
“In 2010, when national elections will be held, people will have a way in getting rid of Arroyo. We expect more determined moves to get Arroyo out of the way,” he said. (Grace S. Uddin/davaotoday.com)
