On Heroism Today

Before Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad in 1896, he was already regarded as a hero by his fellow countrymen. And all the more when he was martyred on that fateful day, 30 December. But he did not want this for himself. His request to his family was for a simple grave with an epitaph marking his name, date of birth, and date of death. No anniversaries.

Years after his death, his bones were interred from the Paco Cemetery to the monument erected in his honor at the Luneta. And we commemorate every December 30 his martyrdom.

Question: Did his family seek the State's recognition to bestow a hero's burial for Jose Rizal?

Recently, the Marcos family won a Supreme Court (SC) decision favoring their dead patriarch to be buried - finally - at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (LNMB). Due to the information that he was a World War 2 veteran, Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos has basis to be buried there. After 20 years in Malacañang, he was ousted by a popular uprising dubbed Edsa 1 in 1986. Before he died in Hawaii as an exile, it was reported that he wanted to be buried next to his mother in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Then President Fidel Ramos allowed the return of the late president's remains provided that Marcos be buried there. The Marcos family returned to the country but sought the State that their patriarch be buried at the LMNB. And they requested for it since then.

Countless court cases and motions were filed prohibiting the move because of the horrors brought about by Marcos's proclamation of Martial Law in 1972 and even after its official lifting in 1981. The SC justices then affirmed history's judgment that Marcos was ousted and served as dictator thereby denying State burial.

Upon the assumption of Rodrigo Duterte as president, a State burial for Marcos began to ring again since the term of former President Joseph Estrada. Another round of cases and motions were submitted to the SC again. But with the present SC, a 90 degree turn occurred. The dictator Marcos will now be buried with State honors. And his family, of course, rejoiced. They are now saying that the country can move on.

The Marcos family sought the State's recognition to regard their patriarch as a hero. But did they seek the Filipino people's affirmation?

Now, let Rizal's bones be removed from his monument in Luneta. He was regarded as "a traitor to Mother Spain," right? Therefore, it is not correct to call him a hero.

But a tyrant Marcos can now be called as such. Thanks to the State.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Para sa Morong 43 at sa mga Doktor na naglilingkod sa Bayan (multiply post, Feb 24, '10 7:23 PM)

Batid na natin ang pag-aresto, pagkulong, at hindi makataong pagtrato ng mga militar na nakahimpil sa Tanay, Rizal sa binansagang Morong 43. Sila ay 43 health workers, doctors, at nurses na "nahuli" sa isang rest house sa Morong sa aktong "bomb making" seminar.

Nakapagpapakamot ng ulo ang ganitong argumento ng mga humuli sa mga nasabing health workers dahil kasapi raw ang Morong 43 ng Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA). May plano ang grupo na maghasik ng takot at pasabugin ang ilang lugar lalo na't nalalapit ang eleksyon. (Martial Law?)

Ang katwiran ng mga hinuling health workers at ng mga sumusuporta sa kanila ay naroon sila sa lugar upang mag-seminar kaugnay ng kanilang gawaing pangkalusugan. Ayon sa militar, kasapi ang mga hinuli sa health bureau ng CPP-NPA. At malaking bilang nga ito ng mga inakusahang komunista na sinasabing dapat puksain pagkatapos ng termino ni Pangulong Arroyo. Ito ang pangako ng dating Chief-of-Staff Hermogenes Esperon. (General, bakit marami pa ring NPA hanggang ngayon?)

Kaya, ilan sa mga doktor na nasa malalayong lugar ang pinagsisilbihan ay natatakot dahil sa ganitong pangyayari. Na kapag sa kanayunan nanggagamot, komunista? Kapag gumagamit ng acupuncture, komunista?

Habang nasa isang reception nitong Linggo, hindi sinasadyang mapag-usapan namin ng doktor at tatay ng karelasyon ko ang tungkol sa Doctor to the Barrios program na sinimulan ni dating Senador at Dr. Juan Flavier. May serye pa nga ng aklat na may gayunding pamagat na inakda si Dr. Flavier na dati ring Department of Health (DOH) Secretary bago niya pamunuan ang DOH. Isa ang tatay ng karelasyon ko na sumuporta't kabilang sa mga doktor na pumupunta sa malalayong lugar, lalo na sa mga bulubundukin. Doon, sinusuri nila ang kalagayan ng mga katutubo at tinuturuan sila sa tamang hygiene. At ang serbisyong ito ng mga doktor ay libre. Kahanga-hanga ang mga doktor at health workers na ito na sa ngalan ng kanilang tungkulin ay dadayo pa sa mga lugar na hindi maabot ng kuryente, cellphone, at internet mapagsilbihan lang ang ating mga kababayan.

Sa pagtsetsek ko ngayong araw ng ilang proyekto sa pananaliksik ng aking mga estuydante, isang balita mula sa Philippine Daily Inquirer tungkol sa mga doktor sa barrios ang magandang ibahagi rito. Narito ang nasa unang pahina:

"Flavier Pays UP doc a visit in barrio"
by Carlos H. Conde, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Vol 8, No 208, Monday, 5 July 1993

San Luis, Agusan del Sur -- Like any other doting father, Health Secretary Juan M. Flavier is spoiling his "first child," Dr. Henry Plaza, 32.

Plaza, a 1991 graduate of the University of the Philippines, is the first doctor to respond to Flavier's call to "serve the barrios."

For the past two months, Plaza has been serving the medical needs of this riverside town (pop: 19,000), which may be reached after some two hours of rough driving from Prosperidad, the provincial capital.

The last time a doctor had been assigned here was 23 years ago.

Visiting Plaza over the weekend, Flavier asked the young doctor what his most pressing need was.

"A 4-by-4 pick-up," Plaza said, "so I can reach the mountain barangays."

Flavier took less than an hour to think. "Call me up if the vehicle has not arrived by July 15," he told Plaza.

(Maraming salamat kay Ivy Rose Delas Alas para sa kopya ng balitang ito.)

Sa balitang ito, makikita ang pagtugon ng isang doktor sa programang doktor sa mga baryo. Bagaman isa lang halimbawa ang balitang ito, nakatitiyak akong marami ang nagsilbi sa mga kanayunan. Nasabi ko sa tatay ng aking karelasyon na sana'y may pahayag si Dr. Flavier sa nangyari sa Morong 43 dahil pagsisilbi rin sa mahihirap na mamamayan ang ginagawa ng mga sinasabing komunistang health worker.

Pero bago pa gawing DOH program ito ni Flavier noon, mainit na rin sa mata ng mga militar ang mga doktor na nagpupunta sa mga baryo. Isa sa mga kilalang doktor noon ay si Dr. Remberto dela Paz. Pinatay siya sa Samar ng mga pinaghihinalaang militar noong Pebrero 1982. Tumutulong si Dr. dela Paz sa mga tao roon, hindi lang sa pag-aalaga ng kalusugan,  pati sa kung paano pauunlarin ang antas ng kanilang pamumuhay. Hanggang ngayon, walang naparusahan sa kung sinuman ang pumatay sa butihing doktor.

Kung ang Morong 43 ay may pagkakasala, ito ay dahil sa kanilang paniniwala't prinsipyong maglingkod sa mga mamamayang walang-wala at nangangailangan ng atensyong medikal.

Sila ay mga bayani.

Tags: elections, martial law, morong 43, military, activism

Proclamation 1959: Proclaiming a State of Martial Law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the province of Maguindanao except for certain areas (multiply post, Dec 5, '09 6:42 PM)

Whereas, Proclamation No. 1946 was issued on 24 November 2009 declaring a state of emergency in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and the City of Cotabato for the purpose of preventing and suppressing lawless violence in the aforesaid areas.

Whereas, Sec. 18 Art. VII of the Constitution provides that “in case of invasion or rebellion, when public safety requires it, the President may, for a period not exceeding 60 days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law."

Whereas, Republic Act 6986 provides that “the crime of rebellion or insurrection is committed by rising publicly and taking arms against the government for the purpose of depriving the Chief Executive or the Legislature, wholly or partially, of any of their powers or
prerogatives."

Whereas, heavily armed groups in the province of Maguindanao have established positions to resist government troops thereby depriving the Executive of its powers and prerogatives to enforce the laws of the land to maintain public order and safety.

Whereas, the condition of peace and order in the province of Maguindanao has deteriorated to the extent that local judicial system and other government mechanisms in the province are not functioning; thus, endangering public safety.

Whereas, the implementing operational guidelines of the GRP-MILF agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities dated 14 Nov. 1997 provides that the following is considered a prohibited hostile act: “establishment of checkpoints except those necessary for the GRP’s
enforcement and maintenance of peace and order and for the defense and security of the MILF in their identified areas as jointly determined by GRP and MILF."

Now, therefore I, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and by law, do hereby proclaim as follows:

Sec. 1: There is hereby declared a state of martial law in the
province of Maguindanao except for the identified areas of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front as referred to in the implementing
operational guidelines of the GRP-MILF agreement on the General
Cessation of Hostilities.

Sec. 2: The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall likewise be
suspended in the aforesaid area for the duration of the state of
martial law.

Done in the City of Manila this 4th day of December in the Year of Our
Lord, Two Thousand and Nine.


(Originally Signed)

Gloria M. Arroyo

By the President:

(Originally Signed)
Eduardo Ermita
Executive Secretary

Tags: press freedom, military, activism, revolution, freedom, martial law, politika, political killings, death

 

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edit delete reply lvbamante wrote on Dec 5, '09, edited on Dec 5, '09 this i reposted for posterity and antiquity. i don't believe martial law will maintain peace and order in maguindanao. even if the power of the president in proclaiming martial law is stated in the constitution, we must be vigilant and steadfast against the curtailment of human and civil rights by another rabid dictatorship.

edit delete reply lvbamante wrote on Dec 7, '09, edited on Dec 7, '09 may mga nagtatanong, "ano'ng invasion ang tinutukoy ng konstitusyon para ibaba ang ML?" at kung nagkakaisa ang lahat ng pilipino hinggil sa kahulugan ng pagsalakay, ibig sabihin may banta ng pagsalakay sa maguindanao. ang sabi ng pamahalaan, ang ML ay para mahuli ang mga may kinalaman sa pagpatay sa mga mamamahayag, mga mangudadatu at mga tagasuporta nila? "Ano'ng invasion nga ba ito?"