“The decibels of opposition are now stoked by ill-thought sloganeering made imperative which somehow mocks the realities on the ground”
IN JUST a few days, several events came, bringing portents of a “bagong luma” order — the resurrection of the old by its new re-incarnation.
When the logo for Bagong Pilipinas was unveiled earlier this year, this writer and others immediately drew parallelism to the Marcos Sr. “Bagong Lipunan,” the catchword used by the dictator to describe the martial law regime that promised a new domestic order.
Now, still giddy over the overwhelming vote received in 2022, and perhaps hoping sloganeering and bountiful ayuda will trump all the dissatisfaction gathered through the past two years, the administration comes up with an anthem and oath, and require government offices and public schools to sing this after the Lupang Hinirang and Panatang Makabayan through Memorandum Circular 52.
For senior citizens who experienced the early days of martial law, a chilling effect is felt. What is the present administration of Marcos Jr. up to?
For many others reeling from “walang kamatayang” inflation and the depreciation of their standards of living, the decibels of opposition are now stoked by ill-thought sloganeering made imperative which somehow mocks the realities on the ground.
“Ano ang pinagbago?” many ask.
A “yellow” friend immediately sent a text message, which was forwarded to me by a recipient who no longer classifies himself with the political color, and it says:
“Ano ang nagbago? Adik nagkalat; presyo’y sumisipa. Bigas na pangakong bente kada kilo, ngayon ay sisenta; sa ibang bansa pa galing. Kurakot kaliwa’t kanan; lahat na’y pinagkakitaan.
“Nabudol nung halalan, sa gintong pangako at kasaysayang binago. Ito ba ang pagbabago?”
I will cut it short, as the call to action isn’t something I would endorse.
These and many other reactions on social media just goes to show that ill-conceived sloganeering that masks true reality can be very easily corrupted.
In the industry, we say “madaling baluktutin.”
Like LOVE the Philippines, best to get back to the drawing board.
Or even yet, just keep quiet and work, work, work, with proper plans and direction, instead of words, words, and more words.
***
The grand coming-out party for Bagong Pilipinas followed a grand palabas, a virtual invasion of Duterte turf, when our leaders, with a back-up chorus of 168 or so congressmen from different regions swooped down on Davao del Norte, bringing oodles and oodles of “ayuda.”
Sobrang OA, the apolitical residents whose governor was suspended and re-suspended observed.
From the people, back to the people, since in the Ayuda Republic, everything comes from public funds anyway.
But what is this about the invasion by 168 of the representatives of the people, that elicited observations that the Batasan had a quorum in Davao?
Oh well, each supposedly got a promise of “7-7-7” for their districts, just for being part of the hallelujah chorus.
Seven million each for three kinds of “ayuda” from three departments of government to which Congress parked the funds in the 2024 budget.
Again, we ask: “ano ang pagbabago?”
Soft pork by the barrels, as hard pork has been sliced thinly.
Soft pork is ayuda, best used in aid of re-election; hard pork is infrastructure projects, where the “tongpats,” better yet, “kaltas” have gone many times over the usual.
***
Then, in the wee hours of Monday morning, troops swooped down upon the vicinity of the Davao International Airport, looking for the “Appointed Son” of his God who has been in hiding for months since both houses of Congress and the DOJ ordered his arrest.
The contingent of troops came from other places, from Gen San and Misamis, with air support from drones and helicopters, not even from the newly-installed SAF troopers that two weeks ago replaced the entire police force of the southern city, Mindanao’s biggest.
Not finding the elusive “son” they arrested three farmers in the vicinity, for carrying “deadly weapons” which were their bolos used in cultivating the soil.
All that for nothing, with our enforcers getting egg splashed all over their faces.
OA and overkill na, palpak pa!
***
Then comes newly-elected Senate President Chiz Escudero bewailing how it is OA to spend P23 billion for a new “iconic” Senate building, after the cost ballooned from an original P8 billion pesos.
Set side by side with the hardships people experience these days, P23 billion for a new building seems over the top indeed.
I still cannot understand why the HoR and the “august” Senate cannot house themselves in the same compound in Commonwealth Hills, as envisioned by a former Senate president who became president, Manuel Luis Quezon.