THE MOUNTAINEER

Edison L. Baddal
EDSA I and after (11)

In communist China, a massive student protest for democratic reforms at the Tiananmen square ended violently when the 27th army division cracked down on the protestors on June 4,1989. In Myanmar, the hardline military ruling clique refused to hand over power to Suu Kyi even after she won the election by a landslide in 1990.

She has since become the symbol of people’s defiance against the military clique.About two years ago, some 100 people were killed when a people’s protest movement led by monks failed to dislodge the Myanmar’s ruling military clique. People power may have failed in some countries but its successful adaptation and adoption by peoples groaning under an oppressive regime cannot and will never be ignored.

On the home front, the military became restive as Cory Aquino consolidated power after her assumption to the presidency. Seven military coups rocked her government starting with the Manila Hotel incident in July, 1986 led by Gringo Honasan. The rest were mere military adventurism led by junior officers.The most deadly coup to be faced by Cory Aquino was that which took place in December, 1989.This was also led by Honasan. The coup negated the improving economic growth and outlook of the country then.

Generally considered a transition president during her watch, Cory successfully weathered all the storms that buffeted her turbulent reign. She showed a superior moral strength in facing up to all those challenges and she brandished it as her most potent weapon. Her peaceful handover of power to Fidel Ramos on June 30, 1992 was a moral, let alone spiritual,triumph on her part.

The Ramos presidency is among the best the country ever had as the country enjoyed an unprecedented economic growth, political stability and peace as the military rebels were kept at the barracks and insurgency was regulated. During his watch, the 1996 GRP-MILF peace agreement was signed which ended a more than two-decade MILF-GRP conflict. His sweeping socio-economic reforms were stalled by the 1997 Asian economic flu that brought down the industrializing economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore and sank down the economy of Japan further into the doldrums. However, his safety nets secured the Philippine economy from being seriously affected by the 1997 Asian economic crisis.

Ramos’ socio-economic achievements were brought down the drain by Joseph Estrada who took over as President on June 30,1998. He mismanaged the economy aside from personal involvement in economically damaging shady deals, not to mention syndicated crimes like jueteng.

His criminal and shady network sparked colossal and far-reaching protests which culminated into EDSA II and abbreviated his presidency on January 20,2001. His ouster swept Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into power. She was promising at first although she has had her share of controversial scandals like the Asean street lamps overprice, the ZTE Broadband scam, the hot fertilizer scam, Girl Scout fund diversions, ‘Hello Garci’ scandal, Mega-Pacific computer scandal among others.

To her credit though, she exhibited a lot of guts to face up to all of them aside from all challenges to her rule with verve, panache, persistence, rubbery attitude and gumption. At best, she is showing to one and sundry that she meant business and dead set on carving a niche in history as a good and working president.

She is also showing inclination as a no nonsense leader who would not waste any opportunity to move the country forward. The post-EDSA leaders have left indelible imprints, favorable or otherwise, in the nation’s political-administrative landscape for posterity to honor or to despise.
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Meanwhile, the current economic crisis which is wreaking havoc in advanced economies is also affecting the national economy in some ways. At this point, solidarity, teamwork and oneness regardless of distinction as to race, ethnicity, language among others should unite Filipinos once more just like the past EDSAs when they banded together as one to bring down contemptible president.

This is a hackneyed cliché but worth iterating as we are denizens of this country whose greatness is being delayed every now and then. The current government is anything but perfect but the political guns of twitting and pooh-poohing should be silenced at this point.

The Filipinos did it before and they can do it once more with greater pride, dedication, enthusiasm and patriotism even to the extent of jingoism. If ever there will be an EDSA III,the partnership and solidarity between the people and the government for development should be the rallying cry and slogan and not for bringing down a government. An individual’s stake in the development of a nation is never a high price to pay at whatever cost anytime, anywhere.