Economic dictatorship leads to death of democracy

Unknown to many, a Canadian-based, world renowned environmentalist, a kindred in spirit and a strong ecological ally, Dr. Vandana Shiva came for a visit during the height of our human barricade against logging in the ‘90s when thousands of us composed of ecological people – farmers, fisherfolks and “lumads” – were lying in the streets fronting SEARSOLIN and dared logging trucks, carrying the finest timber in the world from the hinterlands of Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro and Lanao – that before they can pass, they have to run over us. Those were the years when some 50 ten-wheeler logging trucks with armed escorts were then passing Cagayan de Oro from 1 o’clock to 5 o’clock at dawn daily when the Cagay-anons were fast asleep. All of these of course were illegal as these hardwoods were cut in areas where logging is prohibited by existing laws: in forest lands with altitude of more than 1,000 meters above sea level or in slopes with more than 50% gradient. We have to take direct actions because all those who must enforce the laws seemed to be in the payroll of the six logging companies. We were informed then that each truck must pay about P5,000 before they were allowed to pass the checkpoints.

Dr. Shiva was so amazed by the bravery of the ecological people who firmly believe that the environment is only ours to protect for the coming generations. Dr. Shiva, on her part, shared that the same courage is being shown by the Indians in India. She narrated that every time the loggers will go to the forest, women who are washing clothes and children swimming in the rivers nearby, will run to the forest and embrace the tree. They will then shout, “the first axe to fall on the tree must first pass our back.” The amazing act was called then “Chipko Movement.” I told Dr. Shiva that we can only do human barricade. Embracing the trees in the forests to oppose logging in the hinterlands to stop logging had been attempted to by our Indigenous People but many of them have been killed. In fact, some of them have been buried alive by the well-armed loggers.

But that direct action of stopping logging trucks through human barricade was not safe at all. A grenade (M2K2) was thrown to us one early dawn which miraculously did not explode as a tooth-pick-like bamboo got in between not allowing the “striker” to hit the “primer” of the grenade. But such diabolic act to kill us did not materialize, so one of the logging companies by the name of Vicmar Corporation filed a case against me, a 200-million peso damage suit. But no less than then DND Sec. Orly Mercado came to give his support together with the DND top-notched lawyers. When asked by the presiding judge why no less than Sec. Mercado is supporting the accused, I remember the Secretary’s words, “Hon. Judge, even with a strong army, a country that has no ecological security is not secured at all.”

That happened some three decades ago but I still remember what Dr. Shiva told me which I didn’t understand then when she said, “Orlan, remember that the Philippines, just like other countries in South East Asia, are losing ecological wealth because of so-called economic dictatorship by a toxic ideology called corporate capitalism made toxic when such is grafted on a representative electoral government.” Now I fully understand

the statement when looking at Mindanao, a very rich island but living in the quagmire of poverty because of the control of a few corporations. Logging has erased our mega-diversity – the richest on earth in glaring violations of existing forest laws. In a country following the rule of law, why did this happen? Mindanao is called the “food basket” of the country and is the one satisfying the consumerist lifestyle of the people in advanced countries, yet we cannot even supply for our basic staple like rice.

Indeed, beware of the power of cartel and the oligarchs who have denigrated collective action of the people while venerating the profit motive that have captured the mind of the governments of the earth, media organizations, every university, our very souls. Our society has been so enamored in self-promotion, superficial appearances and religious trivialities that have reduced human beings to just self-gratification machines.

Look at our candidates so enamored in self-promotion, always presenting how great they are yet cannot even touch on issues on poverty, gross social inequities, social injustice, ecological crisis and violent extremism.

Gumising na po tayo. We are now facing crisis – droughts, floods now earthquakes, -- while we are treated to a life of materialism and consumerism by a toxic economic system that saw the growth of toxic religious fundamentalism and so called bureaucratic capitalism.

My good friend Dr. Vandana Shiva is right: “When economic dictatorship is grafted onto representative electoral democracy, a toxic growth of religious fundamentalism and right-wing extremism is the result. Thus, corporate globalization leads not only to the death of democracy but to the democracy of death, in which exclusion, hate, and fear become the political means to mobilize votes and power.” That truism is very glaring today as election day nears.