Freedom from fear
Today is the 119th anniversary of Philippine Independence from colonial Spain that was officially declared on June 12, 1898 by Generalissimo Emilio Aguinaldo, head of the Philippines Revolutionary Government (Agoncillo, Teodoro. History of the Filipino people, Quezon City: 1990).
Was the fight for Filipino freedoms over and won, in 1898?
There are nuances in “being free ( e. g., from colonization),” or being “independent” as of a certain memorable date, which initially derives from an anniversary marking a past occurrence, versus the continuing freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution as these freedoms have been won in the deciding initial fight from the control of some other nation or person. In simplistic linguistics, grammar would say that it would be the difference between the past tense and the present perfect tense — the latter denoting a continuing action from one which never became “past.”
And so there was a big discussion in social media two years ago, when Filipino pride and joy, international superstar-singer Lea Salonga took flak for stating her feelings for Independence Day in her tweet (@MsLeaSalonga): “Our country is not yet debtfree, poverty- free, crime- free, or corruption-free. So what are we free from exactly and why do we celebrate it ( Independence Day)?” One of many bashers said that there is no country that is debt- free, poverty- free, crimefree, or corruption-free. Another said: “The moment you pressed the “tweet” button for this message already defines FREEDOM ( pep.ph/news, 06.14.2015).”
Columnist Red Tani commented, “By Lea’s measures — debt, poverty, crime, corruption — (a country like) Singapore certainly has more to celebrate. The Philippines may be poor, but we can take comfort in whatever religion or belief system we so choose. Our government may be corrupt, but we can curse and criticize our leaders without fearing harm ( Philippine Daily Inquirer/ PDI, 07.11.2015).”
So, did we celebrate Independence Day in Ferdinand Marcos’s 14-year martial law? Marcos did, every year, in rote flag- raising and wreath- laying at the Rizal monument in Luneta Park, and the perfunctory parade-in-review in front of the Quirino Grandstand. A show of military might reminded all that the military government, under the strong leadership of the commanderin-chief, Ferdinand Marcos was ready and capable of fighting all who defied his efforts to quell the radicals and insurgents who threatened the “freedoms” of the majority of Filipinos.
But under martial law, the 1935 Constitution was soon replaced by the 1973 “Marcos Constitution” amended in 1976, 1980, and 1981 which evolved around the continued emergency powers of Marcos as authoritarian president/ commander-in-chief even after martial law was “lifted” in 1981 and as he continued to rule until 1986, when he was airlifted to exile in Hawaii (Kamm, Henry. “Marcos frees 341; lifts martial law,” The
New York Times, 01.18.1981). The People Power Revolution of 1986 ousted Marcos and installed as president, “defeated” candidate in the 1986 snap elections Corazon “Cory” Aquino, widow of the slain freedom fighter Benigno Aquino, Jr., nemesisfigure to Marcos’s dictatorship. The 1987 Constitution was soon in place, with safeguards against presidents using emergency powers and declaring martial law as easily as Marcos did. Yet amid the nine or so attempted coup d’états in Cory’s six-year term, she did not use her emergency powers under the 1986 Constitution. Gloria Arroyo did, on Dec. 4, 2009, when she officially placed Maguindanao province under a state of martial law, and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus because of the ( alleged) “Ampatuan massacre” of 57 civilians (GMA News, 12.06.2009). Arroyo’s martial law lasted only nine days.
At President Benigno S. C. Aquino III’s last Independence Day speech last year, he reminded all that it has only been a generation since the Philippine government suppressed the freedom of Filipinos ( CNN Philippines 06.12.2016). “Our freedom was once taken from us by fellow Filipinos. If we’re not vigilant, this can happen again,” he said (Ibid.). At the traditional Independence Day vin d’honneur gala dinner of government and foreign diplomats, Aquino toasted Filipinos: “May we never lose our patience
Filipinos must pray for the most basic freedom from fear.
with the ways of democracy, and may we never take it for granted or ( be) passive in its defense… To our hard- earned Filipino freedom, earned by the blood and sacrifice of an empowered people, may it never again be challenged, diminished or negated ( PDI 01.15.2016).”
“President Duterte on Friday canceled the traditional vin d’honneur ( not the ceremonial flag- raising) for the Independence Day to deal with the problems in Mindanao, which has been under martial law for more than two weeks now because of terrorist threats ( philstar.
com, 06.09.2017).” We can only replay the President’s previous vin d’honneur (traditional New Year’s) toast on Jan. 9: “We affirm and renew our commitment to bring about the change that my country and people deserve. Certainly, realizing the change we need comes with the challenges but we are willing and able to do what we must, consistent with our constitutional mandate ( mindanews.
com, 01.15.2017.) “When politicians or demagogues use fear as a driving force or motivating factor for people to support a certain policy, they are depending on the possibility that people with an alleged threat to their safety will elicit a powerful emotional response that can override reason and prevent a critical assessment of these policies,” columnist Elfren Cruz says ( Philippine Star, 02.04.2016). This same politics of fear is conveniently used by politicians who want to develop a culture of fear which is supposed to lead the people to the conclusion that only a “strong man” can save the country (Ibid.).”
On this Independence Day, more than for the utopian debtfree, poverty-free, crime-free, or corruption-free Philippines, Filipinos must pray for the most basic freedom from fear. “The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear,” says Burmese freedom- fighter Aung San Suu Kyi.
And to our leaders: “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it (Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom from Fear).