When will we be free from ugly politics?

Today is the 114th anniversary of Philippine Independence. But many people of my generation, including many of my readers still believe that the whole damn truth is that the Philippines got its Independence from the United States on July 4, 1946. How do we know this? Well, in the ’50s and most of the ’60s Independence Day parades were held always on July 4th. I spent all my July 4th days marching with the ROTC in the streets of Cebu City, as it was really our Independence Day.

So why was Philippine history changed? Well, it was during the time of Pres. Diosdado Macapagal supposedly under the advise of historians that he signed Republic Act. No. 4166 on August 4, 1964 purportedly in the name of nationalism. Of course, while he was at it… Pres. Macapagal also wanted to rehabilitate Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, who was getting old and forgotten. Of course, Gen. Aguinaldo was forgotten by history because of the dastardly deed he did in having Gat Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Highest and Most Respected Society of the Children of the Country) or Ang Katipunan executed.

Now remember both Gen. Aguinaldo and Bonifacio were up against our Spanish colonizers. If only they banded together… they could have routed the Spaniards, long before the Spanish American War could commence. But then… that’s the curse of the Philippines… ugly politics! Gen. Aguinaldo was jealous of Gat Andres Bonifacio’s popularity and their rivalry was in those days… the stuff of legends. But we don’t have enough space to write all of them in this column.

Anyway… one example was when the provincial chapters of the Katipunan in Cavite broke into two factions. One became the Magdalo headed by Gen. Aguinaldo’s cousin, Baldomero Aguinaldo and the other faction was the Magdiwang, which was headed by Mariano Alvarez, an uncle of Bonifacio’s wife. That early in our political history… politicians already had their family members as head of their political groups, so what’s new huh?

There was rivalry even with smaller issues like when Bonifacio commissioned Julio Nakpil to compose a National Anthem, which he called Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan (Honorable Hymn of the Tagalogs), this was not acceptable to Gen. Aguinaldo who favored the Marcha Nacional Filipina. This rivalry was to finally end when the Bonifacio brothers were tried in a kangaroo court with a jury filled with Aguinaldo’s men. Their situation was uncannily similar to that of Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona… considered already guilty before the Senate impeachment trial could commence. Like Bonifacio, CJ Corona was politically assassinated!

The Bonifacio brothers were executed by the group led by Lazaro Macapagal (no wonder Pres. Macapagal wanted Gen. Aguinaldo’s name in our history restored) who had the two shot and their bodies buried in shallow graves. But there was an account that Gat Andres was stabbed and hacked to death. Just in case you want to know… all this information are available in our history books. I’m writing this piece of history so that our readers can see that 115 years ago, ugly politics permeated the hearts of our politicians.

So back to our Independence Day celebration… what are we really celebrating about? When the majority of our people live in poverty, while our ugly politicians get themselves fat and rich from the pork barrel, which in truth is taxpayer’s money, we have nothing to celebrate about. This is why perhaps even after 26 years of the EDSA Revolution, the lines at the US Embassy have not dried up. Indeed, since the EDSA Revolt, the so- called Filipino Dream has not changed… it is still to get that ticket to paradise called an American green card. This is proof that nothing has changed in our country.

Today, ugly politicians still rule in our country led by the 24 Senators, 20 of

whom convicted CJ Corona for an article that all government officials who violate it… could still correct or “doctor.” For instance, let’s ask Budget Secretary Florencio Abad if he has already “doctored” his SALN? So when will we be free from ugly politics? Did the 20 Senators sign their waivers?

Those of wanted CJ Corona out are singing praises to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (JPE) for his handling of the Senate Impeachment. But it makes me wonder… if JPE did a great job… why did he appear from TV interview to TV interview in order to pin the blame on the Defense lawyers? If you ask me… JPE knew that the 20 Senators already decided the case not on its merits or the false evidences… but because of ugly politics.

Just when JPE wanted his piece of history to be written as a great statesman, alas for him, most of us could never forget that he was the 2nd most powerful man in the Marcos dictatorship. Today, he is on top of ugly politics. So when will JPE sign his bank waiver so we’ll know if he is clean?