“Don’t be a fence-sitter, join the rallies”

MANILA, Philippines - Don’t be a fence-sitter, join today’s rallies to celebrate the anniversary of People Power, the one shining moment in our history that the whole world applauded. Without any violence, without any bloodshed, we toppled a dictator. Just because the result of that original People Power and the succeeding ones were disappointing, and now nauseating, is no reason not to celebrate its anniversary. Were it not for that, we would still be ruled today by Imelda Marcos and, after her, perhaps by Bongbong Marcos. That’s reason enough to be thankful for People Power 1986, though not for People Power 2001.

The administration is understandably trying to pour cold water on today’s rallies because it is afraid they may escalate into bigger and bigger protest movements as they did in the earlier ones until President Ferdinand Marcos first, and then President Joseph Estrada next, were forced to flee Malacañang. Knowing that the people are already fed up with the corruption in the Arroyo government, administration officials are afraid it would be GMA herself who would be forced to flee the Palace next. That’s not so bad in itself, but if one does not have a guilty conscience, why would he or she think that?

Anyway, Malacañang’s minions have been harnessed to discourage another People Power. The people are tired, they are disappointed, they say. But we have been taught from childhood that if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Yes, we got a worse President after People Power II, but that’s no reason to give up. We made a mistake in that one, so we should correct that mistake. All the more reason that we should try again. And if that doesn’t succeed either, then we should try once more until we succeed. What will happen to this world if at the first failure, human beings stop trying and give up? Many of the modern trappings that we enjoy today and the modern medicines that have saved lives were achieved after many years of trying. We wouldn’t be enjoying them today if their inventors gave up after their first or second failures.

 

People Power I did not start big. It started small, then slowly became bigger and bigger until Malacañang itself was besieged and Marcos had to flee to save himself. And it took many months after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino for the anger of the people to culminate in People Power. The same thing may happen in today’s rallies. They may become bigger and bigger as more and more people join them.

And you, yes you, cannot sit on the fence, totally uncommitted to what is going on around you. It’s your life and the future of your children that are at stake. You have to be involved to assure a bright future for them. As John Donne said, no man is an island separate from the rest of the world. “Every man’s death diminishes me,” he wrote. Don’t be like the man who refuses to help a neighbor put out a small fire in the latter’s house because it is far from his own house, until the fire spread and engulfed his house. Maybe you have not yet been a victim of government abuse now, but if you do not help prevent those abuses now, they will eventually get to you.

Do something now that you can be proud of. Stand up and be counted.