It was the 12th day of June 1898 when, by orders of General Emilio Aguinaldo but under the auspices of the United States of America, the Declaration of Philippine Independence was signed by a few Filipino Compatriots and one American by the name of Koronel L.M. Johnson in front of Notary Public Ambrocio Rizanzares Bautista.
The document cited the reasons for the declaration. We have back then a profound national sentiment of exasperation against foreign domination, supremacy and ascendancy making us slaves in our very own land. There were arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial executions done with utmost impunity by the “guardia sibil”. Land-grabbing, graft and corruption, lack of adequate education, political monopoly by the elite and the oligarchy were most endemic in the society.
The Filipino Tribes (peoples) back then has nothing but a “patriotic native heart” as against a well-garrisoned Spanish Government. The Philippine Revolution that brought forth the Declaration of Independence was commenced by a simple but most meaningful PUBLIC TEARING OF CEDULA coupled by the famous CRY OF PUDAGLAWIN in July 7, 1892, both under the leadership of ANDRES BONIFACIO, the epitome of proletarian revolution against the ruling elite.
It is sad that a close examination of the Philippine Society today or 110 years thereafter, the reasons for the Revolution back then persist with even more impunity and dubious strategies than ever before. Perhaps it is true that The Filipino has its own Government and they have their own leaders or it may be said that there is indeed a Filipino Nation free from foreign control. However the Filipino as a Human Society and a Human Being is gradually, if not virtually, stripped off whatever human dignity left of him. Despite its Roman Catholic orientation, the Philippines is one of the most corrupt nation of the world; it has a ballooning population that could no longer feed itself; extrajudicial killings are seemingly part of accepted policy with a senior government official issuing “shot-to-kill” orders; a judicial system that is beyond the reach of the poor Filipino owing to its commercialization; an educational system that is likewise profit-oriented rather than investment-driven in preparing the youthful populace to face the ever growing scientific future; a government which is proud of its policy of sending OFWs to foreign land and be servants subjected to indignities and oppression which, according to reports, are less than humane; the worse is a stagnant and even antiquated kind of governance because change of leadership is not actually by election but rather thru succession or inherited rights.
GENUINE FREEDOM is yet to be won. Victory against the vestiges of human inequities and oppression is a battle that is yet to begin. Then and now, GREED and ABSOLUTE POLITICAL-ECONOMIC POWER are the twin towers of the Philippine malady. If indeed the spirit and quintessence of the Philippine Revolution is to attain and achieve human dignity for each Filipino Individual, then the war is not over.
Until the Filipino is freed from the OFW SYNDROME which is a continuation of Foreign Lordism over Filipino servanthood, and until he is educated enough to know his rights with the ability to judge for himself the improprieties of the ELITE RULING PARTY and determine the proper actions and relief to be taken, the Filipino is not truly free.
As we therefore “celebrate” INDEPENDENCE DAY on June 12, 2008 we are to remind ourselves that, like our forebears who brave the superiority of the Spanish Regime, we, too, have the obligation to sacrifice for God's Glory and for Country more than ourselves as we jointly endeavor to make the country a Nation of Righteousness, of Justice and Industry. In Tagalog, Apolinario Mabini advised, thus: “pagsakitan mo ang kaginhawaan ng iyong bayan ng higit sa iyong sarili at pagpilitan mong siya'y pagharian ng kabaitan, ng katuwiran and ng kasipagan: sapagka't kung maginhawa siya'y pilit ding giginhawa ikaw at iyong kasambahay at kamaganakan.”
Aside from the multifarious approaches that Filipino Compatriots maybe undertaking to quell the evils of our society, I recommend, with utmost confidence of the attainment of victory, to commence the war against GREED and POWER with nothing more but the GOSPEL ARMOR. I reserve this topic for my next article. (e-mail: jcobar@gmail.com)
