In his column in today’s Philippine Star, National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose writes about loyalty. Much like a lawyer, he lays the predicate for his argument before coming to the point. History and writers go well together for history should be recorded for future generations and what better way than to write about it. And so he goes about it in the following paragraphs excerpted from his column.
“Why can’t some Filipinos remain loyal? Why do they leave one party to join another, or worse, betray their friends, their company, their country? First, they are basically pragmatic and thinking only of themselves, how they can benefit by being disloyal, particularly when they see that a particular friendship or cause may now be harmful to them.
This happens all too often when a particular political position is not popular or considered contrary to conformist morality or attitudes, or those who subscribe to such unpopular ideas are stigmatized. Or a particular friend may no longer be useful because he has lost power. This is particularly true with politicians who have become lame ducks or businessman who had fallen into bad times or bankruptcy. These are fair weather friends and the earlier they are exposed, the better. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
The absence of loyalty can easily lead to the lack of conviction, and with the absence of conviction comes the death of civic morality. We see this in the widespread corruption and worse, in the betrayal of the self and of the nation. Look back at our history, at the many betrayals from which we have yet to recover. If I may paraphrase again one of my characters, Pepe Samson, in my novel, Mass, the concluding novel in the Rosales Saga: “We are a nation of traitors… we are also a nation of ingrates… Diego Silang, Apolinario de la Cruz, Andres Bonifacio, Antonio Luna – they were all betrayed. But the worst betrayal is when we betray ourselves for a few pesos… and we don’t even know it.”
That’s it. Know ourselves, know our past, our real loyalties and, most of all, now and particularly next year when we elect new officials. It’s time we have less politicians and more government with a parliament composed of one delegate only from each province, a parliament working only one month each quarter although the president can call for a special session whenever necessary. It’s time to decongest Manila and transfer the capital to Bukidnon. It’s time we have a bigger police force and Armed Forces. And finally, it’s time we really have a government we truly deserve.”
Philippine history doesn’t need an intricate analysis to determine the root of the country’s problems. It’s relatively simple; we are our own worst enemies. Think of how the leaders of the Philippine Revolution betrayed the people by murdering those who were truly patriotic; Bonifacio and then Luna. The Americans co-opted the elite in their pacification campaign. Quezon stated he would prefer a Philippines run like hell by Filipinos to a Philippines run like heaven by the Americans. The Americans promptly abandoned us after World War II after most of the infrastructure built by the Spaniards was destroyed during the war.
Throughout the colonial period and independence, the politics and economy of the country were in the hands of the colonizers and the favored elite. This continues to be true to today, with the elite taking over where the colonizers left off in 1945. What we have now is power blocs fighting for control of their share of the pie, leaving crumbs to the people who have no other choice but to either work or seek greener pastures abroad through migration.
The country is divided among those who continue to support Marcos and the liberal elite who want a Philippines that is closely allied with the United States. The latter is not pro-Philippines as they want the country to represent US interests in the region where China has emerged as an economic and military power. This is nothing more than a repeat of where the Philippines found itself in during the outbreak of hostilities between the US and Japan when it was the two who fought it out in the region for supremacy.
In essence, the Philippines has never been truly independent because the political and economic elite continue to control the country and its people under a plantation-style democracy not too different from the plantation-style theocracy used by the Spaniards to control its colony.
The Americans did no better when it was their turn because the colony was used as the first line of defense to protect the mainland and project American power in a region where it deemed influence as essential to stop the spread of communism after World War II. We have fallen behind in the region compared to our neighbors not only because of our leaders but also because of the mendicant mindset which the same leaders have ingrained in us since time immemorial.
We are at a crucial crossroad in our history because of the disruption caused by the pandemic. The political disruption began in 2016 with the election of Rodrigo Duterte to the Presidency. Whatever gains we have made in the last five years must be continued. We face enormous problems and challenges because we have not done anything radical to change the system. Mendicancy and mediocrity have been institutionalized not only in government but also in society.
We have to make the right choice on May 2022. We can’t afford to fall further behind and we must build on and continue with the gains we have achieved in the last five years.
The choice is ours. Elections are the only opportunities available to make our voices heard.
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