(24th My 500 Words Entry.
January 24, 2014)
Oh really!
My immediate post to Christine Royse Niles, Jeff Goin’s Administrative
In-Charge of his global thirty one My
500 Words Daily Challenge while he is off in Africa . How could it be? Writing the ending first and just fill in between the relevant
substance connecting and leading to that
end. Hmm, seems like you are entering the realm of an unknown shoot up and away in far horizon.
That could be the downside of it all but its
upside must be a way to go too if you want to redefine writing, this the
consoling thought playing in mind remembering how a professional writing mentor
revealed how one should engaged writing. Might be sick joke also imagine writing the end of a story while you are caught between
indecision what to write as you are still groping in the dark and thinking what
relevant writing prompt to use for the day. Just write anyway the end as if your gift to your readers patronizing
your piece. Your apt give-away writing freebie your readers would remember too you dishing out your best compliment writing such beautiful project. In sum, could be a stamp of your character imprinted
in your style of writing as Og Mandigo would put it in his “Greatest Salesman
of the World.”
Anyway, why not just try it for fun as so far
Jeff Goin’s recommended writing prompts from day one worked wonder getting you hooked
and trapped in his thirty one straight day re-writing MY 500 Words Daily challenge. Another challenge here but this time the
sailing is tough as you have to validate yourself how said topic simply works.
This then encourages me to revisit familiar
work – my first ever fiction – “The Needle” how I applied “The End” from my
subconscious writing this clincher with a twist, something your general reading
public least expected but appreciating your creativity nonetheless. I understand doing this is also part of
strategy writing your clincher. Irving Wallace writing style was into this
leaving me stunned with this kind of
intriguing clincher. In his “The Second Lady” for instance, he asked – Who was it between two
ladies who took the first step down to the tarmac before the jet plane exploded. The first or the second? Aba malay ko, of course was my initial comment resolved to drop Irving Wallace
from the list of my interest.
Why in the world are we implicated on his work
right there at the end? There I was veering away reading his work, until I have
to grapple it answering the question grappling face to face with reality. (This as the question was still unresolved hanging in my subconscious pestering why in the world gullible reader like me is taken in a joyride bonding with his character!) The first or the
second lady? I don’t care, was my final answer. Only then that my appetite
reading his work returned coming in handy. As my way of exorcising the devil that
engulfed me, I further came up with my analysis about many of his works to an article
“Irving Wallace, Pinoy Media and The
Almighty.” Irving Wallace readers could definitely relate me on this.
How about a
viewer right beside you ranting out of a blue shouting at the top of his voice directed against artists in a
theater upstage? But of course, you too would dropped from where you are seated
disturbed by the ranting of your neighbor not knowing that he was actually part also of the cast only filling that role albeit short but contributing the total
packaging of the plot of the play causing you temporary nosebleed and high
blood on the other end.
Fast
forward. Here’s how I treated this The End topic from my work:
Chapter
20
The
Flight
That Ferdinand
Marcos was already considered a terminal case on the remaining few months of
1985 was mere platitude among many observers.
Words even circulated around that Uncle Sam was merely waiting in the
wings any opportune time most likely when to drop him without forcing the
latter to stage harakiri running around
berserk. Dropping him like hot potato
was indeed seems eminent as Uncle Sam had no other choice as multitude of
Filipinos was breath away from victory as they were already pressing Malacanang
main entrance. But not to the man himself who was still capable of pulling some
surprises from under his sleeves.
He
was not even afraid of the rebel forces
whose numbers bloated to 22,500 more than half
in 1985 from measly 10,500 in 1983 in roughly two year’s armed combatant
expansion. How much more that time he
was still in power with all the support
of the military.
“Sick joke,” Marcos must be mumbling against those pressing him to give up. He still has all those aces stuck under his
sleeve and would be ready picking them
up when the need arises to quell the
fire of rebellion, must have been also
his make believe battle cry Well
said for
as far as the Apo is concerned, it was not yet time to recapitulate let alone, die pure and
simple not knowing that time for reckoning of his past was fast approaching as
seen from the seas of multitude gradually swelling advancing to Malacañang to
hand over their verdict.
“How could he
afford sleeping away anyway when tons of
money scattered throughout the world great bulk of which were securely
deposited in Swiss Banks whose secrecy has been legend since World War I.
Germany, Haiti, Iran and the Philippines to name a few have opened an account
there only that those depositors are no ordinary mortals,” Driarco
analyzed. Imelda Marcos’ anathema on
February 2005 seems prophetic when she alarmed Switzerland that they don’t have
any business to open and take the money
that doesn’t belong to them in the same vein when she cautioned US no right of
using power on foreigners specially their Filipino friends! And her bombshell
against those critics alleging the use of tortures during her husbands twenty
years in power torturing political dissidents.
“We did not even pinch any human right
victim.”
“It sucks!”
Driarco easily responded.
“That as far as she is concerned. If she could
only look at those graphics showing systematic torture, she would easily
swallow her alibi faster than she would swallow her saliva!” he retorted
reeling.
“Think of Lakay
Ferdie and beautiful Imelda who methodically rob the country’s wealth blind, clean and dry
with impunity leaving it poor owing $28 Billion debt to World Bank and
IMF as they leave their power behind while they enjoy ironically with much
gusto their celebrated loot at will. It’s no ordinary feat for Juan to do
it. But they both did it
extra-ordinary,” his thoughts further carried him onward.
Carmen Pedrosa,
a columnist would later write “The Conjugal Dictatorship” narrating
in graphic account how the first couple did it. The other book “The
Untold Story of Imelda Romualdez Marcos” is such other engrossing
book relating the dramatic fairy-tale story of
Imelda from a mere bodega girl to a canteen girl in the Senate
before then Congressman Marcos was
smitten by her charm. The rest so to speak was history as she would soon
morphed into a multi-millionaire catching up with the world’s wealthiest
Joneses.
Holding on for
dear life, not even his deteriorating health gradually taking its toll could force him yielding
his celebrated loot. Kidney was
no doubt methodically making Marcos’
life difficult. His puffy face tells it all as seen in many TV appearances
sapping his strength gradually like a cankerous cancer eating meticulously his
vital flesh. This proves to one and all
that as citizens of the world, he is also dispensable like all the rest of
creation. Aware that time is pushing him
against the wall, he surprisingly called for a snap election few months later.
That was in February of 1986.
Unfortunately,
that call proved to be his last undoing, a kiss of death to his undefeated
political career sealing his honeymoon with politics beyond his wildest
imagination. The Filipinos were robbed off of victory alleging Cory Aquino’s
camp rigging off the result of election favoring of course Ninoy Aquino’s
widow. Ergo, wasting no time, he had
Tolentino, his running mate, and himself proclaimed as winning candidates in
Malacañang balcony of course mostly his loyalists in attendance.
“Good grief
Charlie Brown! It was the first time
that the Philippines
had ever two Presidents,” Driarco exclaimed learning the story in newspapers
and TV.
Sadly though, it confirms to be Marcos’ last
hurrah as thousands of Filipinos were
already pressing Malacañang’s gate to probably deliver the final coup ‘d grace.
Seething with anger accumulating over the years, they were seemingly out for
the biggest kill against the greatest plunderer of the nation. Seeing the great multitude cutting barb wires
amidst guns and cannons so to speak, probably finally convinced Marcos of
eating his words that not all 60 million population are that cowards prompting
him staging his last and graceful exit
from Malacañang palace and the country.
Good that at
least he did not succumb to the unsolicited advice from Gen. Ver, his once
trusted servant leapfrogging into a rabid Marcos General and loyalist, to bomb
Camp Aguinaldo where the mutineers led by Enrile and Fidel Ramos and thousand
others holed in.
“Who says that
Judas is only in the bible giving headache to Jesus. He was right there in the Philippines too reincarnated in Camp Aguinaldo
What would have
been considered a historical disgrace to the ailing President incredibly became
his last saving grace to many mostly from the loyalists’ camp of course.
“That’s why there still that tag of greatness attached to his name,” says a
Marcos loyalist forever rightfully intoned.
Maybe. Unknown though to him and great many others
is the fact that it was not definitely advisable blowing up Camp Aguinaldo into bits and
pieces let alone cooling off the intensity of People Power gaining momentum
sustained by peoples power coming alive
along Epifanio del los Santos Avenue or EDSA
providing him excellent and
legitimate excuse of sneaking out from the palace. He would have been roasted alive by the Filipinos
he exploited had White House did not intervene.
“No thanks to
Pentagon connection for showing great mercy sparing Apo Ferdie’s life his
hoarded gold and other amassed wealth included’” he snapped back in
consolation.
“Hail, hail the
gangs all here. What a heck together in this stormy weather. . . .” Ka Ferdie,
the Cojuangco’s, Bendicto’s and the rest of Alibaba’s entourage might have sang
merrily while aboard that American jet plane shopping safer country.
“Oh no Paoay men
not Hawaii!,” Marcos might have begged and exclaimed griping as he and the
first lady were escorted by an American servicemen down to Honolulu tarmac.
The same feather
flocks together. Thus, he joins the likes of Baby Duc Duvalier of Haiti , Shah Pavlavi of Iran , Anastacio Somoza of Nicaragua and
later Noriega of Panama driven out from their own country by their own people
becoming stranger of paradise in other
lands. The damages seems to be deeply
imbedded to Filipino psyche that Pinoys have summoned even enough guts in
having the dead body of the dictator double killed by blocking its return for burial in the Philippines. Though incessant lobbying though by several
camps, Apo Ferdie finally became an additional fertilizer to the Philippines ’ ground in Laoag much later not
until his double in exquisite wax
was displayed in Aglipayan
Church right across their residence in
Batac, Ilocos Sur.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
No doubt, the
nine long years of military rule was a nightmare to Juan.
“If I were dreaming about it, I would rather
not wake up until I have dreamed it away from my consciousness,” Driarco
opined. So many lives were wasted from
academe to the church, labor unions to farmers, students to enlisted men and ordinary citizens to civilians. It’s just
what militarization is capable of doing. Treasured intuitions too collapsed one
after the other. To aggravate the
problem, the country was held captive by the International Monetary Fund, World
Bank and their Filipino cohorts practically ramming down into Juan’s mouth what
to do with his economy from levying of additional burdensome taxes from
beleaguered tax payers to prompt payment of his financial obligation. Debt cap has been rallied only to get
categorical “No!” answer from those powerful international Monetary bodies.
Juan suffers all the more.
“Most unlikely,
you can just even request for a moratorium of your obligation unless you’d like
to have your economy strangled squeezed to death by IMF the way it did to other
countries like those in Latin American countries like Brazil , Peru
and Argentina ,”
an authority of the subject once emphasized.
Pulling off
surprising victory on the just concluded snap election notwithstanding the
claim on the contrary by the opposing camp that Marcos and Tolentino actually won, she finally set the tone of her
administration opening the Malacañang to the general viewing public exposing
the extravagance of the first couple.
“Gee, how could the first couple can ill
afford living that lavish life while millions of Filipinos were naked, starved
to death and homeless,” Juan exclaimed
seeing the ostentatious display of wealth inside the palace.
He who runs away
during a fight naturally lost, was how Sen. Rene Saguisag justifies the
legality of Cory’s victory in one of his appearance in Dong Puno’s highly rated
Viewpoint’s talk show. Just like in cockfights in other words. But it
was not a cockfight, but an election, the opposing gentleman would openly argue
against. So what, Juan might probably
intervene. He has been deprived of basic necessities in life, decent living in
his own land for so long. Enough is enough. It’s time to welcome the widow that
is Cory to provide the necessary lift.
True enough, she
did great favor to Juan by giving him back his security and freedom to live
mangled by Marcos. As categorically declared in her inaugural address on the 25th
of February to be magnanimous in victory, she released the first batch of 441
detainees and 39 prisoners in her third day of office. Horacio Morales, Fr. Ed de le Torre and Lt.
Victor Corpus, an erstwhile professor at Philippine Military Academy in Baguio turned renegade
head the lists of political detainees were released. The next batch included Jose Maria Sison,
Bernabe Buscayno and many others. To
prevent arbitrary arrests and detention of ordinary citizens, she restored the
writ of habeas corpus, brazenly suspended by Marcos. Defanging the military, she had twenty two overstaying
generals including Gen. Fabian Ver, axed by ordering them forcefully
retired. What more could Filipinos ask
for from a widow?
Undoubtedly, the
restoration of democracy buried in the quagmire by the late dictator was swift
gradually restoring too Juan’s normal
breathing spree savoring anew the freshness of democracy. She also formed the Presidential Commission
on Human Rights. Though devoid of any
police power, it helped every Filipino seek redress against any human right violators. After her declaration of provisional or revolutionary government, she went on
proclaiming the creation of Constitutional Commission primarily tasked in formulating draft of Constitution after thorough
consultation with Filipino people in a national consensus scale all throughout
the country. Successfully ratified, it
would later became law of the land
stipulating all those principles of
effective and legal governance.
The transition
from dictatorial to democratic was not all beds and roses though for Juan. Dwindling economy, $28 Billion IMF debt,
sporadic hostilities between the reds and military, bloated bureaucracy,
possible resurgence of fascist rule given the power and unpredictability of
Marcos’ loyalists camp, termination of Military Bases Agreement, internecine
strife of Muslims’ for autonomy and independence in Mindanao, above all else bread and butter for Juan
painted a rather challenging and narrow path for peace and development.
One of her
drawback though was when she declared the controversial and problematic $2.3
Billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant not
her priority concern. Such unpopular decision and gesture boomeranged to her administration waning
gradually
her popularity
giving pressures to nationalists block and opposition in the House of Congress
and Senate. This white elephant build
yet over a volcanic area draining taxpayers money as the country pays millions
of pesos in interest alone daily should have really been addressed. And there’s no other way to do it than really
facing and addressing the problem squarely. When this would be
however, is yet to be seen as she was top heavy and preoccupied with enormous
problems inherited from Marcos.
Obviously, the
homework for President Cory Aquino was
huge and difficult. But there’s no other
way out than really facing and start solving it. Gratefully,
democratic space was all there left for consultation. It’s all what Cory
and the people need to move on. It’s what Juan badly needs as he was once
deprived during military rule, many
starved to death that he has no recourse but to go up in the hills.
The 1,200,000
signatories started it all proving to one and all that Filipinos are not that
stupid and ignorant and that given the chance to shine, could turn any events
upside down such as restoration of democracy not through the barrel of a gun
but through the power of the ballots in an election.
“It’s time to
participate not just support because supporting is merely saliva power.”
“Nothing is
indeed worthwhile than really serving the country. That Filipinos have shown to the whole world
how to introduce sweeping change through people’s power without any bloodshed
is no ordinary feat. Juan just did it with minimum damage if at all, to the claim of the contrary,” the
consoling thought giving him fleeting contentment.
Again the
transition was far from over. This is
the challenge facing every Filipino today. Indiscriminate firing would still
fill the air unabated if there would be no sincerity of working out lasting
peace for both camps. Ceasefire would just be in papers only, no substance
whatsoever if only summoned during Christmas and holidays. Such would be tragedy for democracy. As such
the next generation might soon wake up only to just died down without seeing
the dawn of genuine democracy let alone, worked out and practiced. We will never fail. How could we when we have not even tried and
worked it, one columnist would succinctly puts it. Perhaps, the Brother’s Four
relevant question would still be asked:
When would we ever learn, when would we ever learn?
While there is
still time to do and act or when we have ourselves already blown into bits and
pieces as Aldous Huxley puts it bravely fictionalized in his “The
Brave New World”. Let us be therefore
all be brave but not at the expense of squeezing each others throat but
by building better working human relationship between and among us
Filipinos. After all, we belong to the
same race, creed and living in the same nation eating the same food in this rice
and corn eating republic.
Earlier, it has
been noticeably observed that the lists of casualties of past dictatorship was
long. No doubt on that. Fr. Driarco, Taklin and the rest of the gang were just
part of the great multitude sacrificed for the freedom of the country. The trend is still progressing and that
should preoccupied everybody’s mind as it seems we have not exorcised the
country’s evil yet. Think for instance
of the statistics gathered by Task force Detainees. It’s alarming to Juan
painting black scenario around him – 4.5 million children affected or exposed
to the conflict, 10 million people killed, injured, sick or
displaced by the conflict. The saddest reality one has to grapple with is that
those who received the worst beatings are mostly civilians from poorest
regions. To top it all around 120,000
were already displace evacuees rivaling boatpeople of Vietnam in Bataan and Palawan . Internal refugees, that’s what Juan would
commonly call unfortunately in his own homeland.
How
to stop this senseless killings is precisely the challenge hurl to each one of
us. No use wasting lives. It’s only
given once. Live it abundantly, advised St. Paul . How, Juan asked
. What else but no more Martial Law, the original root cause of all evil and
abnormalities. Hence, post Martial Law
babies and those who suffer included beware – No More Militarization! It pays to be living in
democratic country. But I think the
brightest place to live is when you reap dividends like lasting peace.
Democracy just doesn’t thrive in a hostile environment. It does to a free country. Yes, a
Filipino can. Why not indeed. Be a
crusader yourself of peace. Join the silent majority. We will never fail.
Overwhelm any division and strife around. Just stand up and be one!’
Driarco
finally stop pounding his typewriter thinking he has already bare his soul The
manuscript was already done. Time to stop and celebrate never mind critics
would review his work. It was time for him to heard what critics’ comments to his piece. As he marked
his character and individuality in it, it’s time to listen to feedback and see
what might be done to improve his opus. And devil may care. He doesn’t mind for
as long as he already delivered his best shot. Closing with a short prayer, he
paused with a consoling thought that his
message of peace in this magnum opus would reverberate saturating the entire
7,100 island of the archipelago with his message of Peace! On that note, he dozed
off to bed snoozing while sleeping
peacefully as if the first time harboring no fear.
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