OPINYON
September 26-October 2, 2018
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Falceso, Rachelle Joy Aquino, Jacquilou Lirio, Maria
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Artist/ Ms. Corazon D.P. Marcial, Amber D.C Vitto Legal
Consultant. email add: [email protected] &
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Ni Teo S. Marasigan
Duterte’s revocation of Trillanes’
amnesty: A valid claim or a
diverting excuse?
Ni: John Christoper Lara
Another issue divided the Philippine Nation these past few
days. This is about the previous announcement and declaration
of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte revoking the amnesty goven to
Senator-elect Antonio Trillanes IV.
for those who are not familiar, an amnesty is the official pardon
granted to people who have been convicted of political offenses.
In the case of Sen. Trillanes, this was connected to what had
happened years ago in the Manila Peninsula wherein they tried
to take over the Philippine Government and drive away then
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from office through their
failed mutiny or coup d’état back in 2007.
Along with the revocation was an order for his immediate
arrest which he was able to evade by staying at the senate
for a couple of days where he cannot be arrested. This is
what sparked countless debates regarding the decision of the
President against Trillanes which was known to be a critic ever
simce the President took his post.
Political Persecution? This is the call of his other critics. some
from Magdalo which is the group of men who accompanied
Trillanes in the coup and were also granted amnesty.
on the defense of the chief-executive, several malacañang
personalities cited grounds and reasons that invalidates the
amnesty of Trillanes one of which says that he was not able
to comply with the given requirements. But when the Senator
presented his copy of the documents supporting his innocence
and amnesty validity, another argument was raised which many
considered funny. The government has ‘no copy’ which turned
out later on as ‘missing.’
So what’s the real issue here?
Senator Trillanes and his supporters continued to defend their
part by presenting more documents which is composed of
his application and many more. On his part, there is strong
evidence that what he had received was clearly constitutional
and valid.
However, the burden to disprove and invalidate the amnesty
was not being handled properly by the accusing side. Instead,
they just continued to raise more arguments that is just messing
it all up.
So, the President’s order was not fulfilled due to lack of
supporting grounds. It is also clear the only the officials of the
judiciary branch of government can issue an arrest warrant on
this case. which makes Duterte’s order void.
When asked about it, Duterte cited the golden rule, “ Do not do
unto others what you don’t want to be done unto you.” which
reflects a more personal intent of the president on attacking the
senator.
Aside from this, the continuous shift of flawed arguments
regarding their real point of saying that the amnesty is really
revocable is becoming unacceptable. especially now that
another point was being raised contrary to the first claims. They
say now that the past administration who gave the amnesty
didn’t do it properly.
President Duterte along with his men can’t seem to find any
concrete evidence to support their allegations. Somehow, it is
becoming more relevant that these issues seemed to be used
effectively to divert our attention from the bigger problems of
the country which the government can’t put solutions to.
PART 1
MA’AM ALICE
SIYANG maliit na babae
ay tinatawag na “isa sa
mga higante ng kilusan ng
rebolusyunaryong pangkultura
ng Pilipinas.”
Noong Hulyo 29,
pumanaw sa edad na 80 si
Alice G. Guillermo matapos
ang matagal na karamdaman.
Para sa publiko, kaugnay
ang pangalan niya ng sining-
biswal, sining at kultura
– bilang kritiko, awtor ng
maraming libro at sulatin, at
propesor sa Unibersidad ng
Pilipinas-Diliman. Para sa mga
aktibista, kilala siya bilang
isang guro, na mas nababasa
kaysa napapakinggan, tungkol
sa rebolusyunaryong sining
at kultura at sa rebolusyon
mismo.
Noong dekada ’90,
unang maririnig ng bagong
aktibista ang pangalan ni
Guillermo sa pag-uusap ng
mga mas naunang aktibista.
Siya si “Alice Cooper”
Guillermo,
kasama
nina
“Jelly
Ace”
Guillermo,
“Bien Tumbling” Lumbera,
“Neil Young” Doloricon,
at iba pang progresibong
intelektwal. Binigyan sila ng
tawag-paglalambing, silang
laging planong kuhaning
tagapagsalita sa mga porum at
hingian ng mensahe at tulong-
pinansyal rin.
Maririnig uli ang
pangalan ni Guillermo sa
isang
pag-aaral.
Noong
panahon daw ng kalituhan
sa loob ng progresibong
kilusan pagkatapos ng Edsa
1986, maraming tumatawag
sa sistemang pampulitika
sa bansa na “liberal na
demokrasya” at sa paksyon
ng naghaharing uri na
kinakatawan ni Cory Aquino
na “liberal-demokrata.”
Kakatwa, pero kasama
rito ang mga insureksyunista
na gumagawa noon ng
mekanikal na pagtutulad sa
Rusya ng 1917: Marcos = Czar,
rehimeng Cory = Provisional
Government, Pebrero 1986 =
Pebrero 1917. Ang kailangan
daw ay ang “Oktubre ng
Pilipinas,” ang pagtatagumpay
ng mga Bolshevik na Pinoy.
Si Guillermo raw
ang isa sa naglinaw na hindi
liberal na demokrasya ang
iniluklok ng paksyong Cory
– sa popular na pakahulugan
ng pagtataguyod sa indibidwal
na karapatan sa pamamagitan
ng paghahari ng batas
(liberalismo) at paghahari
ng
mga
mamamayan
(demokrasya). Ang kinatawan
nito ay patuloy na paghahari
ng iilang kapangyarihang
dayuhan at elite at paggamit
ng pasismo laban sa mga
mamamayan – nang may
demokratikong pagpapanggap.
Katotohanan itong mas madali
nang matanggap ngayon, kahit
mayroong mga intelektwal na
sentimental sa rehimen ni Cory
dahil sa sahol ng rehimen ni
Duterte.Noon, nangailangan
ng tapang at talas para sabihin
ito. Kaya siguro natandaan si
Guillermo ng instruktor ng
nasabing pag-aaral – isang
mas naunang aktibista galing
Politeknikong Unibersidad ng
Pilipinas na bagamat mahilig
magbasa ay nakatutok sa
mga sulating may direktang
kinalaman sa pakikibaka.
At tila mahalaga sa
henerasyon nila ng aktibista
si Guillermo: may isang
buong isyu ng Commitment,
opisyal na pahayagan ng
League of Filipino Students,
noong maagang bahagi ng
dekada 1990 na nakalaan sa
isang sanaysay niya. Hinggil
ito sa kabuluhan ni Mao
Zedong, lider ng sosyalistang
rebolusyon sa Tsina, sa
pulitikang
progresibo
sa
Pilipinas at mundo, taliwas
sa deklarasyon noon ng mga
reaksyunaryo na “tapos na ang
kasaysayan” sa kapitalismo at
“demokrasya.”
Kaya
ang
isang
aktibistang
palabasa,
mahihikayat basahin ang The
Covert Presence and Other
Essays (1989) ni Guillermo.
Kabilang
ito
sa
mga
koleksyon ng sulatin ng mga
progresibong intelektwal na
inilimbag ng Kalikasan Press
noong 1989-1990. Bagamat
mas tungkol sa mga usaping
pansining, pangkultura at
maging teoretikal sa Pilipinas
at sa mundo noong panahong
Marcos-Aquino, makabuluhan
pa rin ang nilalaman ng mga
sanaysay hanggang ngayon.
Mababasa rin ang
iba’t ibang sulatin niyang
nagbubunyi sa mga “artista ng
bayan,” lalo na ang mga alagad
ng sining sa larangang biswal
na nagsusulong ng Social
Realism. May mga sulatin din
siyang nagpapatampok ng mga
makabuluhan at progresibo
kahit sa mga likhang-sining ng
mga hindi aktibista.
Sa ganito, maaalala sa
kanya ang isa pang paboritong
intelektwal
sa
parehong
larangan, ang Ingles na si
John Berger, magkasabay ang
malalim na pagdama sa sining
at Marxistang pulitika – at sa
wikang puno ng buhay.
10 Agosto 2018