WHAT INDEPENDENCE DAY? (PHILIPPINES 2012)

For some reason this June 2012, I’ve noticed more Philippines flags being displayed in homes, in the streets, and in shops.

The Philippines is no different from any countries that celebrate an Independence Day holiday. 

Independent from what? Oppressors foreign and local? The truth is, there has never been an Independence Day, in the Philippines or abroad. It’s all bullshit.

FREEDOM FROM THE SPANIARDS

SM Megamall going all-out
in its Independence Day decorations.
And Al Gore is awesome.

For example, with June 12, 1898: whether or not the Americans ‘saved’ us by taking the place of the Spaniards would not have kept privileged Filipinos such as Manuel Quezon and Manuel Roxas, from becoming dictators themselves.

NOT QUITE PEOPLE POWER

But what about the 1986 EDSA Revolution, ‘People Power’? Of course, I’m thankful I was able to watch more than one TV station during my childhood and onwards. But what did ‘independence’ from Marcos lead us to?

Was the Aquino administration then, or the Aquino administration today, symbolic of any true freedom? Did the power grabbers back then, to-be president Fidel Ramos and Juan Ponce Enrile, understand that the very submission under any government, was against the very idea of freedom? 

And if they did understand, did they shun such control over the population via their high political positions gained in succeeding years?

PEOPLE ARE AS DUMB AS EVER

Are we any less susceptible to the idea that we have a duty to the state, whether shown by standing up mindlessly to a shitty song (i.e. the national anthem), or giving a significant percentage of our wealth for the power elite to do with as they please (under the guise of ‘social justice’)?

The fact is, Marcos’ downfall was less due to a growing awareness of the goodness of individual rights, and more to do with the fragility and instability of all dictatorships. 

More stable, yet still harmful, are the governments that balance out the freedom of constituents to produce goods and services, against the state’s penchant for expropriating such wealth.

Noynoy! would be a fool to declare martial law and round up and assassinate all opponents, not because it’s immoral, but because this just makes it so much harder to sustain his regime.

FINAL REMARK

So no, nothing meaningful to celebrate this coming June 12, or any other day of the year. However, we will allow for a national day of mourning what with Pacquiao’s loss against Bradley (luto!).