Thirty years after the EDSA Revolution, the Philippines has gone from bad to worse.
Most people will say that the Edsa Revolution did not change the lives of millions of Filipinos for the better. But not the Aquinos, Cojuangcos, Oretas and their cronies.
These people made a fortune by cornering all lucrative government contracts and running the “billion peso-jueteng” syndicate in the country during the six-year presidential term of Cory Aquino.
Since the ouster of former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, corruption in government has become more pervasive, particularly in Congress.The pockets of lawmakers are bulging with P1000 bills, courtesy of President Aquino and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, through the DAP and PDAF scheme.
There is widespread poverty in the country, sale and distribution of illegal drugs remain unabated and the unemployment rate keeps soaring, prompting more Filipinos to seek employment overseas.
Even members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been involved in either holdups, gun-for-hire killings and carnappings, to augment their meager earnings or support their vices in life.
The only thing visible that has changed after the Edsa Revolution is the transformation of Hacienda Luisita from being an outmoded sugar mills plantation to one of the best and modern sugar mills plantation in Asia.
Of course, Hacienda Luisita is owned by the family of the late former President Cory Aquino, mother of current President Aquino, who was installed as Philippine President after Marcos was ousted through a bloodless military coup in 1986.
Even the roads leading to Hacienda Luisita in the town (or is it now a city) of San Miguel is much better and well maintained than that of the whole stretch of Roxas Boulevard from Manila to Pasay city.
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Marcos was reported to have made so much money during his 20-year reign as Philippine president. However, all those who succeeded him, without question, also stole from the government, maybe even more for what he did and in less than six years. Marcos was also accused for being responsible for the murders of student activists, farmers and his political foes who have disappeared during martial law.
Cory Aquino, on the other hand, was never blamed nor chastised for the cold blooded slaying of farmers on the historic Mendiola bridge in 1987. The farmers were on their way to Malacañang to press their demand for a genuine land reform when fired upon by police and Army troopers. To this day, not even one police or Army troopers who took part in the shooting were charged or prosecuted.
Same thing with President Cory’s son, “Noynoy.” In November 16, 2004, twelve farmers and two children were killed by police and Army troopers sent by the government to disperse striking workers blocking the gates of Hacienda Luisita.
President Noynoy, who was then an unknown and underachieving lawmaker, was reportedly at the scene during the massacre. To this day too, no one was charged or prosecuted for the slaying of the farmers and two young children.
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If Marcos was branded as a dictator, “Noynoy” will always be remembered in history as the most incompetent president the Philippines ever had. I completely agree for what lawyer Homobono Adaza is saying that both “Cory” and “Noynoy” are “TWA” (talagang walang alam).
In a few months, President Noynoy will leave Malacanang Palace without any major accomplishments that has helped improve the lives of millions of downtrodden or marginalized Filipinos. He also failed in his campaign promise in 2010 to significantly human rights in the country.
President Noynoy’s name, however, will always crop up every time Filipinos talk about the “Mamasapano Massacre,” super typhoon “Yolanda,” “Luneta Massacre,” PDAF and DAP and the ouster of Chief Justice Corona through congressional bribery.
Same thing with his mother. Cory will always be remembered by Filipinos, particularly farmers, for her much heralded land reform program which failed miserably.
Although she was able to implement land reform in most of the agricultural lands of her political opponents and suspected cronies of Marcos for the benefit of thousands of farmers, she spared her family’s Hacienda Luisita.
Up to this day, farmers are still waiting for the government to finally award them the land titles that they have tilled for so many years. I have doubts that they will be able to get it. Not unless Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wins the presidential election in May.