The ‘Balik Erap’ revolution DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 12/18/2009

The ‘Balik Erap’ revolution DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 12/18/2009 Erap is on the rise. Three weeks of delivering his campaign message on primetime TV is beginning to call attention to the significance of his struggle. We are getting feedback that the most popular Erap TV ad has been the one that shows a contrite Cory Aquino at the rostrum, apologizing for her role for the President’s ouster at Edsa II. Apparently, not very many Filipinos felt the impact of that event the first time they came across it in media, such that it takes time, and some reminders, for it to sink in. Of course, mainstream media also never gave this apology the amount of coverage it deserved. Cory’s candidate-son, in fact, shrugged it off as a joke, echoing the female Richelieu behind his mother, which was a quip devoid of any truth. Even though the Edsa II conspirators have not let up in throwing everything against the genuine national leader’s comeback, there’s no stopping Erap. After ABS-CBN refused to air the ad with the Aquino apology, now comes the SWS which publicized an early November survey, where the total votes for the presidential choices exceeded 150 percent because of the same multiple choice system that again distorts the picture. It showed Erap in fourth place because Chiz Escudero was still included. Clearly, this was meant to send out the wrong impression and blunt news about the dramatic rise of Erap’s standing from alternative surveys. A few days ago, the Inquirer published a ¼ page-ad, costing at least P50,000, publicizing an alleged book by a certain Fil-Am, Patricio R. Mamot. Upon checking The Book to Stop Erap in 2010 on its advertised bookseller’s Web site, I found that even if the author alleges to have written three books, there is not a single review to be found. I Googled the newspaper Mamot is supposed to be editor-in-chief of, the Filipino Times, New York, and could not find any such entry except The Filipino Reporter and The Filipino Express. The book title happens to repeat the pejorative adjective the Inquirer always attaches to any mention of Estrada, a ploy which I certainly will not give way to here. This Mamot book smacks of a black prop gimmick and exposes the Inquirer’s continuing prejudice against Estrada. Today, anti-Erap campaigners, especially those in the US trying to influence Philippine politics through the Fil-Ams’ family ties, will have to work even harder to stop Erap. Even now, a spontaneous “Balik Erap” sentiment has already started after Chiz disappointed millions of opposition-leaning Filipinos who were previously wary about the disqualification threat against Erap. I have now received many texts from people volunteering for Erap’s campaign. I also am in touch with several top Escudero campaigners from Mindanao and other places organizing the “Balik Erap” movement. With the inclusion of Erap in the Comelec’s list of official candidates, this trend will become an avalanche as his traditional bailiwicks will be mobilized into action. Even more significant are the mature A, B and C voters opting for him. As expected, the US certainly isn’t happy with President Estrada’s imminent return to implement his genuinely Filipino leadership because only one flag is certain to fly again in the nation’s territory. Today, the US is joined by the British and Malaysians to fast-track another variant of the aborted MoA-AD (Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain) “ap-peace-ment” pact. While Ambassador Kenney had delivered a subliminal message to some neo-colonially enslaved Filipinos that she is very much “yellow,” Hillary Clinton is said to have had a secret meeting with the oligarchs’ Yellow dummy after she met GMA. Obviously, they’re all working double time in the run-up to 2010. By the way, a certain Alek Boyd of Venezuela, has sent out an e-mail informing everyone that Smartmatic has been banned by President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. It turns out that Smartmatic is not even a registered Venezuelan company. With less than six months to go and all the seemingly fatal troubles besetting the Comelec’s automated computer system, plus the chaos in the candidates’ accreditation, with the disqualification by the Comelec of clearly ideal candidates like Gen. Danilo Lim for the Senate and environmentalist Nicky Perlas for the presidency, the “Failure of Elections” or “No Proclamation” scenario is becoming much more probable. What’s the use of struggling through this campaign if the end result will only be a fait accompli created by the powers-that-be? That situation gives more reason to genuine opposition leaders and supporters to double their efforts to establish a mass movement for a new, democratic, legal, but extra-parliamentary struggle to achieve what a failed election exercise will deny the nation. Erap has provided the Filipinos leadership throughout the grim nine years of Gloria Arroyo’s catastrophic Edsa II rule. Estrada is again rising to be the leader against the perpetuation of the corrupt, pro-oligarch, anti-middle class, anti-poor, and anti-Filipino status quo — one that none of the other candidates have dared defy. Erap embodies all the tens of millions of victims of the present system: The Maguindanao massacre; Yuchengco’s rejection to honor the clients of the Pacific Educational Plans; as well as, Edsa III massacre — all of whom Cory Aquino also addressed her “death bed” apology to. In Erap’s second resurgence today, with his slogan “Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi kapwa Pilipino,” lies the nation’s struggle to be liberated from the shackles of globalization, poverty, hunger and mendicancy. Truly, the “Balik Erap” movement is a return to the 1896 revolutionary spirit! (Tune in to 1098AM, Sulong Pilipinismo, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “2009 Year-ender: Final Word on ‘ClimateGate’ and the Untrustworthy Voting Machines”; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com) Source:  The Daily Tribune ALTERNATE URL: http://www.classicposters.com/commentary/20091218com5.html (Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)

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