The Politics of No and the Deodorant Commercial Models

(Images: 1) The deodorant models. Imagine Imee Marcos whose Daddy waged a nasty war against the communist at the backing of the United States raising fists alonsgide with her mortal enemy, Satur Ocampo. It is so sick. 2)One of the cash coupons found in Ayala Avenue, Makati City during an Anti-Arroyo rally staged by the opposition. This confirms the systematic and well-funded effort to destablize the government. 300 Pesos are paid each person to crowds usually gathered from the slums of Makati.)

Finally, the Batasan 5 left the protective custody of the Philippine Congress after rebellion charges were dropped by the Makati RTC. Strangely, for a militant leader, the five was too cowardly to face arrest and jail time; instead they hid under the skirt of democracy, the very same space that these flimsy-veiled Communists always wanted to overthrow in the history of their so-called ‘struggle’. Give us a break, these political parties – Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela and other militant groups who you can always count on to scream “NO to (fill in the blanks)” and Anti-“This or That” and “(name of the seated Philippine President)/US regime” tirade in every street demonstrations there is available. Punching the air with their clenched fist that reminds us with deodorant commercials (only with unsavory looking Communist hags and cadres), an anachronistic defiance of every thing that is not connected to their own anti-establishment, pro-Communist agenda, these are the same groups that receive (and up still is unaccountable) the much-vilified Countrywide Development Fund or simply Pork Barrel.

Of course, these militant groups have a finger in everything, like the consummate politicians and demagogues they are. At the University of the Philippines, the premier state-run school of higher learning, these very same groups have penetrated and manipulated student politics, making sure they have control in the major student publications, in student councils and usually representations to the Board of Regents. During the Estrada years, under the recommendation of KASAMA sa UP, the largest and loose dictatorial association of student councils in the university- composed mostly of left-leaning and sympathizers of the Reds, Hannah Serrana of UP Cebu College was appointed as the Student Regent. Before her term expired, she was found out having embezzled millions of pesos of funds that was supposed to be used in constructing an alumni hall in UP Diliman. Until now, she and her family was nowhere to be found. Prior to Serrana, her compatriot Desiree Jaranilla of UP Miagao also sat on the Board of Regents as the student representative but her left-leaning tendencies and incompetence earned her a pariah status even in her home campus. Although UP Iloilo like UP Manila has been more centrist traditionally than other campuses, sympathizers in UP Iloilo have dwindled in the past 10-15 years, with left-leaning student council candidates are junked in favor of a more centrist student leadership.

On the international front, the Terrorist Group tag by EU and Washington given on the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, is well-justified. Aside from the several extortion rackets, gun smuggling, attacks on telecommunications facilities and transportation, encouraging child warriors and other nefarious activities, a Time report in May 13, 2002 (Return to Year Zero by Alex Perry) confirmed the support and the meeting of Filipino Communist guerrillas with their Nepalese counterparts in Kathmandu in 1999 along with Indians and Bangladeshis and “resolved to turn the kingdom into a laboratory for various revolutionary game plans,” which basically making Nepal and the Nepalese people virtual guinea pigs in the communist social experiments. No wonder, communist cadre Roger Rosal recently praised the communist agitations in Kathmandu recently. What the local media failed to take notice is that the Communists in Nepal is as much hated by its people as the authoritarian monarchy of King Gyanendra who ascended to power when the Crown Prince massacred his entire family. As the Time report tagline correctly says “Nepal’s Maoist rebels are murdering, beating, bombing and looting- all in the name of “protecting the people””. So familiar. According to the Kashmir Telegraph, the Maoist communist Revolutionaries from Peru (the lethal Sendero Luminoso), Philippines and India (Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar) are linked with the Revolutionary Internationalists Movement (RIM) of Nepal, which is preparing the ground for the ultimate coming together of the Communist Revolutionaries throughout the world. Sounds sinister? The communist movement in Nepal has killed thousands of people in its protracted struggle to topple the establishment. Very much like in the Philippines and in Peru.

As usual with the Batasan 5 out of their rat holes, expect more noise in Manila. Or maybe in Ayala. Ask Jejomar Binay (You have got to hand it to the man, I am expecting he will single-handedly bring down the recent stock market gains by his Ayala jaunts). Makati taxpayers are shouldering the cost of the usual paid crowds in the stretch of Ayala.

Meanwhile, count that the Commission of Human Rights will always be siding with this troublemakers everytime they are dispersed in demonstrations. I always wondered whose side is the CHR is on. When a police or a soldier is murdered or a common person is inconvenienced by these stupid demonstrations or a legit company victimized by these Communists, criminals, demagogues, bandits, terrorists and troublemakers, the CHR's reaction is strangely muted but when these people cry oppression everytime the law put its foot down, CHR is quick to howl violation of Human Rights. For crying out loud. what is this double-standard application?