And the wheel goes round and round

Last Saturday, on February 25, protesters gathered to commemorate the 31st anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution (the second part of the EDSA celebrations after the low-key event the day before in Camp Aguinaldo). At the same time, another protest happened at Luneta of Pro-Duterte supporters in a show of strength and a demonstration of their continued trust in President Rodrigo Duterte and his iron-fisted stand against drugs and violence.

Two different groups, two different beliefs, and two different messages – it’s an understatement to say that we have become a nation divided and the saddest part of all is that we want the same thing in the end, we just can’t agree on a method with which to achieve it. I truly believe that we all want a better Philippines. That is all everyone ever talks about when it comes to politics and ideologies. We all want to be able to live in a country that is safe and that is progressing. However, when it comes to how to best achieve this – that’s when the differences appear.

It saddens me to see that, at this point, it seems like there are really only two sides. At least that’s how many like to look at it. You are either on the side of the current administration and behind President Duterte or you are “yellow”. And in even more unnecessary and derogatory words carelessly thrown around the Internet these days – you are either a “Dutertard” or a “Yellowtard.” When did these become the only options?

It’s sad how “black and white” the Philippines is being painted now by everyone. Is it not possible to be critical of the over 7,000 deaths these past six months and not necessarily be a part of the “yellow camp”? Along the same vein, is it not possible for someone to appreciate the good things that President Duterte is trying to achieve for the country without being classified as a Duterte troll? Right now, it seems like the answer is no.

I suppose it is because passions (and tempers) are running high and each “side” so-to-speak is so wary and suspicious of the other that there is really no middle ground. That makes it very difficult for a large majority of the population that is truly not about either Duterte or Aquino, but is focused on a better Philippines that will benefit us all. As President Duterte himself said in his EDSA Revolution message – it’s not about just one leader or just one group, we have to all contribute to making a better Philippines. There is no monopoly on that.

I’ve written in previous pieces that I am quite worried about what the future holds for the Philippines (and the world) if we continue down the current path we are on. When people refuse to have empathy for one another and refuse to even consider compromise, dark days are most certainly coming.

It’s this same rigidity and refusal to see another side that causes conflict. It’s this same mindset that could easily lead to martial law once again. And, it bears repeating (pun intended) that history repeats itself. Should martial law come into effect again can another revolution be that far behind? My greatest fear is that this time it won’t be a peaceful one like EDSA People Power was 31 years ago, but a bloody conflict that will leave us far worse off than we were to begin with.

In the end, I know that we all want the same thing. Someone mentioned that many of the poorer people in the country felt cheated by their EDSA “victory” because nothing really changed since 1986. The rich continued to get richer and the poor continued to get poorer. I can see where this line of thinking comes from and it’s this exact anger I believe that cultivated a Philippines wherein a man like President Duterte could win by a landslide. So much unrest and frustration with the way things were easily paved the way for a campaign hooked on “change” to blow through the competition.

At the end of the day, I am glad that despite a few heated words and minor skirmishes, the rallies went off relatively peacefully. Honestly, the last thing we all want is for this to escalate into violence. At this point, so much blood has already been spilled. We need to do whatever we can to stop this from continuing. Whatever our political leanings are, let’s all take a page from the EDSA ’86 book and choose peace over anything else.

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I believe that Environmental Secretary Gina Lopez will have a difficult time pushing through her proposed closure of at least 23 mining firms and the audit of 5 others without giving the industry and the people full transparency into her methods the audit which claims to have given her the information she needed to decide which firms to close and which to scrutinize further.

While I applaud her love for the environment and her commitment to protecting Filipinos and our country’s natural resources, I think it’s only fair that due process is followed and that everything is above board. As is, transparency is an important aspect in helping everyone understand the process on how the audit was conducted and how the team arrived at their findings as the new audit was deemed more credible for action as opposed to a previous one done following international standards.

I’m glad that the government and President Duterte will be giving the mining firms a chance to air their side and answer or dispute the findings of the audit. It’s only fair to hear from them as well before coming to a decision. At the same time, I hope for full transparency all around. After all, only by knowing the full story can miners know what needs to be improved on, where they are falling short, and what can be done in the future.

As much as we love the environment, we can’t scrap mining altogether. Responsible mining, which additionally does its part to protect the Earth, can happen. The industry provides business for the country, jobs for Filipinos, and (when done responsibly of course) harvests a rich mineral, which is used in so many different ways in our lives today. I know it is possible to find middle ground here and I truly hope that in the end a solution that is win-win can be achieved.