Remembering

People should try to remember how Trillanes walked out of a court, waving hands to bystanders to join him in his “revolt” because the court convicted him. (Danny Lim was with him then but he has now changed his ways. He has a more formidable task of solving the traffic in Metro Manila).

To go back to Trillanes’ walk from the court waving at the crowds the response was to giggle at him. Naloloko na ba iyang sundalong iyan. It summed up what was wrong with the man who was so egoistic to think of himself as a hero. It was a ridiculous sight. Not one of the bystanders clapped or moved. To them it was a comedy show but Dolphy would have done better.

He has stopped walking in the streets after the Oakwood mutiny but he is doing the same thing when he calls on Filipinos to follow in his crusade against President Duterte who was voted overwhelmingly because Filipinos want change. It will not happen under a dullard like Trillanes.

He has good taste because he chose the poshest hotel – the Manila Peninsula – for his revolt. No doubt it was a show for foreigners and to give gullible foreign media who were in the hotel something to write about. For a while, it seemed the end of the Manila Peninsula pictured with a tank smashing through its doors. But a quick refurbishment of the hotel was made and it was back in business.

With hidden wealth at the center of the collision course of today between President Duterte and the comedian Trillanes, people are also remembering the trial of Chief 
Renato Corona. He went on a three-hour defense of himself and the senators in the hall just smirked. They had already made their choice and I was at the house of Sen. Loren Legarda by chance when it was organized. It has to be a unanimous vote I heard her repeat whoever it was she was talking to on the phone.

I saw postings in FB today that recollect that infamous trial. A press conference was called by Corona’s lawyers to expose that President Benigno Aquino III would use all the powers of the presidency to convict Corona.  Very little was said in mainstream media. But it was in Corona’s conviction that I discovered Emile Zola, the French writer who sacrificed a career and a lifetime to defend Dreyfus, a Jew, who was falsely accused by the lies of military officials. I have gathered excerpts from the many columns I wrote in 2012.

Former Governor Sally Zaldivar gave me a disk of the movie of the most important trial in history “J’accuse.” Zola wrote to the President of France and to tell him why it was wrong.

 “If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way,” Emile Zola said. 

In hindsight we must remember that some Filipino government officials led by President Aquino did that with the help of corrupt allies.

But in time the chief justice had his revenge. The truth about how bribes were paid out to the senators who voted for his conviction was revealed.

Or as Emile Zola would say, the truth ultimately blew up. The so-called DAP and PDAF blew up in their faces.

Yes, there are media people who saw all this but only a few dared to write about it. They were overwhelmed by headlines from major newspapers and broadcast media owned by oligarchs who proudly declared themselves as kingmakers. 

Fighting corruption by breaking the law is simply not the way to go. As a reviewer of Emile Zola’s “J’accuse said, when you break the law to correct flaws in a nation, you break the nation.

Days after Corona’s conviction, President Aquino was on his way to the United States. He was praised for a job well done by President Obama.

“Aquino recently won a major battle in his campaign against corruption with the sacking of the country’s top judge. Aquino also agreed to let more US troops rotate – but not be based – in the Philippines despite the historical baggage,” President Obama said in welcoming him.

“I’ve always found President Aquino to be a thoughtful and very helpful partner,” Obama added.

“And I think that as a consequence of the meeting today in which we discussed not only military and economic issues, but also regional issues – for example, trying to make sure that we have a strong set of international norms and rules governing maritime disputes in the region – that I’m very confident that we’re going to see continued friendship and strong cooperation between our two countries.”

What could be clearer for those who want to see.

MISCELLANY: I count myself among those who want to return to their roots. For those from Laguna, there is a dance inspired exhibit at the Shangrila Mall.

Called the “Sinaunang Sayaw at Sining,” the painting and sculpture exhibit was organized by Baile Foundation and the Laguna Artists Guild.

Baile officers, trustees and members, who are pioneers of the world-renowned Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company working with Laguna artists was ingenious.

As usual the indefatigable Nilo Valdecantos of Kape Kesada and art Gallery of Paete was there to help the organizers. Don’t you ever rest, I asked him.  Nilo is helping aspiring young writers from our hometown to get a wider audience. Exhibit is organized with the Laguna Artists Guild and Kape Kesada Art Gallery of Paete.

I am naming the artists who are participating because reading their names show they are from families with ancestors in Laguna. Participating artists are Fred and Wilson Baldemor, Edward Dave, Ramon Cajipe, Glenn Cagandahan, Abe Acala, Felix “Kid” Baldemor, Peping Balquiedra, Luis Acac, Nilo Valdecantos and Ignacio “Bisoy” Iglesia. Participating visual artists are Eric Masangkay, Ma. Lourdes Monfero, Melchor Sabariza, Zoerya Baldemor Abuel, Dominic Rubio, Ysa Gernale, Eman Santos, Henri Cainglet, Lamberto Acyatan, Imelda Endaya Cajipe, Paul John Galagar, Bayani Roy Acala, Louie Ignacio, Reynaldo Villarin Adea, and guest painter, movie and TV actress Solenn Heussaff. (Solenn’s maternal grandmother is my aunt and although she could not come, her mother Cynthia came to represent her.)