Another form of Freedom Day activity

I had a different Independence Day celebration the other day, our 122nd anniversary reckoned from the proclamation of Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite. In times past, I always sang, together with the attending crowd, the national anthem while witnessing the flag raising in front of the statue of Dr. Jose Rizal. My heart would always throb faster upon seeing our leaders offer flowers to our national hero.

Thanks to being quarantined for three months already, I couldn’t leave my home last Friday to touch my nationalistic heart watching the patriotic rituals in Plaza Rizal. Three separate events, no less meaningful than being present at the government-organized celebrations, filled my day, however. Those events were done in accord with the newly-adopted term “new normal”. They weren’t participated by people physically assembled. We were spiritually and mentally banded together by the internet.

In the morning, upon the invitation of a text-mate of some years, I attended an online rally led by Senator Risa Hontiveros. The line of speakers talked about the topics that are most relevant to our independence as a country and our freedom as a people. Mixed feelings consumed me when an ordinary Filipino revealed a heart-rending experience. I was angered to hear his story. He was sailing towards an islet that was declared by an international arbitral tribunal to be a part of our territorial domain when his way was blocked by a formidable flotilla of fully-armed vessels of the communist People’s Republic of China. The act of the Chinese violated our territorial integrity. That was why I was angry. But I was also immensely proud that the Filipino could not be cowed by the threat of the armed ships of a world superpower. If to die for one’s country is the highest expression of nationalism, that Filipino demonstrated that he was prepared to sacrifice his life to uphold our sovereign rights.

Above all feelings, I felt saddened to recall that our leadership tolerated this rape of our territorial sovereignty. I remembered President Rodrigo Duterte saying that we had no power to resist China’s usurpation of our territory or words to that effect. My goodness! To me, the president’s reckless and irresponsible statement showed not only cowardice of the worst level. It was an unpardonable betrayal of his oath.

The other speakers discoursed on the new Anti-Terrorism Bill. To them, our constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms are threatened. They spoke with abundant caution on the possible terrifying effects of the proposed anti-terror legislation on our cherished fundamental liberties. How ironic!

There were lawmakers who said aye to the passage of the bill. Yet, to save face, they registered enough serious reservations on some sections thereof as to suggest that we need to contest its validity once it is signed into law. Their play of words was pathetic. Why, in the first place, would they approve a bill that contained an assault against our constitutional freedoms?

It must be the Independence Day fervor that shaped the two other online activities (one, the assembly of current and former dyAB personalities and the other, the podcast of Y101’s Jiggy) that I joined, last Friday. The issues taken up were, philosophically speaking, similar. If I were to restate Clint Eastwood, those events made nationalistic my otherwise quarantined day.