the email is still on

I got this report of the various rallies in Manila from a friend who has been living there the past several years:

This past weekend was one of the saddest in recent years in the Philippines. It should have been the celebration of the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos 20 years ago in a largely non-violent uprising.

The "president" of the Republic of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, chose to organize a very low-key celebration, to which former President Corazon Aquino, the heroine of the 1986 Uprising, wasn't even invited. Aquino has for months been calling on Gloria to resign.

Twenty years ago I was living in Butuan City, Mindanao, when Marcos was ousted. At the time, I viewed the events in Manila with some cynicism. Aquino came from one of the wealthiest families in the country and could hardly be expected to implement the kind of social and economic policies this country desperately needs. The military leadership, which turned on Marcos, were the implementers of Martial Law and were responsible for thousands of human rights violations. How could anyone living in Mindanao get excited about something that they were part of?

With the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, I can see that my views then were too narrow. At the same time, people who thought life was going to improve dramatically were so totally naive. To this day I refuse to call the events of 1986 a "revolution."

That Gloria would want to deemphasize the EDSA Uprising (from the highway where the uprising was centered -- Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) was ironic as she first came to power in a similar uprising in 2001. However, it is just such an uprising that many people hope will bring her down.

Evidence of her cheating in the election of 2004, her use of public funds to finance her campaign, and the exercise of patronage to control local politicians is plentiful. No one seriously doubts that she cheated in 2004, the only question was whether her cheating gave her the margin of victory. Because of her control of government and Congress investigations have been blocked.

Gloria's presidency lacks legitimacy, and the only reason the powerful middle class hasn't pushed for her ouster is the lack of a viable replacement. Her vice-president, Noli de Castro, is a former newscaster and not known for his thoughtful mind.

Noli, however, is looking better all the time.

On Wednesday, Cyra and I decided to take the day off to join a march from Quezon Avenue down EDSA to the People Power Monument, site of the 1986 Uprising. It's a distance of around three km. Basically, on this, the 20th anniversary of the uprising, we wanted to join our friends in the streets. We joined a march of 20,000 people led by Akbayan, a legal left political party with representation in Congress. Also prominent in the march were a slightly redder party, Sanlakas, and the Laban ng Masa, or "Struggle of the Masses," group, a mostly urban poor mass organization, and other affiiated groups.

After being blocked by the police for an hour, we were eventually permitted to continue on to the People Power Monument provided we vacated by 7 p.m. We cut out a bit early to find some dinner, and while we were out the police charged and cleared the area. Assembly is not permitted at the momument to democracy and free assembly!

On Friday all schools were closed and Gloria declared that the Philippines was in a "State of Emergency." She claimed that left wing groups, including the underground New Peoples Army, had planned to stage a coup in conjunction with rebel elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Although the coup was "crushed," we are still in a State of Emergency.

Later that day, Akbayan and Sanlakas marched again, following the same route as Wednesday. Bayan Muna, a further left but still legal party and it's affiliated groups attempted to march to the EDSA Shrine, just down the rode from the People Power monument.

Both marches were frustrated by the police, with 30 people arrested in the Akbayan march, including some of the march leaders.

Later in the afternoon a more establishment crowd, led by former President Corazon Aquino, rallied at the monument to her late husband in the Makati financial district. The left wing groups eventually found there way over there, following very circuitous routes. The left groups, all factions together -- a rarity these days -- continued the rally into the evening. Cyra and I decided to go and check it out. We greeted the handful of people we knew, and decided to go get dinner. Yes, we enjoy a good meal! Although all rallies are illegal in this "State of Emergency," ralliests had the impression that they would be allowed to continue through the night.

To their surprise, the police charged and cleared the remaining 2,000 or so people. Gloria does not want to take the risk that one of these rallies will catch fire and swell to the hundreds of thousands as in 1986 and 2001.

Early Saturday morning a local newspaper was raided and a congressman from Bayan Muna was arrested on a warrant going back to 1985 for "rebellion." Never mind that all rebellion charges from the Marcos time were to have been dropped. Another Bayan Muna congressman evaded arrest.

The rest of Saturday was quiet.

Late Sunday afternoon the commander of the Philippine Marines, according to the government, "asked to be relieved of his post." We don't actually know if he resigned or was sacked. Part of the Marines refused to recognize his replacement and for several hours last night there was a tense standoff at the Marine headquarters between the two sides. Eventually the "rebel" component, led by a veteran coup plotter, Colonel Querubin, gave up.

By declaring a "State of Emergency" and attacking basic civil liberties, Gloria has achieved just what she hoped to quell. The opposition is united for her ouster, from far right fascists including members of the Marcos family, to include all factions of the left.

Today, Monday, the schools are closed again.

We don't know what will happen in the next days and weeks. As there are far fewer foreigners around today as compared to the 1980s, I will generally be keeping a low profile. I will carry journalist's credentials on those rare occasions when I might go out to the streets.

Gloria stopped short of declaring Martial Law, as this would require congressional review, unlike during the Marcos days. "State of Emergency" is a far more legally ambiguous category that certainly does not include the right to close media or exert prior restraint.

The enormous irony, of course, is that Gloria has declared war on Filipino freedom and civil rights on the 20th anniversary of the restoration of those same rights.