Our Shakespearean Tragedy: The One Full of Sound and Fury

If you know an Act of Evil is approaching and you choose not to forestall it, is that Evil?

On the 14th and 15th of November 1940, bombs fell like a fierce storm over the English City of Coventry at the industrial heartland of England. The Luftwaffe--- the German Air Force of World War II had for many weeks before then tried desperately to pound Britain into submission. At that moment in time, Hitler chose to rain his fury not at London but on Coventry.

The people of Coventry lost many of their loved ones. They saw their Cathedral fall, their homes turned to charred ruin. What they didn't know then was that Britain's World War II Prime Minister, Winston Churchill knew in advance of this raid because the secret intelligence center at Bletchley Park was able to monitor and decode German messages.

Churchill chose not to raise Coventry's defenses.

Such is the nature of intelligence. By not forestalling the attack, the knowledge that the Allies had cracked German communications would be instrumental in the long term battle to defeat Nazi Germany.

The Armed Force Chief, General Esperon revealed that the November 29 attempt by Senator Trillianes was known to government:

"Two soldiers reported this to us, and based on that report, they made some declarations of alert or preparations. That explains why in a very short period of time, the Marines were already in Ayala, surrounding the Manila Peninsula," said Esperon.

However, Esperon clarified that even if the military was already on red alert, they deliberately allowed the walkout by Trillanes's group from the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) to the Manila Peninsula Hotel."

This disclosure reveals that the intelligence source is no longer as vital as it was. Thursday Peninsula siege was nothing more than drama to smoke out the perpetrators, invite them to do their worst so that government would be justified to take them down. It is an age old tactic. It shows Thursday's drama as premeditated and just how much miscalculation Trillianes and his cohorts made. But let us not get over ourselves, this admission by Esperon and reading between the lines also tells us that Thursday's curfew was premeditated on the part of the government.

Government knew of the attempt. The Marines were in play, Esperon disclosed. Naturally, they have had many hours, possibly days by which to plan and decide on what to do, what options to exercise. If our minds are dirty enough, is it hard to imagine that curfew was an option Government was dying to use, perhaps as a means to test public opinion and public outcry as well as the reaction of not only the local media but of foreign governments?

There is an age old tactic. Knowing full well of an attack, you let it happen. Let the atrocity of an attack unite a people, spark their determination to side with you. Looking back at all the moves Government did that day, given the debacle of what happened with Media and the raising of the curfew, I find it far-fetched they thought of it from that point of view. It is safe to say that the overall goal was not that but simply to smoke out the perpetrators, to finally crush and discredit Trillianes and his cohorts. The latter worked, but the plan could have been so much more.

This admission of Esperon that government knew in advance of the Trillianes farce gives me no peace, no reassurance that it gets better from here on out. Given all these facts that are coming to light, i have to ask you: what cost has the discrediting and neutralization of Trillianes come at?

The country's image is once more tarnished. The world outside sees this nation as unstable, even if only for a time. The Peninsula has lost millions. How does this affect the staff of the Peninsula? Can you count the ripple effect this will make on the tourism industry? Can you count the effect this will make with local businesses dealing their foreign counter-parts? Not to mention the many hours of productivity wasted by the entire country watching the drama unfold. Our nation stood still that day, how many millions of pesos were lost? Who is going to pay for that?

Perhaps government was not unprepared at all. The ABS-CBN post continued:

Esperon said that Trillanes's military police escorts were avoiding an exchange of gunfire with the armed Magdalo soldiers who suddenly escorted the senator out of the RTC and during the march towards The Peninsula Manila hotel.

He also said that the guards did not give their support to Trillanes.

"The custodians could not fire or do some drastic actions immediately, simply because there was a crowd that was around. And so they had to take into consideration casualties they could possibly hit unnecessarily," he said.

"They went through the walk, unfortunately they created the image as if they were together. The truth was they just did not want their wards to get away," Esperon added.

How do armed men get that close to someone like Trillianes? If government had already known of the plan, they could have had SWAT forces waiting in secret, already in play ready to react at the mere sight of Magdalo troops about to join Trillianes. An officer could have been in station to give new orders to troops guarding Trillianes. It would have nipped the drama in the bud right before they walked out. It wouldn't have made a difference, would it? Trillianes was already under arrest. He was escaping. The police can arrest a man trying to escape, can't they?

Headlines would have been: "Gun battle as Trillianes tried to Escape".

Trillianes would still have been neutralized and discredited right then and there. The impact on the economy minimal, wouldn't it? People would still have been angry at Trillianes, "how dare he walk out and try to escape?"

What is clear is that public safety did not require a curfew. If indeed true then, reading between Esperon's admission was pretty clear: they knew and chose not to forestall. Whether it was unwitting on the part of the Government, or it was premeditated, the fact that a Curfew was put in play with not so much defiance with the public nor of our other Officials just brought us to the brink of those Dark Days of Martial Law.

Maybe it was the shock.

No President since Marcos has dared to use such blatant power. Maybe it is the recurring theme of our age that Cold War-era fears are back with a vengeance like all this Talkin' World War III.

"Master Obi-Wan, not victory. The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, the Clone War has!"

―Yoda (edit added)

Perhaps it is in the interest of Villar and Roxas to clear the air and dispel the dark cloud hovering over the horizon and bring balance to the increasingly growing unstable condition of the check and balance that is suppose to exist between our Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.

The implications of the curfew and the last few days is enormous. Arroyo just validated for herself that she can step over that line at anytime with the right justification and need not call a spade, a spade. It seems, liberty not only dies with applause, it can also die a slow death when we curl up in fear or in our case, apathy. Thanks, Trillianes for your part in making our days grow darker. For the petite Arroyo, she sure carries a big stick and it is full of sound and fury and it sure ain't nothing.

Our Shakespearean Tragedy: The One About the Idiots

Trillanes is an idiot! He just became the laughing stock of the entire country. Hasn't he and his followers learned from EDSA 2? from Gringo? from his last attempt at a power grab? Is he and his allies so blinded by their near-sightedness that they can't read the tea leaves? This debacle today just cost him political capital and handed it over to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government. This debacle cost him credibility. This debacle cost him a chance at higher office, years down the road. This was political suicide. This debacle handed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo more excuses not to exercise restraint with her power.

Everyone is angered by the sheer blatantness, the lack of finesse, the crudeness, the lack of subtlety The Arroyo Government exercises power. And still nobody sides with these "rebels," these so called civil societies, these adventurers. Do you know why?

People don't support the so called "civil society" and the likes of Trillanes, et. al because when people like him are handed a senate seat, when people vote for people like him (i was one of them), we expect constructive results, not childish, idiotic, spoiled antics like holding five star hotels hostage when they don't get their way in court!

EDSA is dead. Get over it.

These people talk about being soldiers all the time. What poor excuse for soldiers they are. They tarnish the hard working, and poor soldier who rightfully deserve this nation's gratitude. Where are those soldiers? They're in the jungles fighting Muslim extremists and members of the so-called Progressive movements. They're dying as cannon fodder or dying poor and used without homes of their own, pawns without a centavo to take home to their families.

Soldiers take bullets for their countries. With respect to Trillanes and his cohorts, they are in a position to take figurative bullets by subjecting themselves to the courts, such as they are. They could work and make the system better from behind the cell. This isn't the 18th century nor the Spanish Inquisition: our people aren't stupid. The Filipino people isn't stupid, we know when justice isn't served. Haven't you learned from history (EDSA 1) that our people will not stand for injustice? That our people would reward the underdog but only when they're right?

People made a big deal about a child dying out of poverty. There are a lot of people who are poor and starving. What people need now are jobs and quality education for children. We need the Filipino diaspora to be sending in money and channeling back expertise to this country and not just to keep their family well-fed but to encourage them to start their own businesses or to invest in the Philippines. How can you do that when after a little step is taken, we take two steps back? How do you expect to show the world that we're better, when we bend the law to our will whenever it doesn't suit us?

It isn't that our People do not care about news of abuse and corruption. Our entire history stinks with that stench! Bring proof! Throw someone in jail! Not these endless accusations! Not these mindless stories that after the news cycle is over, nothing of value happens. make it stick. At the end of the day, there isn't any change, no one goes to jail on either camp.

By now, some may be thinking that I am bashing the Opposition endlessly. This is the part where I start my bashing the idiotic decisions of the Arroyo Government. The Arroyo Government was just handed political currency, which you needed, which was golden and you just threw it away!

What idiot had those media people so blatantly arrested, without outright charges? How many bloody lawyers does this government have? You had hours to prepare for that decision! You could have timed it with a statement saying why these people are being suspected of something, or at least why you are taking them into custody. Instead you have had our police force look like thugs out on a vendetta. Our police force who arrested Trillianes and his cohorts deserved to be called heroes today. That was snatched away from them. My point being: that could have been handled with more finesse!

Everyone knows that the mere hint of impropriety, the mere hint of abuse of power brings back horrid memories of Martial Law, which every single government since Marcos has had to apologized for. So what idiot advised the President to raise a curfew? Do you really think there would be an uprising? Did you not realized that because of Trillianes' idiotic stand, the people is siding with you on this particular issue?

The Government is saying everything is under control. That there is no need for panic. And yet you do this. You undermine the ability of people laugh it off, to trust you. Instead of creating a situation where you say out loud to all those people trying to create disorder "you are not a big deal," that to the whole world we should be saying, "this is not a big deal", you just gave the impression that it is a big deal and that you are not in control. That this isn't over.

Government does this all the time. Every time, instead of marshaling support, it has this ability to turn that support to apathy and disgust. The government goes into overkill to stem off the the probability of militant activity, which no one in their right mind supports. Tomorrow, being a holiday the bloody so called "progressives" always celebrate is appropriately a good opportunity for disorder. Instead of diffusing (which i contend, you did with the arrest of the biggest idiots of the day: Trillanes and his gang), The Government just added more fire to the powder keg. Brute Force is a good weapon when applied properly, in this case, finesse over brute force would have served you better.

This is the part where Darth Vader's Theme (better known as the Imperial March) is supposed to be played. I so wanted to call our military and police force as they eliminate threats to peace, heroes today. What a rare moment wasted.

The Global outlook isn't looking brighter come 2008, with the growing lack of confidence in the US economy (one of our biggest trading partners). With our economy so dependent on oil, which is both volatile and on the rise, bet you that should markets across the planet start to slowdown, our people will be one of the first to feel the crunch. We need to get it together people! we should not sabotage ourselves! There is so much opportunity out there.

The answer however imperfect is People Power through elections, and not hotel sieges, nor endless and mindless street demonstrations that do nothing for the bottom line. it means making more jobs thus creating and nurturing wealth. it means we exercise democracy. it means we exercise our right to vote even when it means our people votes back into office "corrupt" ones, then so be it. That means, "baby steps". What this country needs is a steady, methodical approach.

Our Leaders give the impression that like Trillaness and his cohorts, they do not understand our people, nor what we need. What disgusts me the most is that they meaning all our leaders on both sides of the equation say one thing and all do another. People want to exercise their People Power through elections and not coup d'état. People expect results, and not empty posturing. Our people demand creating and growing wealth, not infinite accusations and unending mudslinging with no one, who should, is going to jail. People want jobs, not hotel sieges. People want quality education and not curfews. We seem to be self-deprecating in a bad way. We always unheedingly find ourselves moving to our doom by finding ways of shooting ourselves in the foot. If i didn't know any better, I'd think all this sound and fury, signifying nothing is scripted! Poignant it may be, is it far from the truth to think that our nation's story is Shakespearean tragedy?

Trillanes was hired to do a job

Antonio Trillanes IV, one time mutineer is now a Philippine Republic Senator. The Administration and its allies--- have of course their negative view of the matter. They'd be idiots not to.

On one hand, Senator Trillanes was quoted by the Inquirer as saying "this is the people's victory" and that "people are longing for change". His rhetoric of course is sweet sounding and quite true.

Centrists like myself long for change--- a government that is for the people, as much as it is by the people and of the people.

If elections poll people who they want to hire to be stewards of their estate, then politicians have got to know that if they don't do the job we voted them into office for--- then they're out. just look at the last election--- no amount of cheating can really turn the tide when people have decided to get someone into office.

isn't that fair warning?

There is nothing worst for business than to see uncertainty. There has to be something certain, something sure like a common playing field, or rules that can not be changed in the middle of the game. Sometimes it is a certainty that any political climate will not disrupt the status quo: the flow of profits that business needs as assurance. So when a guy like Trillanes executes a mutiny, things go crazy. people back off from deals because they're not certain profits will be made.

I can not speak for anybody other than myself but the reason why i voted for Trillanes was because here was a guy with stellar credentials yapping at the top of his lungs (and he has a huge voice to disrupt everyone's business) something he believes must be corrected. he wants to change the system for the better. These guys have reasonable grievances, though unacceptable their way of expressing it. (added for clarity) why not give them the opportunity to prove their worth in a positive way through the system?

what do you do with a person with stellar credentials who is a resource badly misappropriated?

The gloria macapagal-arroyo way (well to be fair, not really just her way, but really the conservatives in general that she personifies) is to alienate him. they make this person irrelevant. fundamentally nothing is wrong with such a tactic. it is quite useful.

however, If you do that--- without giving them ample opportunity to put their mouth where its worth, you'll only create terrorists and critics and detractors. not to mention, losing a perfectly good resource. such waste!

our democracy, however imperfect isn't dead nor close to dying as many may like to believe. certainly there are those who subvert elections, who cheat here and there. admittedly they may win sometimes, but generally I'd like to believe those who people want to be in, will be in. the same reason exist why there are political dynasties in the philippines. People do vote who they think is best to lead them.

how can I believe this?

I hope Senator Trillanes will not see his election as some sort of reward. Likewise, future adventurers may view the victory of Trillianes as an opportunity, a road to fame and power. Raise a ruckus, start a coup and even if you fail, you become a senator. make no mistake, they will be making the same grievous error many politicians in government have made. they underestimate our people's ability, democracy's ability to see right from wrong. people do vote who they want in: for good or ill.

i've got no hard numbers. look at nueva ecija, look at pampanga, batangas and look at Makati: they're just some of the places that for good or bad have either thrown out dynasties and powerful clans or have reasoned to reelect them.

for all the political killings and all the violence, for all the cheaters and ways to subvert our democracy, given these facts, generally speaking and given how utterly imperfect our democracy is, our people's voice can be heard.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is probably (still) pissed at the results of the election. you know what? sometimes the other guy wins. then again, may be not. Seriously, may be it is time for the president herself to reevaluate and see what the people are saying to her. what do they approve of and what is it that they don't?

Senator Trillanes and the others who've been elected, I do not know whether to congratulate you or not. you'll have your work cut out for you. You've been hired to do a job. The least of your worries is to fail to live up to people's expectations and be voted out of office in the next election. you should be more worried about failing to live up to people's expectations and if you do, come 2010, people will cease participating in the process of elections. so much is riding on your success and that of many politicians elected into office like Ed Panlilio. If you should fail, politicians being ignored will be the least of this nation's problems because what degree of apathy will exist against democratic processes then?