Apolitical Intellectuals

One day
the apolitical
intellectuals
of my country
will be interrogated
by the simplest
of our people.

They will be asked
what they did
when their nation died out
slowly,
like a sweet fire
small and alone.

No one will ask them
about their dress,
their long siestas
after lunch,
no one will want to know
about their sterile combats
with "the idea
of the nothing"
no one will care about
their higher financial learning.

They won't be questioned
on Greek mythology,
or regarding their self-disgust
when someone within them
begins to die
the coward's death.

They'll be asked nothing
about their absurd
justifications,
born in the shadow
of the total lie.

On that day
the simple men will come.

Those who had no place
in the books and poems
of the apolitical intellectuals,
but daily delivered
their bread and milk,
their tortillas and eggs,
those who drove their cars,
who cared for their dogs and gardens
and worked for them,
and they'll ask:

"What did you do when the poor
suffered, when tenderness
and life
burned out of them?"

Apolitical intellectuals
of my sweet country,
you will not be able to answer.

A vulture of silence
will eat your gut.

Your own misery
will pick at your soul.

And you will be mute in your shame.

--Otto Rene Castillo

*********************************************

Taken from:

http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/castillo/works/apolitical.htm

kagabi, malamlam ang buwan. tila nagmamasid, tahimik na tagapakinig. malalim sa pag-iisip. marilag.

kagabi, hinikayat ako ng kahiwagaan ng buwan. inangkin akong muli ng misteryo nito. 

habang ang iba ay naglalayag na sa dagat ng panaginip, pinili ko na muling makiisa sa imbitasyon nitong maglagalag sa gising na diwa. 

balikan ang nakaran. tawirin ang mga pilat na marka ng digmaan at ng mga sugat na nagbabalat-kayo na pilat.  

ipinahatid nito sa banayad na hangin ang isang bulong. bulong na nagsasalaysay sa kasaysayan ng tunggalian, ng pakikidigma. 

sumuko ako sa alok nito na taluntunin ang bawat hakbang, bawat pagtindig at pagbagsak ng mga pilat. 

pinaalala ang panahon ng kapanglawan noong tag-ulan at ang nakikiisang tagaktak ng pawis doon sa lansangan sa nakalipas na mga tag-araw.  

sinamahan ko ang buwan sa kalumbayan nito. nakiramay sa tila kalugmukan nito, ngunit ako pala ang kanyang kinalinga. 

siguro walang makakaintindi sa lohika kung bakit malungkot ang buwan noong gabing iyon. 

marahil may lugar at panahon para dito.

pero balang araw, baka (mali. sana, oo sana) ako naman ang makapaglakbay sa kasaysayan ng buwan. kasaysayan ng isang mandirigma at ang baluti nitong mga pilat. 

mga marka na nakuha nito sa larangan ng pagtindig. kung bakit mahirap maging babae sa lipunan at kung paanong mas mahirap maging babaeng nakikidigma.

iniwan ako ng buwan pagsapit ng umaga dala ang pangakong magbabalik ito sa panahon ng kadiliman. bilang gabay, bilang liwanag. 

maghihintay ako lagi. gising. hanggang sa panahon na handa na akong tangayin nito sa kanyang kasaysayan. 

hanggang sa panahon na pinatibay na din ng mga pilat ang aking kabuuan. 

----------

*ang larawan ng buwan ay nakuha mula sa: http://www.mallorcaweb.net/masm/bluemoon/romantic.jpg

Earlier this morning I attended my Film 177 class in which the course description is 'Women and Cinema'. I came in late and the class was already doing an activity. Good thing the professor was in a good mood. The professor, Miss Avie Felix, asked me "and you are?" in which I dutifully answered by saying my surname. She joked to me "no, you are really late."

So anyway, my seatmate is kind enough to explain to me what the activity is about. As it turned out the class was asked to explain, deconstruct, make a poem, explain or just plainly continue the words stating "I AM WOMEN."

I got excited with this activity, thinking this could be a good excuse for me to do poetry which is totally different from news writing. So after a few minutes I ended up with a poem. I explained to the class the content of this poem before reading it out loud (everyone was asked to read out loud and explain their respective concepts). Here is the poem:

I remember just recently, when I went to Japan for a conference, I had the opportunity to meet the Philippine Ambassador to the said country. I went there as part of a multi-sectoral consultation for the rights of Japanese-Filipino children (JFC). The Ambassador asked all the youth participants there their collegiate courses.

He then asked me what I am taking up now, I proudly said "journalism Mr. Ambassador." He smiled and said that the profession I am taking is dangerous and deadly.

I have heard such commentaries a lot of times and such statements are sadly validated by statistics and the different human rights watch groups. And now, in a disgusting manifestation of warlordism and brute force of those in power, ticks are added on the number of killed journalists, women and innocent civilians.

Worst, the said warlords of Maguindanao, the Ampatuan clan, is a known ally of President Gloria Arroyo. It is saddening how a woman president who is expected to advance women's rights as human rights does otherwise.

As of now, 57 bodies were dug up and there are reports that all the women were raped first before they were killed. Also, the bodies of Mangudadatu women (the rival clan of the Ampatuans) were found to be severely mutilated.

Yesterday was the celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. A commemoration of the date when in 1960 the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic were brutally assassinated by the dictator Rafael Trujillo. The three sisters Minerva, Patria and Maria Teresa were political activists who then actively opposed the dictatorship.

The three sisters were called "Inolvidables Mariposas" or the "Unforgettable Butterflies" whose death helped propel the anti-Trujillo movement that brought the end of the dictatorship.

According to the online site of United Nations "[t]he memory of the Mirabal sisters and their struggle for freedom and respect for human rights for all has transformed them into symbols of dignity and inspiration. They are symbols against prejudice and stereotypes, and their lives raised the spirits of all those they encountered and later, after their death, not only those in the Dominican Republic but others around the world."

This celebration was first declared from the 18th to the 21st of July in 1981 by the Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean in Colombia. During that time the women voiced out their condemnation of gender violence (domestic battery, rape, sexual harassment, state violence including torture and abuses of women political prisoners).

And in the year 1991, through the Center for Women's Global Leadership with the 23 women participants, from 20 countries, of the Women’s Global Institute on Women, Violence and Human Rights, the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence was launched.

This 16 Days of Activism involves other significant dates namely:  November 25 (International Day Against Violence Against Women); December 1 (World AIDS Day); December 6, (the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, when 14 women engineering students were gunned down for being feminists); and December 10 (Human Rights Day).

In light of this campaign let us all vow to put an end to such a system that coddle violence against women and violations on human rights. Let us strongly condemn this culture of impunity.

Let us pledge to end this system that breeds a feudal-patriarchal culture. Let us not forget the contributions of the many martyrs who in the time of darkness have offered their lives so that we can gain freedom and celebrate our democratic rights.

Let us demand justice from a woman president who for the past years have empty boasts of narrowing the gender gap.



JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE!

STOP THE KILLINGS!



* United Nations online (http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/news/vawd.html)

Read the statement here: gmanews.tv


....................................................................................................................................................
 


We are no longer who we were before Monday. Even in the annals of political violence in the Philippines, there have been no parallels to the slaughter that occurred on the lonely road to Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on November 23.

52 unarmed civilians all, the majority of whom were media professionals, the victims were enroute to perform basic functions in a civilized democracy: the Mangudadatu women were to file certificates of candidacy; the lawyers were to provide legal advice; and the journalists were to bear witness on behalf of the public and to report on an important event without fear or favor.

All of these roles are essential for a political system where power is meant to be transferred without violence.

What met them in a town recently renamed Ampatuan was the exact opposite: a force and mentality that invoked the barbarity of more primitive times.

The crime that occurred in Ampatuan was uniquely savage, but it was also an extreme example of the violent tendency in our politics. At the other extreme are the many citizens who are bravely committed to the difficult and complex process of peacefully deciding who our leaders should be, such as those souls who perished on Monday.

It is this tension between savagery and peaceful process that has marked our electoral history. Those are the most critical choices in 2010.

Much will depend on how the government reacts in the coming days. For what is emerging is evidence that the assailants were not outside the law but part of the political machinery of local officials backed by the Arroyo administration.

The President so far has ordered a thorough investigation and declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City. Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa has relieved six PNP officials in Maguindanao.

We trust that this is just the beginning of a series of actions that will bring all of the perpetrators to justice, including the warlords who orchestrated this bloodbath.

If they are permitted to escape harsh punishment, it will clearly be a vote for barbarity and for the other savage armies prepared to assault our maiden automated elections.

As we wait for action, we grieve. We grieve for the believers in a democratic system who paid with their lives. We grieve for the martyred journalists who believed the Constitutional protection of their rights was enough.

By travelling without arms to perform their democratic duties in hostile territory, the 52 made their choice. We honor their example and sacrifice, as their fate continues to chill our bones. As fellow believers, we could have easily been them. - GMANews.TV

Link


The Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UP (UJP-UP) celebrates 21 years of advancing pro-masses and pro-student ideals coupled with advocacy journalism and media ethics.

Be part of the Union's legacy of helping mold student leaders and excellent media practitioners.

THIS IS IT! The UJP-UP 2nd wave of application is now open! The application proper starts on Nov.27. For details, please contact Edma (0926749414484).

The Gabriela Women’s Partylist revealed today in their National Convention the Women's Agenda on which their platform for action in the 2010 elections is based.  “As the lone party representing the voice of women and children in  Congress, our Party gears to take to a higher level, the responsibility of ensuring the protection of the rights and welfare of women and children through legislation.”

According to Rep. Luz Ilagan, Chairperson of the only partylist in Congress representing women, the agenda is the result of 3 major challenges that the party is facing:  First, to ensure that the current corrupt government of Gloria   Arroyo is replaced;   second, to ensure that the next administration will institute relevant changes that will genuinely benefit women; and lastly, to ensure the enactment of laws that will uphold the rights and welfare of Filipino women.

The Women's Platform for Action prioritizes food security, regular job and equal opportunity for women and sufficient social services that truly respond to the needs of women and children.  “The first three items in the agenda outline the economic priorities of the Party that will ensure that every Filipino family would have the decent lives that they deserve,” Ilagan said.

Other concerns outlined in the agenda are consumers' protection against soaring costs of goods and services, protection of environment, good governance, protection of women and children against all forms of violence,  justice for victims of human rights violations, national sovereignty and a just peace process.  “These issues are faced by women everyday and the urgency to address them remains,” Ilagan said.

Ilagan added that the Gabriela Women's Party will support the Presidential candidate who will live up to the criteria based on the Women's Agenda .  “The candidate who has a track record consistent with the agenda and who will vow to support it will deserve our support,” stated Rep. Luz Ilagan, Chairperson of the Gabriela Women’s Party.

Also highlighted in the National Convention was the announcement of the senatorial bid of Rep. Liza Largoza-Maza who is on her third and last term in the Lower House.  “It is high time that we send to the Senate a woman honed by the women's movement who continuously serves the interest of marginalized women and children,” Ilagan ended.

Gabriela launches Maza’s senatorial bid

By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:34:00 10/29/2009

Filed Under: Elections, Women, Eleksyon 2010, Inquirer Politics

“If ever Jalosjos wins a seat in Congress in 2010, he would be an addition to the Arroyo bloc. Apparently, all these schemes are in preparation for Arroyo’s bid as Congresswoman of the 2nd District of Pampanga.”

This is the statement of Rep.Liza Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party today as she expressed concern on the possibility that Malacanang would grant absolute pardon to former Zamboanga del Norte Congressman Romeo Jalosjos that would allow him to run in the 2010 national elections.

“Granting absolute pardon to a convicted child rapist who was sentenced to two life terms is an absolute injustice in itself. GMA will be putting all Filipinos especially our women and children in deep shame and danger if ever she grants Jalosjos’ request,” Maza said.

The Gabriela solon noted in earlier reports that Jalosjos applied for absolute pardon before Malacañang last September 30 or two months before the deadline of filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2010 national elections. Consequently, the Office of the President endorsed or transmitted his application to the Board of Pardons and Parole on October 22 for evaluation and recommendation.

Maza believes that there is a strong possibility that Arroyo will grant absolute pardon to Jalosjos as she has commuted the latter’s
sentence last June 2007 to 16 years, although he only served for 12 years in jail according to reports. And since Jalosjos expressed his intention to run for Congress during his interviews, Maza suspected some shady deals between him and Malacanang.

“We can never allow this nightmare to continue. All those who are accountable to the people must pay for their crimes and should never be allowed to stay in power,” Maza concluded.

*************************************************************

Check out the article here:

gabrielawomensparty.net

speaker: churchur churchur, ayon sa pag-aaral ang mga kabataang nasa edad 15-19 ay sexually active churvalyn kylie

tetay: abnormal pala tayo no? noong edad na yan ang iniisip natin pag-oorganisa.

me (thinking out loud): harkor!

THE GRASS IS YELLOW OUTSIDE THE GATES OF HACIENDA Luisita. Jesus walked here once.

His father watched him die, almost five years to this day. Nov. 16 was when close to 15,000 tenants gathered to protest their treatment under the Cojuanco-owned Hacienda Luisita. Dispersal units charged with a thousand soldiers in full battle gear. The Northern Command numbered over five hundred. Stones and shouts, water cannons, tanks that barreled into gates. It was three in the afternoon. The sun burned yellow. The father heard it first: rifle cracks, a barrage of bullets punching through bodies. Jesus died that day, one of seven reported union deaths. They tell me there are more whose names were never reported.

They called it a massacre. Sen. Benigno Aquino III called it propaganda.

On that day, Federico Laza and other farmhands loaded the 38-year-old Jesus into a tricycle. The father wept and Jesus bled. It was too late when they brought him to the hospital. The police claimed they found powder burns on Jesus’ hands, proof he, too, had a gun. The autopsy said otherwise.

Today, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III runs for president of the country his father died for.

I believed in him, not very long ago. I believed in him in spite of a long-ago interview on Hacienda Luisita, on his first run as senator. As it happened, I was standing by Federico Laza, looking at a death certificate, while Noynoy claimed the dead were Manila radicals shipped to Tarlac for the purpose of terrorizing the hacienda. He said the farmers were content, and that all I knew were left-wing lies. The Cojuangcos still own Luisita, even if on paper they are meant to share profit with the same starving farmers who are worse off now than before they were made to sign land meant for them into stock market shares.

And still I was glad Noynoy was running, believed his mistakes, and his mother’s, were a result of their class and could change in the lead-up to 2010. I believed he could bring together a scattered field of candidates, pare down the fight between administration and opposition. I believed that the myth of the Aquinos behind him would be enough to convince his rivals to throw their support behind one candidate, and allow him to prove he was not just a paper doll hero, a crudely-cut outline of his parents. I was afraid he might lose. Now I am afraid he may win. I wish I still believed in him, because without him there’s very little left in the rogue’s gallery of would-be leaders.

For months he has been leading headlines. The Aquino son, soaring on the wings of heroes. His rivals have not stepped back; the field is still open. A fever sweeps through the media, crowning Noynoy, the man who has yet to say anything that is not an echo of the old revolution. Remember my father. Remember my mother. Vote for me, and you vote for them. And that is all. It has been months since he became suddenly the nation’s moral choice, and there is little resembling platform, policy or position. Miracle, they call him. This is the revolution, say his supporters. This is Edsa. So he may not be as intelligent. So he may not be as articulate. So he may not have proven himself. And because we are faced with the usual array of the corrupt and the devout, we wait, we believe. And we are rewarded, in all its cinematic splendor, by a music video.

The scene is a forest, in the dark of the night. Yellow shirts and soft yellow light, Regine Velasquez by a fire in the woods, singing of togetherness and unity and a farewell to fear. There is the small child, offering a bamboo torch to the senator. There is talk show host Boy Abunda, standing on a boat manned by a young boy. There is Kris Aquino, Noynoy’s sister, who is rumored to have been wining and dining A-list celebrities to support her brother. It is national unity via television ratings: the top stars of the warring networks linked by yellow. ABS-CBN’s darlings of prime time television are lit beautifully in the flickering firelight, holding their bamboo torches, hair bouncing as they walk, smiling soulfully into the distance. The camera lets GMA7’s number one love team Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera look lovingly at each other as they walk on, a smiling Sharon Cuneta raises a lantern, Ogie Alcasid marches with torch. There is the odd farmer and soldier, but it’s clear who the stars are. And so the full shot, a great phalanx of torch-bearing, yellow-clad men and women marching to battle, the celebrities at the front lines. Through it all, Noynoy smiles at children, at people, at the camera, smiles blankly, and you can almost hear him count in his head the seconds before he has to turn to the lens. In the end, he leaps awkwardly up to a mound of soil, surrounded by his beautiful constituency, and a sun explodes behind him in shattering brilliance.

In a nation where government responsibility has shifted to the media, and calls for aid are directed to newsroom desks instead of the hotlines of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, this sort of move isn’t particularly surprising. A united GMA7 and ABS-CBN may seem like the best of metaphors for a united nation, but it says very much about the sort of man Noynoy Aquino is. Flanked by stars, surrounded by celebrities, content to ride on the waving banner stamped with his parents’ faces. There is no message, other than that personality is king. There are no voices, not even his. His defenders say it’s not the time for campaign—and yet that video rolls on and on in prime time television. You are not alone, they say, but who stands with you? Anne Curtis? Ate Shawie? Marielle Rodriguez? Just recently, Noynoy promised to give up his share of Hacienda Luisita, and yet denies knowing of eviction notices to farmers even while the case sits in the Supreme Court. Laza continues to march in rallies, five years after a bullet ripped a good man away. Nothing has changed, the same songs, the same names, the same injustices.

They say the miracles are colored yellow now—the yellow of thick lengths of ribbon, the triumphant swags of bright flag, the inside edge of a flame on a bamboo torch held up to a camera lens, the same yellow of grass outside the gates of Hacienda Luisita, where a man named Jesus once walked with his father.