Friends:

 

Here is Part 3 of the highlights of the 2011 Gathering of Defenders of Sovereignty.

 

KEYNOTE MESSAGE AND REFLECTION: 

 

            MGA REPLEKSYON AT ARAL SA SOBERANYA

            (Reflections & Lesson on Sovereignty)

 

                          ni Roland G. Simbulan

 

            Hindi po totoo ang haka hakang iniskedyul ang okasyong ito sa April 8 dahil sa aking kaarawan. Hindi rin po totoo na ang kainan mamaya ay blowout ko. 

 

            Ang taong ito (2011), ay 150 taon mula nang isilang ang ating bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal. Sa Sept. 2011, 20 taon na mula nang ibasura ng Senado ng Pilipinas -- at gayun din ng Republika ng Pilipinas --  ang RP-US Bases Treaty. Ang makasaysayang resolusyong ito ang siyang nagsara sa mga pinaka-malaking U.S. Air Force Base and U.S. Naval Base sa labas ng Estados Unidos. 

 

            Walang saysay ang reunion at pagtitipong ito kung hindi tayo matututo sa mga naani nating aral sa ating pakikibaka sa pagpapatalsik sa mga dambuhalang base militar ng Estados Unidos sa Pilipinas.

 

             Noong Sept. 10, 1991, bisperas ito ng pagpapatalsik ng base militar sa Pilipinas, dinalaw ko sa umaga, at nakausap sa kanyang bahay sa New Manila, ang isa sa mga haligi ng nasyonalismo sa ating bansa - ang yumaong makabayang Senador na si Lorenzo M. Tanada, o Ka Tanny, tulad ng palayaw namin sa kanya. Pinuntahan ko siya upang humingi ng payo mula sa balon ng kanyang napakalawak na karanasan at matalas na perspektiba para sa soberanya ng ating Republika. Sabi ni Ka Tanny, matagal na siyang nag-aalala sa pagkaka-hati-hati ng kilusang progresibo mula pa noong 1960s. Pero aniya, kung magagawa ng mga pwersa ng progresibo ang pagkaisahin ang kanilang hanay, para sa pinaka-malawak na nagkakaisang prente laban sa Bases Treaty, naniniwala siya na tiyak ang ating TAGUMPAY. Tiyak ang ating tagumpay sa anumang makabayang adhikain para sa pagsulong ng soberanya laban sa mga dayuhang interes.

 

              Aniya, ginagawa ng kaaway natin ang lahat ng paraan upang hatiin ang ating hanay at isa-isa tayong durugin. Mas madaling gawin nila ito pag tayo ay watak-watak at hindi nagkakaisa. 

 

              1. KAYA, ANG UNANG ARAL AY ANG WALANG HUMPAY NA PAGKAKAISA - KAHIT NA TAKTIKAL NA PAGKAKAISA --- NG LAHAT NG MGA PROGRESIBO AT ANTI-IMPERYALISTANG PWERSA.

 

               The forces of imperialist globalization and their ideologues continue to dominate the globalization discourse because nationalist and progressive forces are divided and are busy with their intramurals. 

 

              Kailangan magkaisa muli ang LAHAT ng mga pwersang anti-imperyalista sa Pilipinas. Kung ang mga magkatunggaling pwersa ng Red Army ni Mao ZeDong, at reaksyonaryong Koumintang ni Gen. Chiang Kai Shek ay nakuhang magkaisa laban sa pananalakay at okupasyon ng Hapon sa Tsina noong Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig, tayo pa kaya na matagal nang nagsama sa mga pinaka-matinding panahon ng diktadurang U.S.-Marcos?  Pagsasamang pinanday ng pagdukot, pag-aresto at tortyur -- sa loob ng mga kulungan at safehouses --ng malupit na diktadurya?

 

               Kailangan nating pagtulungang iangat ang bansa na inaapoy ng lagnat ng kahirapan at pagsasamantala, upang isalba ito mula sa dambuhalang pwersa ng pakikialam at interbensiyon ng Estados Unidos. Ang elitistang oligarkiya ang siyang kasabwat ng mga dayuhang interes, kaya bakit tayo makikipag-alyado sa oligarkiya habang inaaway ang mga kapwa progresibo at anti-imperyalistang pwersa?

 

              The United States remains the power to reckon with in the global order, dominated by its considerable military clout, control of oil resources and war-fighting technology. But its economic power is no longer that strong. True, it has the largest military and largest global military budget, but its forces are pinned down in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its already overstretched overseas military forces, bases and facilities in more than 90 countries, forces it into inaction as it becomes afraid of being involved in more wars and conflicts that its budget and the U.S. economy cannot anymore sustain. We see this in the way it is reacting to the Libyan counterrevolution against Gadhafi, and in the pro-U.S. Arab states which are experiencing upheavals from their peoples.

 

              Economically and socially, the U.S. is now ranking a low 27th in life expectancy, and its government's support for  basic social services and welfare programs has plummeted way below many smaller countries. True, the U.S. still has the most guns. But internally, it has the highest crime rate among G-8 countries. It has also, by the way, the largest amount of debt in the world, and budgetary deficits, which will further balloon because of the massive bailouts that it has poured on its largest corporations and financial companies in Wall Street.

 

              2. ANG PANGALAWANG ARAL NA DAPAT NATING MATUTUNAN SA NAKARAAN AY ANG PANGANGAILANGANG MAUNAWAAN NANG LUBOS KUNG PAANO GAMITIN ANG MGA INSTITUSYON NG PAMAHALAAN, AT MGA PROSESONG LEGAL UPANG ITULAK NANG EPEKTIBO ANG ADHIKAIN AT INTERES NG MAMAMAYAN.

 

              Noong Sept. 16, 1991, nakasama natin ang isang maka-imperyalista at konserbatibong institusyon tulad ng Senado ng Pilipinas, na ibasura ang RP-US Bases Treaty. Ang ipinamalas na lakas at pagkakaisa ng mamamamayang lumalaban para sa soberanya ang nagkumbinsi sa Senado na bumoto para sa soberanya at interes ng Pilipinas.  Dapat lagutin ang monopolyo ng ating lokal na oligarkiya sa gubyerno, na matagal nang nagbebenta ng pambansang karangalan at soberanya sa mga dayuhang interes. At hindi lahat ng nasa gubyerno ay hawak sa ilong ng mga dayuhan at nagsisilbing Trojan Horse para sa mga mapagsamantalang oligarkiya. 

 

                From the very basic community level, including at the local government units, people's organizations can work collectively with the people to influence these local governments to solve local and common problems and gain access to needed services. People learn to be EMPOWERED when they are able to gain control of their own lives, when they become conscious of what they can do together to address social injustice, human rights violations, and even to challenge elite or oligarchical rule. This empowering community consciousness can merge into a national consciousness, that can advance and defend the national interest, and national sovereignty,when these are threatened. 

 

               3. IKATLO, KAILANGAN DIN NATING IHANDA ANG BAGONG HENERASYON NG MGA KABATAAN PARA SA MARAMI PANG PAGSUBOK SA ATING ADHIKAING MAKABAYANPARA SA SOBERANYA. 

 

                Let us nurture a new generation of young Filipino nationalists from the masses who can be antidotes to the discredited and corrupt leaders of the oligarchy. These young patriots should not only be able to expose the evangelists of globalization in our midst, but can serve as catalyzers for raising the consciousness of our people, and be able to mobilize social movements in defense of the nation's interests. In our educational institutions, we need to train more young nationalist scholars, in the service of the Filipino people.

 

                It is unfortunate that after the Cold War, there has been a decline of the progressive articulation of an ALTERNATIVE VIEW from the perspective of the masses, of the South countries-- an alternative to the world order of international capitalism and the neoliberal economic order. The Filipino nation and its people have the right to develop an alternative to the imperialist paradigm of globalization: a world view based on a viable vision anchored on people-centered, sustainable and participatory development. I think that this is a reality and material force that is now being realized right in the backyard of the U.S. Empire --in Latin America led by Venezuela and Cuba. Also and perhaps in recent months, it may also be happening in the Middle East and North Africa, which are being threatened once again with foreign military intervention -- as the people there seek not only accountability and transparency, and genuine people's participation in governance, but also self-determination from the modern colonial forces of the United States, U.K., France and Italy. 

 

                 Finally, let me state and emphasize that only an empowered people can be truly sovereign. Only they can create a truly responsive and accountable government, and accountable first and foremost to the nation, not to foreign corporate interests or foreign governments. 

 

                 This is what we mean by a truly self-determined and sovereign nation.

 

                 Mabuhay!

 

Part 4 coming up soon