The Philippines: A Legacy of Violence

Speaker 1: In the 20 years that Marcos held on to power, it was evident how he used media to his advantage, and how, with all justice, media hurled him out of power at the end of his dictatorship.

Speaker 2: No justice!

Speaker 1: In 1972, when he declared martial law, media became the primary target of his military force. Marcos assumed monopoly of the media, where his decrees ruled as law. Even with the killing of Ninoy Aquino, the country was deprived of being a witness to the tragic event. As the whole world witnessed the tragic assassination, the Marcos-controlled media practically ignored the momentous events, which created international uproar. But this proved to be a regime's undoing. For existing side by side with the Marcos propaganda were the underground documentaries, which tried to expose the real sociopolitical situation in the country. Whereas Marcos propaganda enjoyed continuous exposure in television and movie houses, the underground documentary, oftentimes shot in clandestine fashion, The film had to find venue in discreet private screenings or by circulating taped video copies. Marcos was the clear villain in these underground works. But every villain needed a hero. And the hero, Ninoy Aquino, was dead. Somebody else caught the collective imagination of the Filipino people. The grieving widow, Corrie Aquino, became the rallying symbol of hope for a people long suppressed of their freedom. The public saw in the real-life drama between the dictator and the widow all the elements of a soap opera. And they all rallied behind her when the military finally turned against its master.

Speaker 2: Come here, come here, come here!

Speaker 1: America loves the Philippines, and America loves Cory Aquino. In 1946, the United States gave the Philippines its independence. Since then, the country has been ruled by Filipinos, but the great white colonial master never really left the country. In many subtle ways, it has scripted and directed the great American production in Asia called the Philippine Republic. With a sham independence, the country was never really free of America.

Speaker 2: Now I know my lady sings. Tell me what you think of me. Well, hello, you dumplings, Tita. And how are our bases today? Fine, and thank you, Mr. Boozer. As I promised, we are not going to talk about the bases today. Thank you for not talking about the bases, but— And, of course, we are not going to tell you how important our bases are. Thank you for not talking about the bases, but— And, of course, we are not going to warn you that without the bases, you can kiss the Marshall Plan goodbye. Oh, thank you, thank you for not talking about the bases with us. And furthermore, American businessmen asked me not to tell you that without the bases, there will be no American Investors in Dumpliflandia. Thank you, thank you for not talking about the bases, Bussa— buh. And lastly, you dumplif, Tita, we are not going to tell you that if you force us to remove the bases, we will be forced to remove you.

Maritou Abaya: This shift culminated and climaxed in 1986, when people who were All these years trying to escape from the harshness of the Marcos realities and the Marcos truth, suddenly didn't want to escape that reality. Why? Because the heroes were they. The hero was Cory Aquino, was ordinary. And with her were all these supporting players who were all ordinary citizens. And they all felt that they had to be part of this live drama, of this live scenario.

Speaker 2: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Nilang walang pangalan.

Speaker 4: Television, for example, is second nature to our people. Whatever you do, whatever you think, whatever you feel like eating or tasting or experiencing, it was dictated to you by television. You may be not conscious about it, but it was. And all our values we take from television, because we are a TV-viewing audience. And because of this very strong influence of the medium, we have to be able to take control. It's empowerment. We call it empowerment of the people of the medium. This medium has been used against the people. We have to give it back to the people, because it should be owned by the people. Then the people should dictate their own lives. So, Let them let them see reality as they see reality. Let them see the reality. Put that put that into a box for all the other people to see it, for you to be able to share your experiences, your aspirations, your ideals.

Maritou Abaya: Eh, kini da nganu ararukunyo kanangkambalaymi e sumusuportakamikunokang NPA.

Speaker 1: Departing from the predominant escapist tradition of Philippine television, Andog ng Peta embarks on a progressive dramatization of stories on the issue of national sovereignty. This episode entitled Ang Babaing Itawis chronicled the military harassments and atrocities committed against the cultural minorities, as exemplified by a woman of the Itawis tribe. The story deals with the sensitive topic of militarization, something that was bequeathed by the deposed regime, which until today haunts the present Aquino administration.

Maritou Abaya: Inan sumo bradisa. Nabagoyo inafikun yalamesa.

Speaker 2: What is a kanisalamesa?

Maritou Abaya: No, mari inafini laspa.

Speaker 5: Oh my God.

Speaker 2: Father, father, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Speaker 4: A lot of people have this notion that militarization happened during the dictatorship only, and it stopped right there. But we believe that as long as— this is very political— but as long as the Americans have interest in the country, There will always be a continuing program that will have the military in an active position, because this is what we call the low-intensity conflict. They will always develop programs that will curtail expression by people through military force. So, actually, in Chile, In some of our experiences, there have been worse military attacks against the ordinary people. Take the Mindola massacre, for example. That was a terrible attack, which was one even worse than the other attacks that the dictatorship did on our people.

Speaker 6: We were the very first ones to celebrate during the triumph of the so-called In fact, we went out with a caravan of artists to bring culture to communities which in the past wouldn't have even heard the songs and seen the plays of cultural workers. We celebrated because there was hope. But ironically, a year after, as early as a year after, we'd already hear news of members of cultural workers in the regions being picked up by vigilante groups, decapitated. We would hear of whole groups in Negros who would have to lie low because of warnings from the local vigilante groups. You would hear of trade union workers and cultural workers among trade union members who would be continually harassed. And we began to reassess, and we began to reflect on what really happened during the People's Revolution.

Speaker 1: Aside from inheriting a bankrupt economy, Cory Aquino also inherited a strong, highly politicized military with a mind of its own.

Speaker 4: The way we see it, the major problem of the country is basically poverty. And it just so happened that there are hundreds, thousands of people who have taken a different option. These people have taken the option to fight with arms the government, because the government seems to refuse to solve the problem of poverty. And the government, in conjunction with the United States of America, have made this a major problem. They have bloated the problem of insurgency as a major problem. Democracy versus communism, it's that crap. It's the Red Scare. They're using this on the people for the people to get their minds off the major issues of poverty. The economic problem of our people, the fact that people go hungry, can be covered up by fear of some reds taking over your country. And because of that, you forget. You forget that there is this problem. You forget that the elite are still in control. You forget all this. So, we cannot get away from the fact that this is a very hot issue and it always comes out, whether on the conscious or the subconscious level of our artists, of our writers, of our directors. It does come out, especially with the experiences of our cultural workers.

Maritou Abaya: Okay.

Speaker 4: For instance, when I was working in the provinces, militarization is an actual experience. You see that. It's not like Manila. Manila is whenever there's a coup d'état, you see soldiers. But there, you see soldiers practicing for battle on the streets. You see vigilantes. You see all these cults, paramilitary forces on the streets. You get harassed. You perform— we used to perform on stage, and we get blackouts. We get people I used to get this. You get people at your backs, following you, giving you beady eyes. So, in different contexts, we have experienced military harassment. And this is only because they want to silence us.

Speaker 2: M-I-S-H-A-P-T-E-Y-M-O-U-S-A. M-I-S-H-A-P-T-E-Y-M-O-U-S-A. Hey, Icabod, my friend, you're looking good, you dumb flip mouth. Oye, Mickey, you white? Yay! Gringo? Boo! Bunch?

Speaker 7: Yay! You know, what's wrong with nukes?

Speaker 2: Don't you know that a nuke a day keeps the communists away?

Speaker 7: Away!

Speaker 2: Don't you know a nuke a day is keeping the peace?

Speaker 7: The peace!

Speaker 2: Don't you know that nukes is saving the world? We are the world.

Speaker 1: The 3 centuries of Spanish colonization And the continuing presence of American domination have bred a society of dependence and damaged a culture that would take long and hard to repair.

Speaker 4: Whoa!

Speaker 7: Putaayo, sabi yatan o ni Karl Marx, o sa Tagalog Marx Karlvarado. Capitalists and landlords will fall when workers and peasants arise. Sa Tagalog, kema yaman, kema hirap, kumakain ng bigas. At dahil dito, hindi matangiha ng governments ang hiling ng mga magsisaka tungkul suppression ng palay. Impaksnung isang linggo, pumayag na ang government na itaas ng 50 centavos ang presyon ng palay. Ito magaranga magdemonstrate ang mga mag-sasaka at magbantang kapag hindi itinaas ang presyon ng palay, maghahasik sila ng gulo at aani ng dugo ang government.

Speaker 1: Get it?

Speaker 7: Hindi kung madandaga anak ng patokwa sa manok.

Speaker 2: Pag inabuta kita ngayon.

Speaker 7: Tata tering kikampinu pino.

Speaker 2: Ay humantara! Mister Hell.

Speaker 7: Possible ni tutong ang ulat dito dahil akamakailan lang may demonstration naman sa harap ng malakanyakanyang para diumanusapanibagung pagtas ng presyo ng palay.

Speaker 2: Taming ka gawin ay magmemenste ka mi dito at pagkatapos ko hindi pa niyimabi bigay ang amin ka hilingan. Merhaba, aminga agawin ng aklasyon ng mangbobokid.

Speaker 7: Maganda ng gabi. Nandi tu putay ngayon sa harap ng malakanya kanyang. Kung sana may isang grupo ng mga magsasakas na mihiling na naman na tasan mule ang presyo ng Palay.

Speaker 2: Ah, ka palmo.

Speaker 7: Hindi hindi nyo doong muling tasa ng precio ng palay. Ah, pero hindi ba eh kamaka ilang lang eh itin asna yung precio ng palay. Ah, teka teka teka. Ah, bakat tutu o yung sinasabi nila na hindi ro yung mga mag-sasaka ang nakinabang noong ulang itas yung precio ng palay. Na sa tutuorao yung mga nakinabang ay yung mga comprador. Taya taya na nilitoko eh, na nilitoko. Kung tutuong tuwing itinataas ang precio ng palay, ang nakikinabang ay yung mga comprador. At hindi yung mga magsasaka. Bakit yung muling muling tasan ang precio ng palay? Kasi hindi kami mag-sasaka.

Speaker 2: Mga comprador kami, pinagtotulungan lang namin yung mga mag-sasaka. Oh God!

Speaker 7: Sina ng isang comprador na hindi mamatay-matay sa heart attack dahil walang puso. Long live free enterprise! Sa Tagalog, bitay na mga beep.

Speaker 2: These days—

Speaker 1: Greetings.

Speaker 7: We are O King Cole III.

Speaker 2: And you know, I really am a very merry type person.

Speaker 7: Pipe, please.

Speaker 1: And you know, I really do like violin music. But instead of a bow, I'd rather have a deep dish— deep dish TV, that is. Deep dish?

Speaker 5: Today, most of the information you get from films, from television, from magazines or newspapers are controlled by only 29 corporations. With so many millions of dollars driving these corporations, how can you or I or any other individual be fairly represented in the media? But there is an alternative. Public access offers a unique opportunity to express yourself and explore Public access allows you to explore important issues in your community. There are over 1,500 public access systems nationwide. You're probably watching this show on one right now. It's available on a first-come, first-served basis, so call your local cable system to find out how you can get involved. It's a vital component of our First Amendment rights in the information age. So use it or lose it. What do you think, guys?

Maritou Abaya: You've loved it.

Speaker 7: One more.

Speaker 5: No, you're supposed to say, stay tuned to Deep Dish TV!

Maritou Abaya: There's been inquiry, only a romanticized projection that, aha, a widow wearing a dress is sitting in her office in Malacañang where Marcos used to sit. And aha, a woman in a pink dress is saluting the soldiers and the cadets in PMA in Baguio. So it's nice in the way that we watch comedies is nice because it's entertaining. It's nice in the way that we watch fantasy adventures is nice. Because there's a freak in an otherwise traditional role. There's a carnival on, because she's a novelty, which is a good entry point for any important political or social or religious— any kind of movement.

Speaker 4: It's important.

Maritou Abaya: An entry point is important. But she's been trying to stay only as an entry point for 4 years. It's not enough. It's not enough.

Speaker 1: In the past, In the last 4 years, the stability of the Aquino government has been threatened by no less than 7 times through military coup attempts, 2 of which claiming sizable casualties of innocent civilians. The takeover attempts were staged by the outlawed Reform the Armed Forces Movement, or RAM, led by cashiered Colonel Gregorio Gringo Onasan. This was the same military group which turned against the previous dictator, leading to the EDSA revolt. Gringo Anason, the hero of EDSA, is now the country's most wanted man.

Speaker 4: Yesterday afternoon, our forces went on the offensive, and we are pressing with the attack until the last trace of resistance is removed.

Speaker 1: Because of media's role in toppling down the previous regime, media installations have become prime targets for military takeovers.

Maritou Abaya: We are here to protest the military takeover of the media. I've had several rough scenes with the past, including a station takeover where I work. So I I think it helps that I know which wires to pull out and put in my handbag in case there's a coup so that they can't take over, because I believe that such a takeover can only be worse than the suppression already suffered in the '70s by all media. But What my two shows, Public Forum, a serious public affairs talk show, and 6 O'Clock News, which is a news satire, a news spoof, what these two shows do is to try and convince and to teach citizens that while they have a major responsibility in installing and selecting or electing a government in place, that quite independent of that, possibly, or despite of it, they would have to learn the lesson of self-reliance, to think for themselves, to act for themselves, and to save themselves from calamities, whether political or natural. Self-reliance for me is the most important lesson that's being taught in public forum in Siko Club News, and a confidence, an installation, an installation of confidence in the citizenry that even if their government should fail, that they don't necessarily have to sink with it because they have the power to revise it or to change it or to keep it. If it's working well. So it's very citizenship-oriented. Further, these 2 shows do not attempt to exhibit balance or fairness, because we are not balanced and we're not fair, because we have a preferential treatment for the Filipino, specifically the poor Filipino, the Filipino that has the least access to power, least access wealth, least access to the media. It is preferential in that sense. It takes up the cudgels for the people who otherwise would be lost in the din of all these power struggles and political chaos and so on. So that with this kind of preparation and installation of self-confidence and citizenship, we feel that this would create an environment Could not possibly permit the success of a coup unless the citizenship wanted it.

Speaker 4: Our people have been dissociated from their reality. We have— it's like being blinded already from what is real. The coup, Was not real at all because you know their heroes are F.P.J., their heroes are you know Nardumputik. These are all invincible people. They were developed by the medium to become invincible, and they thought it would be that way. A lot of these people died because of mere stupidity because they believed what they saw on screen. It became a show. It's like your audiences were watching Rambo. We were watching all these. War movies and you see possible heroes and you follow the stories of the heroes and then suddenly media would say this is not the hero anymore, there's another hero, there's another faction that's going on. You transfer to the hero, another hero, but you never become conscious of the real issue. I mean, these are a group of people who are trying to overthrow the government. Who knows how serious I don't think they were. It was like a big show that was put on. Because if they were really after overthrowing the government, they knew how to do it. They knew how it happened in EDSA. Don't tell me they couldn't do it again with other forces. They did not take conscious control. It was the media who was making a story out of it. It was making all these people more disempowered because they were watching a nice war movie That they could identify with because they saw Filipinos. They could see themselves on TV being in the middle of all this action. And they forgot about the main issue, that the government was already under question, that people were losing sentiments with Aquino. She was losing her popularity. So you have another show, and suddenly you think, ah, there are these factions who are trying to overthrow the government.

Speaker 7: Right.

Speaker 4: Suddenly they're not the heroes anymore. They're the antagonists. You get— go back again to the heroine who was projected long before. So again, she takes on the role of protagonist because she was developed into another heroine because the heroes were projected on media as not real heroes. They were just there. They were allowing themselves to be used. And the people who use them are now in hiding. So they are just as negative as all these politicians. So you end up looking again at Cory Aquino, the real heroine, and you get again popularity. That's the way I see it. That's the way I see how the story was woven. And all the while, the people never knew that it was a scripted thing, that somebody else was producing it. I think that's a very good point. That it was another, you know, another show. It's just that it came for free. They didn't pay for their tickets to go to the movie. That's the way I see it.

Maritou Abaya: Thank you.

Speaker 7: They agree to return, to return to barracks voluntarily, and. I told them that if they do that voluntarily, they have to face the consequences. But I made some assurances to them that they will be treated fairly, humanely and justly.

Maritou Abaya: I don't— I don't— We anticipate more coups in the near as well as in the far future, which is— which really shouldn't surprise anybody. A coup will always attempt— coup attempts will always be there when there is a power vacuum. There is a vacuum in our government. There is a vacuum in the administration. There is no leadership. There's no leadership. The reason that there's confusion as far as who should take over, who should hold government, who should design it, and who should be, in effect, in control of the country, the reason that there's so much confusion about that is because nobody can charge.

Speaker 1: Mrs. Aquino was much criticized when she sought the help of the American forces in containing the December 1989 coup attempt. The presence of 2 U.S. Phantom jets on persuasion flights dispatched from nearby Clark Air Base gave Mrs. Aquino's opponent a new issue to use against her.

Maritou Abaya: The Philippines is a sovereign state and should be allowed to handle its own internal affairs. This struggle is not so much against a people that we hate, you know. It's against a government policy that we do not agree with. It's against an American government policy of planting on somebody else's space, nuclear arms which we don't want, personnel whom we may not want to have in our country. This is for me the essence of the struggle of— in demanding, for example, that the bases be removed from the Philippines. To begin with, because I want to protect the space I stand on. If I suspect I respect that you've got nuclear arms that could destroy not only my life, but the space that I stand on. I demand that since I know you have more space where you came from, that you go back there.

Speaker 2: You is mean to say, Joe, you will helping to me even without there is no military bases? Of course, you dumb blimp! What are friends for? Oh, you mean to say, Joe, because your multinationals is dumping, dumping junk food and junk drugs in this country, you will help him to win even without— there is no military bases? Of course, you dumb flip!

Speaker 7: What's the matter, you don't trust us Americans? Just because we have fun with little dumb flip girls in Olongapo or shoot dumb flip boys in Angeles, you don't trust us? Come, come, come, come, come, come.

Speaker 2: You is mean to say, Joe, because your American GI Joe is making bastos, bastos to our generals, you will helping to me even without their No military bases?

Speaker 7: Of course, you dumb flip! I mean, what's the matter? You are not believes with us Americans? Go on, go on, go on. Take the money.

Speaker 2: You know, after all, we're friends.

Speaker 7: Go on. That's the way.

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the way. No, you is stealing me. You is helping to me even without that. It's normally by the pieces. Go!

Speaker 7: Oh, what's the matter, you dumb flip? You don't like these nice little toys?

Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no, no. Please taking away them. Please taking away the pieces. I am a prince of the Atombang. Okay, if you don't like them, then we'll just have to take them away.

Speaker 1: We are only protectioning the Clark Air Base.

Speaker 2: Which is a Filipino base.

Speaker 6: For the protections.

Speaker 2: Of you dumb lips, the courtesy of Estados Unidos. Because.

Speaker 4: The Filipino actually knows his problem, knows— I mean, any ordinary person, whether he's Filipino or not, that when you're hungry, you have a problem. You have to eat. And if you can't have anything to eat, you're supposed to get mad of the situation, because why can't I eat? And I have to work for that. I have to find ways for me to get food. And if I know that that food is being taken away from me consciously by some people who is very greedy, then I fight that greedy person. It's very simple. But you have a Filipino who has this problem, but time and time again has been constantly barraged with all these promotional gimmicks by the people who have their vested interests. I mean, in our work in cultural— in cultural work, the basic essence of making them creatively expressive is for them to find where their dignity, where they left the real sense of dignity as Filipinos, because somehow they lost it along the way.

Speaker 6: Arts and culture can make a person feel like he's a human being. A difference in terms of the shaping of politics in the country. If we look at— if you look at our country, much of the politics that we don't want right now has been shaped because of what we call a culture of silence, a culture that is passive, a culture that accepts, that passively sits and accepts what's given to us. The aim of our arts and literary movement is to break this culture of silence, is to create a whole culture that asserts, a whole culture that responds urgently to times, that says, we know what is happening. This is what we would like to do. This is the action that we would like to take.

Speaker 4: But as long as you don't get out that Western, that colonial in the Filipino, The path towards making the Filipinos see that their sovereignty is something that they should protect is very difficult.

Speaker 6: When we say nationalist culture, we basically mean a pro-people culture. We mean a culture that enhances nationalism, that enhances self-determination. So this doesn't mean that it's going to be a culture that excludes the possibility of foreign influence or totally negates the influence of the colonial periods in our history. It is just a culture that shall affirm. It is an affirming kind of culture, affirms the indigenous roots, affirms all the positive colonial contributions to the culture, projects this culture towards a self-determined enhances the regional characteristics of each culture.

Maritou Abaya: I feel that I can still be part of a struggle whose ending view is to create in the people who Who live in the Philippines, in 7,100 islands, no, a sense that they have a nation with common roots and that they don't need to depend on international dole-outs and international assistance or international intervention or international meddling.

Speaker 4: Thank you.

Maritou Abaya: To be able to feed themselves and clothe themselves and to form and cultivate their own dreams and to pursue these dreams on their own. Because for me, in essence, then that would be the improvement of his human condition given the territory and the space where he lives. I think all mankind ought to at the very least Give each other the space where he stands, that in that space he can be respected, and that in the space where he lives or in the space where he stands, he can dream on his own. Nobody will snatch or rob the air that he breathes in that little space that he stands on.

Speaker 1: For more than 4 centuries, the Philippines has convulsed with all sorts of violence that have shaped the history of its Yes. Under the signs of the sword and the cross, the natives cowered under Spanish rule. With the coming of the Americans, Filipinos were subjected to a military power which until now exerts its might within the Asia-Pacific region. But in the face of all these, the Filipinos have become undaunted in their search for Freedom. In the face of violence, they have summoned courage to fight against foreign invaders and dictators. Complete sovereignty for the Filipino must one day be attained.

Speaker 2: La pit mga kalpigan nas makili kayo. अकुई मैदना जलान बनी कागली सबायत को नाइस कोम की पाम हागी अंग मंगा क्विंटो अंग मंगा पंगयार नगागना अलूपम पिनंगा को अंग लूपम पिनंगली घन कोई माई बाहिना सुगो La pitma ga gaybi gan nasma kine kayo. Dayo nang lupang ipinagako ay natsusubabo.