independence my @$$!

We should not celebrate Independence day. I know it's a crucial part of Philippine history, and we've been dealing with it eversince our first day in History class, but I really do believe being happy with it is not the apporpriate way to commemorate the event. I'd say we remember that day in mourning. Mourning presupposes death, yes. And death- the loss of the lives of worthy people- was actually the precursor to what transpired in Cavite a century ago. We see those people we call heroes who are involved in the proclamation of independence honorable. Sadly, it is only propaganda that says these people should be remembered and honored. And I have great historians, i.e. Teodoro Agoncillo and Renato Constantino, to back me up on these through their accounts throughout the years of their extensive research.

To begin with, Jose Rizal, the greatest Filipino thinker ever, disapproves of this "independence." History would tell us we were still unprepared for such a great priviledge. We, Filipinos, had no idea yet of the responsibilities attached to this priviledge. Yet, "atat" as the most appropriate word in Filipino, these people in the higher ranks, hungry of power and prestige, managed to disillusion the ordinary people to revolt and claim their freedom prematurely. Thus, what we have until now is what I consider a "mishandled democracy." The presence of people as Cong. Dilangalen et al. is enough evidence that people in the higher ranks, with no care about their people, would jeopardize the country's economy with bickerings to satisfy their cloaked dark intentions.

People's lives were put at stake just for this "independence". General Luna died in the hands of Aguinaldo's PSG, after ordering his arrest and brutal execution because he allegedly posed as threat to the yet Aguinaldo regime. This happened after rendering truthful and loyal service in his command. There were even rumors that while stabbing poor Luna to death in front of Aguinaldo's house, the president's mother was laughing like some theatrical sinister in the balcony. Those were indeed dark times in history, as Aguinaldo extinguished "threats" one by one for the sake of his presidency. Remember how Andres Bonifacio, Katipunan's supremo, was killed? He was inhumanely executed like animals being hunted down in the forests of Mt. Buntis. Who knows how many more righteous people were killed for the proclamation of his presidency? Now, we celebrate Independence day partly to honor this first president. Bah!

Even the infamous handicap Apolinario Mabini was shoved away from the scene after actually giving an advice to the most eager Aguinaldo that declaring independence was far too dangerous at that time when the Americans was building a front somewhere in the Philippines. But no. Aguinaldo was far too convinced by the Americans that they were here to help. I must say Aguinaldo was, indeed, the first "tuta ng mga Amerikano." And to our dismay, he was proud of that until the day he died. And the archives can prove it in the interviews conducted before he died in the 1960s. Good thing he was already senile then, he had no means to care anymore on what people say after learning his dark secrets. Too bad, this still do not appear on history books. The misconception that children might not develop nationalism if they know the truth is still iminent in the educational system. I just became lucky when I became acquainted with the whole truth when I was studying in UP. You know how it is there.

I don't celebrate Independence day. Actually, I spit on it. For me, it's the day when politics in the Philippines, as we know and experience it now, was born. It is when the Filipino's life was sealed to a long time of hardships and sufferings for the benefit of the few. But we wouldn't learn until the time people would accept the whole story of our history, even the darkest parts of it.