SOM : The <3%

The e-mail with attachments sent to me last Tuesday, July 7, 2009, by Engr. Omar C. Costibolo, co-convener of the Save OMECO Movement or SOM, talked about a concept called “The Three Percent”. I found out later from the net that there is also an online organization called ThreePercenter.Org who claimed to be working to promote the ideals of liberty, the exercise of freedom and promotion of constitutional government restrained by law in the States. The group also stated that, “We embrace the American Resistance Movement (ARM) philosophy and as such use the ARM logo as a means to identify our message and our cause.” Do not get me wrong. I do not support armed struggle or violence as means in pursuit of socio-political reform. I am a Church lay worker and I am for a gun-less society. I also hate the idea of organizing militias, even those state-sponsored like the CAFGU and other paramilitary units. And I hate math as well.

Costibolo explained further that, “Although the idea is invoked by the an anti-gun control movement in the US, this could also apply to any political activism or other movements for meaningful change in society.” Again, forget about the philosophy, ideals, objectives and means of ARM or any of the militant groups in Uncle Sam’s territory or elsewhere. Let us focus more on the socio-political issues and realities in Occidental Mindoro especially our latest struggle to save the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative or OMECO. And here’s Kuya Omar again for you: “We may be less that 3% of OMECO member-consumers but we have made some meaningful changes.”

Parallel to the supplemental readings supplied by the Premiere Photo proprietor, the Save OMECO Movement or SOM surely would not amount to 3% compared to its total number of member-consumer reaching 45,000+. Indeed, we maybe supported by perhaps 10% of the member-consumers. In addition to the movement there is perhaps another 20% who favored our cause but did little or nothing to support it. Another 1/3 of the members sided with the former GM (General Manager), his cohorts and their political patron,- and the final third took no side, blew with the wind and passively accepted everything. But we succeeded.

In a Narrative Report by SOM on its OMECO involvement subtitled “The SOM : A Moral Force to Reckon With”, it is written : “The SOM is a loose organization composed of member-consumers, OMECO employees and the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose, specifically its social action arm, the Social Services Commission (SSC). It is somewhat a network of organizations from different sectors with the whole of Occidental Mindoro as its area of concern. The SOM is still a non-formal group but the members conduct regular meeting and it had been lately the forerunner of various campaigns with the objective of saving our cooperative.” We have initially won the battle but not yet the war. But this victory would be our take-off point for the formal organizing and the establishment of organizational structures of the SOM. With this, the SOM will become part and parcel of a nationwide umbrella of power stakeholders. This would also paved the way towards strengthening a responsive and viable electric consumer movement not only in Occidental Mindoro, but the country as a whole.

Indeed, our SOM involvement have reminded us that history,- through better or worse, cure or curse, is made by determined and courageous minorities. And the SOM is one such minority and so too are the group who are against us. What remains, then, is the test of will and skill to determine WHO shall shape the future of our beloved province: them or us?

If only 3% of the total population of our province willing to sacrifice their lives and limbs for social transformation, willing to do thankless grind of social activism, willing even to occasionally lose battles but not the war. With these people around, the less than 3% is truly a moral force to reckon with, even without guns…

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(Photo grabbed from iranheritage.org taken by Kaveh Golestan)

Premature Necessity?

Their team-up for 2010 local elections was publicly announced in So. Baclayan, Brgy. Iling Proper, San Jose. Almost all of the aspiring “early birds” for a municipal post in their camp gathered there. Supporters and friends included. It is almost a complete ticket.

Last July 2, in this beautiful white beach of Occidental Mindoro, his plan to run for mayor of San Jose was made public while his “returning” friend is his campaign manager (or lead supporter). I am referring to Jose T. Villarosa and Ramon M. Atienza. They are our former governor and vice-governor, respectively.

But I am not surprised that this political team-up would eventually be (re)born (?). We can still remember that in 2002, Villarosa and Atienza had a legal battle that reached Supreme Court (SC) and became part of the Philippine jurisprudence. It is the G.R. No. 161081 and here’s some excerpts of the SC Decision:

“Before the Court is the petition for review on certiorari filed by Ramon M. Atienza, in his capacity as Vice-Governor of the Province of Occidental Mindoro, seeking to reverse and set aside the Decision dated November 28, 2003 of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. SP No. 72069. The assailed decision dismissed the petition for prohibition under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court filed by petitioner Atienza which had sought to enjoin the implementation of the Memoranda dated June 25, 2002 and July 1, 2002 issued by Jose T. Villarosa, Governor of the same province.” The Decision was promulgated by the highest court of the land last May 10, 2005.

To continue, here’s another peek from the (G.R. No. 161081) Decision: “The avowed intent of Rep. Act. No. 7160, therefore, is to vest on the Sangguniang Panlalawigan independence in the exercise of its legislative functions vis-a-vis the discharge by the Governor of the executive functions. The Memoranda dated June 25, 2002 and July 1, 2002 of the respondent Governor, which effectively excluded the petitioner Vice-Governor, the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, from signing the purchase orders for the procurement of supplies, materials or equipment needed for the operation of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as well as from appointing its casual and job order employees, constituted undue interference with the latter's functions. The assailed memoranda are clearly not in keeping with the intent of Rep. Act No. 7160 and their implementation should thus be permanently enjoined…”

The SC’s final decision is this: “WHEREFORE, the petition is GRANTED. The Memoranda dated June 25, 2002 and July 1, 2002 issued by respondent Governor Jose T. Villarosa are NULL AND VOID.” In short, Atienza was favored by the court over Villarosa in said high profile legal quest or question of law.

I do not want to discuss further about their newly-formed team-up. But I would like to emphasize here the important contribution of a particular tenet of G.R. 161081 to Philippine judicial system rather than the personalities behind it.

There’s this dictum “Ex Necessitate Legis (From Necessity of Law)”. Every statutory grant of power, right or privilege is deemed to include all incidental power, right or privilege. This is so because the greater includes the lesser, as what the Atienza vs. Villarosa case or the G.R. No. 161081 have taught or reminded us. Another key word in said jurisprudence is, “undue interference”. Hope this post would not be considered us such by said politicians. Including my readers.

On the other hand, even (former?) Pag-Asa Brgy. Captain Ulysses P. Javier, now political ally of Gov. Josephine R. Sato,- fearlessly announced as early as May his willingness to run for Congress and face his former boss’ wife in 2010. Or is it a premature necessity? I’m not interfering in their affairs but any premature ejacu..,- err, campaigning , like what the national media is projecting,- is so disgusting.

My prospect for the future? What I got is only this little personal prayer (for my self): “Lord, help me make sure that the toes I’m going to step on today, is not connected to the a**s I have to kiss tomorrow. So help me, God. Amen. ”*…

Message of Icons

It was in the mid of 70’s when I moved from Bubog Elementary School to San Jose National High School (SJNHS)as a freshman high school student. That was the year when body fit t-shirts and duffle bags bearing pictures of Muhammad Ali and the Jackson Five were sold like hot cakes in the market. I love boxing and music so I bought a couple of them. I am a certified fan of Ali and the Jackson Five. But I only want to remember Michael Jackson as the Jackson Five’s lead soloist. Until now.

The Jackson Five concerts in February 13-15, 1976 held at the Folks Arts Theater and Araneta Coliseum, were instant hits. But the quintet who came was not the original singing group managed by Joseph “Joe” Jackson, their father. The original member Germaine who was reportedly sick then was substituted by his brother Randy. The original members of the group were Germaine, Tito, Jackie, Marlon and of course, Michael Jackson. Prior to the Manila concert, there was rumor that Michael died due to drug overdose. And in a pre-concert press conference, Michael told media men : “As you can very well see, I’m here. What do you think?”

According to a news item published in Philippine Daily Express in February 13, 1976, “It was Muhammad Ali’s accounts of the Philippines, according to the Jackson Five, that made them want to come and perform in the Philippines. The Jacksons are friends of Ali.” Because prior to the concert, on October 1, 1975, the Muhammad Ali- Joe Frazier fight dubbed “Thrilla in Manila” was held also at Araneta. The “Thrilla in Manila” was considered one of the greatest fights in 20th century boxing. Ali was declared winner and shortly afterwards fainted on the canvass.

Muhammad Ali they say, is the only remaining black legends now that Michael Jackson is gone. Both Ali and Jackson became messengers of their arts and crafts, their message. I can’t help but compare who between the “King of Pop” and “The Greatest” made a beautiful message and good news out of their lives.

It is not only by winning, by amassing of fortune and fame that make us triumphant or a winner. It is how we live our message, our life.

And when I first heard of the news that MJ has died, I remember the words reportedly uttered by Eddie Futch, Frazier’s trainer, to his suffering boxer at the verge of defeat : “It’s all over. No one will forget what you did (here today)”. Those immortal words came out in “Thrilla in Manila”, an event prior to Philippines’ first taste of Michael Jackson in 1976 before he went solo…

Mangyan, Politician and Election

I was surprised to see hundreds of Mangyan roaming around a compound allegedly owned by a political patron in Brgy. Labangan Poblacion in San Jose last week, until an informant told me that the mountain-dwellers are here for the on-going voters' registration for 2010 elections. They are from a nearby Mangyan community. Yes, for a mass registration to a local Commission on Election or COMELEC office. Their transportation, food and accommodation are free of charge courtesy of said political patron.

In 2007, Atty. Margarita Tamunda of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) who was assigned to monitor the canvassing of election results in Occidental Mindoro reported that Mangyan folk were being manipulated by big politicians in Paluan and Sta. Cruz. The Paluan incident was featured in a TV show “Imbestigador” over GMA 7. Imagine, the Mangyans were given free literacy education where they were taught how to write name of certain politicians on a ballot. My goodness!

“What’s wrong with keeping them during elections? They are not kidnapped. They have food and television and videoke entertainment there and they can get out of the place anytime they like…” Well, they’re right because under the present election code this practice is not illegal. But this line of thinking is not only exclusive to political partisans. Sadly, many of us Christians see nothing immoral with such practice.

As early as in the middle of 1920’s, Gov. Robert S. Offley undertook initial efforts to come into contacts with the Mangyans,- our indigenous brothers. That was during the American colonial period. Offley found out that the lowlanders exploited the Mangyans for a cheap labor source or manpower. The American governor absorbed them into the body politics and the tribes have to give up their cultural identity. Due to the Christians’ perceived “extreme backwardness” of the tribal members, through a Manila-initiated policy, they were separated from the “Tagalogs” or Christians.

According to author Volker Schult in his book “Mindoro : The Social History of A Philippine Island”, the first Filipino governor of Mindoro, Juan Morente, Jr., favored the strict separation of the Tagalogs and Mangyans. His motivations are not only paternalistic and humanitarian but also tinted with political reasons. The segregation, made through establishments of schools and reservations, was seen as incentive for migration or to attract many people from other neighboring provinces to come to Mindoro. Through this policy on reservation, the ancestral land and of the tribes was easily distributed to the migrants. The Mangyan leaders vehemently opposed the national policy and sought the intervention of the Supreme Court (SC) on the legal matter. Atty. Vicente Sotto represent the Mangyans in court but in 1919, five against four justices declared the Reservations legal. The SC then stated:

“And true indeed they are Filipinos, with many but not all the rights which citizenship implies. And true, indeed, they are Filipinos. But just as surely, the Manguianes are citizens of a low degree of intelligence. If the Philippines is to be rich and powerful country, Mindoro must be populated and its fertile regions must be developed…” (Supreme Court; Report of Cases; Vol. 39; March 17, 1919 pp. 713-719). And that is the main reason why Mindoro’s population became heterogeneous.Why the Mangyans were driven out of their lands.

Even today, they need to be integrated to mainstream society but without sacrificing their cultural identity. There must be a balanced process, a so-called “ethnical symbiosis” or mutually beneficial interactions between Mangyans and politicians. Concretely, there is a need for separate registration and polling places in every barangay where the non-Mangyans, except people from COMELEC, cannot intervene. Massive community-based voters’ education to be conducted by non-partisan groups specifically those organizations mandated by law for the promotion and protection of the IPs in cooperation with COMELEC. Through these simple steps, we could save them from the bane of local politicians. From the evils of politics.

Going back to this modern day practice of “school’ and “reservation” for our indigenous peoples,- to my mind, any local election held in under these circumstances is a vicious farce and most scandalous mockery of their dignity. They are taking advantage of the Mangyans’ sorry plight. And we cannot be a party to an act of blunders that degrades and debases the Mangyans,- the poorest of the poor among Mindorenyos. We are our brothers’ keeper, aren’t we? Now, tell me that there’s nothing wrong with this practice,- and there is definitely something wrong with your being a Christian…

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(SSC File Photo : An anti-mining rally in Mamburao)