FRAMING THE ISSUE OF "THE ALTERNATIVE TRUTH"

The 1986 Edsa Revolt in the Philippines was not our metamorphosis.

Yes, Edsa I did not achieve whatever it wanted to achieve. Led by the Roman Catholic Church, rebellious soldiers, political activists, senators, the bloodless revolution ousted the strongman Ferdinand Marcos and installed as president Cory Aquino, who was declared as "icon of democracy" even is she was not at the forefront when the martial law regime was toppled down.

That was more than thirty years ago.

Freedom and democracy did not usher in "new minds, new manners" that would have catapulted the so-called Pearl of the Orient Seas to greater heights and maintained its position as second to Japan in economic development. The aftermath merely preserved and expanded the oligarchies like that of the Aquino-Cojuangco business empire that martial law aimed to dismantle.

And the Edsa (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) political heroes like Fidel Ramos, Juan Ponce-Enrile, Gregorio Honasan have feet of clay. They enriched themselves while in office, Ramos as Philippine president, Enrile as senator, and Honasan, who led seven unsuccessful military coups against the Cory government, as member like Enrile of Congress which has been dubbed as the abode of the biggest criminal syndicate. (The lawmakers dipped their dirty fingers  on the state coffers, through a scheme involving their pork barrel funds.)

Meanwhile, misery, deprivation, widespread poverty stalk the land. The heroes watched and watched and amassed more wealth while political dynasties like the Binays, Singsons, Dys, Ortegas among more than 80, rear their ugly heads. Needless to say, they wallow in riches and live in mansions and gated subdivisions like Forbes Park, while a great number of Filipinos are homeless and eat once or twice a day.

(For a look-see, go to Manila and observe people who live under underpasses and bridges, the Royal City of Spanish Times, now ruled by the convicted economic plunderer Joseph Estrada who was ousted in an impeachment trial. He was supposed to have been banned from running in public office, but the law allowed him to gain power,  a reason Filipinos don't understand.)

During her time as president of the country Cory Aquino, the so-called icon of democracy, a false description on the Filipino minds by the Yellow Media, did nothing but bashing Ferdinand Marcos, an almost paranoid activity. Her watch was a monumental failure just like that of her son whose intellectual and moral orientation has been heavily criticized.

And what's the use of whipping and whipping a dead horse like Ferdinand Marcos? Or passing his sins to his son, Ferdinand, Jr., who is running for vice-president of his country in the 2016 May elections?

Begging for alms in Baguio City (top) and thatched roofs of houses in Cordon, Isabela.