False Everything

Last Novermber 29, Trillanes staged a failed coup. I’d like to call it a definite ‘coup’ because it’s stupid to just call it a ‘situation’, as the government wants to, when everyone got tensed as a senator, a former VP, a former UP president, 2 priests, a general and several other civilians and some armed Magdalo soldiers marched from the Makati City RTC to the Manila Peninsula to demand PGMA out and to establish their new government. Their walk was actually a strut to challenge the current administration. And Trillanes was the embodiment of that ‘strut’.

Last elections, 11 million people have voted Trillanes to Congress. His win was noted as a vote against PGMA but let’s not mistake that and say he’s the new charismatic Gringo or the messiah we’ve been clamoring for. Sure, the majority wants PGMA out but what the senator did was merely out of arrogance and impatience. As a senator, and being a senator on trial, he’s got much more responsibilities now than what he had back in 2003 in Oakwood. Back then, he had to shoulder the soldiers but now he carries the good name of the law, the constitution and the people who trusted and voted him. To boycott your trial is irresponsible. To walk out of your trial and hostage a hotel is asking for trouble. To walk out of your trial, hostage a hotel and demand the president to step down so you could form your new government is just juvenile.

I’ve heard from the news that Trillanes and Lim would have made a transitional government ala Thailand years back. They want a snap election and after that, they’ll end their ‘government’ and continue on to democracy. After the government seized the group and the media men inside the hotel, they found documents that listed and detailed Trillanes and Lim’s new government. It was enough evidence for the PNP and AFP to proclaim their act as rebellion and enough for us to question the group’s true motive: was the rebellion for the country or for themselves?

Analysts say that Trillanes failed because he lacked support. Obviously, not many people came to his aid and his political ‘allies’ (GO) have turned their backs on him. I think it wasn’t because his idea of ousting PGMA is bad but rather because his method or plan to achieve that goal was unconstitutional and unjust.

In Article II of our Constitution:

Section 3. Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.

In Lim’s statement, he used the line “The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and the State” to emphasize and justify their act. But seriously, was that line supposed to be interpreted as such? Of course not. Recurring acts of violence and protests will give everyone additional fear, unease and further distrust to their government. Right now, no politician is truly deserving of the public’s trust. And this latest act of Trillanes only adds fuel to the fire.

I remember a passage from Machiavelli’s The Prince:

Nevertheless he ought to be slow to believe and to act, nor should he himself show fear, but proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence may not make him incautious and too much distrust render him intolerable.

Should Trillanes et al. have planned and waited for the right time, his plan could have worked. But then again, I wouldn’t want their ‘new’ government. I mean, look at what happened after Erap stepped down, PGMA was even worse! We’d be in an even more chaotic situation then plus, the question is: would Trillanes and Lim truly give up their control? Everything sounds nice and ideal and action-packed but a quick reality check folks: his way is prone to more violence. Frankly, I am tired of blood and pointless propagandas and I’m sure most of us are too. Can we not resolve this matter of illegitimacy and corruption through peaceful ways? Because if PGMA is pulling all her evil strings to stay in power, should we do the same? An eye for an eye, is that it? No, I don’t think we should because the problem will never be solved that way.

The DOJ has finally made up it’s mind on what to do with the captives:

Charged with rebellion
Former Vice President Teofisto T. Guingona Jr.
Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV
Brig. Gen. Danilo P. Lim
Bishop Julio Labayen
Rev. Father Robert P. Reyes
Capt. Gary C. Alejano
Capt. Segundino P. Orfiano Jr.
LTSG Manuel DG Cabochan
LTSG James A. Layug
LTJG Arturo Pascua Jr.
LT Eugene G. Peralta
LT Andy G. Torrato
1LT Billy S. Pascua
1LT Jonnel P. Sangalang
ENS Armand G. Pontejos
J.V. Bautista
Arjee C. Guevarra
Francisco Nemenzo
Julius J. Mesa
Cezari Yassir T. Gonzales
CPL Clecarte D. Dahan
PFC Juanito Jilbury
PFC Emmanuel C. Tirador
PFC German M. Linde
Antonio F. Trillanes III
Myrna H. Buendia
Dominador E. Rull Jr.
Romeo C. Solis
Roel J. Gadon
Rommel R. Loreto
Julian L. Advincula
Francisco N. Bosi
Leodor G. Dela Cruz
Sonny B. Madarang
Elizabeth O. Siguion-Reyna
Francisco C. Peñaflor, and
John and Jane Does

Ordered released for further investigation
El Cid C. Fajardo
Herman T. Laurel
Leonido Toledo Jr.
Evangeline B. Mendoza
Jose A. Albert
Eduardo R. Castro
Ferdinand P. Sandoval
Julio Y. Ancheta
Stella D. Guingona
Maamor D. Lanto
Romeo S. Dacles
Ryan Z. Custodio
Edgardo Tulaylay, and
Ray A. Linaac

And now, all we have to do is wait. Be patient and pray that this ‘posh hotel’ hostaging will be Trillanes’ last.