Bombings have occurred in Cotabato and Jolo, Sulu seemingly a prelude to a more dire political situation in the country. Last night, reports added that the country is in red alert, meaning that the political situation is too grave to be ignored.
Where do the preparations of alternative groups stand in the face of these events? There is no more turning back from the original plans of having clean and mass-based elections, the Peoples' Primaries. The people have to understand that this is our country and we are entitled to the right to elect our officials, and are obligated to be politically assertive especially for the 2010 elections. Far too long have we been pawns in traditional politics that look at us as mere writers on ballots, and not breathing, living persons who deserve to be regarded, respected and valued as human beings with rights not only at home but also in the community and the larger society.
What should be our stand in regard to these violent events? Evidently this could be a smokescreen on the real motive, which is in the mind of everyone, that the current administration power circles want to retain their hold on this government by hook or by crook. Why, because should a new set of officials, from the national to the local positions assume their seats, then corollarily, a new group of political appointments shall also occur, which could mean lesser or even nil power and income to the incumbents.
Right now, the most important question to be confronted is how to strengthen the people's belief in the Peoples' Primaries and how to make them participate up to the elections in 2010. The series of workshops that will be held in the next few months could provide the answers on this and hopefully bring about a more concerted effort and stronger resolve to move this country through peaceful political processes and honest elections.
However, those bombings should not be ignored either and that all investigations should be supported and encouraged to make the perpetrators accountable for their crimes against the people. While doing so,we also need to brush up on how to boot out a dictator and conduct all those moves that we had done in the past, like protesting en masse, civil disobedience through boycotting certain products of those supporting that regime and hoarding food and stocks that could be needed for those who would be brave enough to confront harsher events like having tanks and uniformed men and women in the streets, truly a breakdown of civilian supremacy.
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