The Miseducation of the People's Power Generation

THE MISEDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE’S POWER GENERATION Those who belong to the People’s Power generationi may still recall the popular article entitled “The Miseducation of the Filipino” by the late Renato Constantino. Although Constantino addressed his grievances against the American colonial government, I think his approach in analyzing the deep-seated problems of society remains valid until today. I do not necessarily agree with some of the assertions he made in his essay,ii but I do agree with his critical observations and emphasis on education. I agree with the letter and spirit of his statements that: 1. “Education is a vital weapon of a people striving for economic emancipation, political independence and cultural renaissance.” However, I would like to add that it is not only a “weapon” (that implies violence), but also a “tool” (that implies non-violence). 2. Nationalism is about the “correction of iniquitous relations,” pursuit of “economic emancipation,” and “appreciation for our own culture.” However, I would like to caution that nationalism is not necessarily anti-foreign, but only against “iniquitous relations.” Nationalism does not absolutely rule out alliances with foreign states, if such alliance supports the national interest. 3. “The most effective means of subjugating a people is to capture their minds. Military victory does not necessarily signify conquest. As long as feelings of resistance remain in the hearts of the vanquished, no conqueror is secure… The moulding of men’s minds is the best means of conquest. Education, therefore, serves as a weapon in wars of colonial conquest… The American military authorities had a job to do. They had to employ all means to pacify a people whose hopes for independence were being frustrated by the presence of another conqueror.” 4. “The American view of our history turned our heroes into brigands in our own eyes, (and) distorted our distorted vision of the future. The surrender of the Katipuneros was nothing compared to this final surrender, this leveling down of our last defenses… Within the framework of American colonialism, whenever there was a conflict between American and Filipino goals and interests, the schools guided us toward thought and action which could forward American interests.” 5. “It was understandable for American authorities to think that democracy can only mean the American type of democracy, and thus they foisted on the Filipinos the institutions that were valid for their own people. Indigenous institutions which could have led to the evolution of native democratic ideas and institutions were disregarded.” 6. “Education cannot be divorced from the society of a definite country at a definite time. It is a fallacy to think that educational goals should be the same everywhere and that therefore what should go into the making of a well-educated American is the same as what 1 should go into the making of the well-educated Filipino. This would be true only if the two societies were at the same political, cultural, and economic level and had the same political, cultural and economic goals. 7. “The pathetic results of this failure of Philippine education is a citizen amazingly naïve and trusting in its relations with foreigners, devoid of the capacity to feel indignation even in the face of insults to the nation, ready to acquiesce and even to help aliens in the despoliation of our national wealth. Why are the great majority of our people so complaisant about foreign economic control? Much of the blame must be laid at the door of colonial education. Colonial education has not provided us with a realistic attitude toward other nations, especially Spain and the United States. The emphasis in our study of history has been on the great gifts that our conquerors have bestowed upon us. A mask of benevolence was used to hide the cruelties and deceit of early American occupation.” Are these statements still relevant today, specially to the People’s Power generation? Literally, they are not. The American colonizers already withdrew from the country 75 years ago. However, if we apply Constantino’s statements to our situation today, mutatis mutandis or “by changing those things which need to be changed,” then they still are. Replace Constantino’s references to the “Americans colonizers” with “Filipino oligarchs,” and all his statements remain relevant, at least in spirit if not by the letter. By “oligarchs” I refer to the family-based conglomerates that play the role of “kingmaker,” outlast administrations, and hijack government policy to suit their vested interests.iii They subvert democracy by manipulating public opinion, procuring the loyalties of educational institutions (i.e. administrators, professors, parents, students) through disguised financing,iv and spreading “fake news” and “false views” through mass media networks they own or influence. In colleges and universities, particularly the so-called elite schools in Metro Manila (i.e. Ateneo, La Salle, UP), they impart to their students a profound admiration of the oligarchs (who are all over the public utilities, mass media and natural resources), deep respect for the communists (who seek to grab power through violent class conflict), and strong condemnation of all the puny mortals who dare oppose them. Let me cite some examples of teachings in schools: 1. They would teach about martial law declared by the Marcos administration in September 1972, as a mere ploy to extend their terms in office, citing the arrest and detention of many political personalities.v However, they would not teach about the Plaza Miranda bombing that terrorized and killed innocents in August 1971, that was initially blamed on Mr. Marcos but later pointed at the CPP-NPA under Jose Maria Sison, in likely collaboration with Mr. Ninoy Aquino, the presumptive presidential candidate of the Liberal Party.vi They also would not teach about the supply of arms by the Peoples’ Republic of China to the CPP-NPA, shown by the MV Karagatan incident in July 1972,vii and the widespread communist insurgencies in Southeast Asia at the time, where practically all neighboring countries were under martial law.viii 2 2. They would teach about human rights violations of the Marcos administration, which allegedly involved 3,257 extra-judicial killings during 1970s and 1980s, per Amnesty International and the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines.ix They also would teach about the 5,526 drug suspects killed from 2016 to 2019, as per data of the PNP and PDEA.x However, they would not teach about the 43,000 fatalities between 1969 and 2008 from the armed rebellion of the CPP-NPA-NDF.xi 3. They would teach about the Hello Garci scandal, where then President Arroyo was recorded calling Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to allegedly rig the results in her favor.xii However, they would not teach about the role of the US Embassy in instigating the Hello Garci and Hyatt 10 scandals, because of Arroyo’s alleged refusal to align Philippine foreign policy with US foreign policy.xiii They also would not teach about the role of IFES (International Federation of Electoral Systems), a Washington based NGO funded by USAID and the US State Department, in securing the entry into the country of the Venezuelan company Smartmatic, to take full technical control of Philippine automated elections, characterized by the disablement of basic safeguards against fraud.xiv 4. They would teach about the P171 billion of ill-gotten wealth recovered from the Marcos family by the PCGG during the period from 1986 to 2017.xv However, they would not teach about the questioned disposition by President Cory Aquino in favor of her relatives and allies, of shares recovered by the government in PLDT, PAL, Meralco and ABS-CBN.xvi They also would not teach about the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of President Noynoy Aquino, a secret budget declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, valued at P144 billion from 2011 to 2013.xvii 5. They would teach about the removal of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno in May 2018, by the Supreme Court itself, as politically motivated simply because she was an appointee of President Noynoy Aquino.xviii However, they would not teach about the removal of Chief Justice Renato Corona by impeachment in May 2012, who insisted “this (was) all about Hacienda Luisita” because he recently led the Supreme Court to rule against the Aquino family.xix They also would not teach about the alleged bribery of senators by the Aquino administration, to ensure Corona’s conviction, using public funds from DAP.xx Obviously, this kind of one-sided narrative hides the “whole truth” from the people, directs their anger at those painted as villains, and enables the oligarchs and the communists to go about their usual business of exploiting and destroying the country. The mantra of miseducation reads like this: “Ninoy is a hero. Cory is a saint. All their acts are good. All their enemies are evil.” Admittedly, I too was a product of this miseducation at the Ateneo. It took me almost 20 years to come to my senses and reject this mantra. Please allow me to recall how I started my journey. 3 In law school, while Mr. Marcos still held the reins of power in Malacanang, I joined a cause- oriented group called Sandata, affiliated with the coalition of Bandila, that advocated socialist democracy. During the snap elections of 1986, I volunteered for Namfrel, and got assigned to a community near the international airport in Pasay City. On February 22th, while attending a mass with Namfrel, a radio playing just outside the church door, announced the breakaway of a military faction. This caught everyone by surprise and caused a minor disruption of the ongoing service. Immediately after the mass, I rushed to Camp Aguinaldo, to see things for myself.

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