27 January 2009
Today, I'll try to go on air via radio and will attempt to reach other sectors of media to issue an urgent appeal to Philippine authorities led by PGMA,MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Caloocan City Mayor Enrico "RECOM" Echiverri for them to cause an immediate suspension of the construction related to the "closing the LRT-MRT3 loop" project being conducted near the Monumento area. The Bonifacio Monument is the greatest monument to valor and to love of freedom on earth. We are not against modernization but progress should not come at the price of desecrating our country's soul. We have an online petition to have the Bonifacio Monument included among the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
We hope that Filipinos whom we look up to for leadership, moral courage and ardent nationalism will speak out in support of this call. Our leaders have to consult us closely on every vital issue and this has not happened in the issue of the Monumento.
We call on people like Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez of the Diocese of Kalookan, Bishop Antonio Tobias of Novaliches, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus Is Lord Church,
Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai, Executive Minister Eraño Manalo of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Engr. Jun Lozada and Mr. Joey De Venecia (who exposed the ZTE broadband scandal) to mobilize our fellow Filipinos in heeding the call to defend the Monumento.
We call on the Honorable Chief Justice of the Philippines Reynato S. Puno, perhaps our country's greatest living jurist (who normally gives the keynote address at the Monumento during Independence Day) to rally our people in defense of the integrity of the Bonifacio Monument.
We call on war hero and senior statesman, Sen. Jovito Salonga, the best President the Philippines never had, to relive the heady days when he led the Philippine Senate in rejecting the RP-US Bases treaty thereby ending the last vestiges of centuries-long foreign military presence in Philippine soil. This time, we need his unswerving commitment to freedom and his unfailing vision in preventing the loss of the monument that he can rightfully call his own.
We call on NUSP and Youth Act Now! led by Mr. Alvin Peters, its spokesperson, to mobilize the youth of this country in the struggle to save from desecration a priceless symbol of our country's rich cultural heritage.
We call on our Senators and Congressmen, especially those who in 2010 will seek higher positions of public office to make known their stand. Will they stand for the dignity and honor of our country or will they turn a blind eye to what is going on?
We call on all people's organizations and NGOs and our party-list representatives to set aside their differences and unite all Filipinos under the banner of the Monumento.
Monumento in January 2009 -- at this critical time in our history -- is a true acid test of Filipino nationalism. Are we going to pass this acid test or are we going to flunk the call for the defense of the dignity and honor of our country? This is a golden opportunity to renew national pride and greatness. It will show to the world that even in a time of severe economic crisis, Filipinos everywhere still have the capacity to respond to the call for cultural nationalism founded on our spirituality and faith as a people.
Dito po sa Heroes del 96 at sa ibang lugar sa Caloocan City, alam namin na mahirap ang laban na ito. Ngunit sa tulong po ng ating Panginoon, bigyan Niya sana kami ng sapat na lakas upang manatiling nakatindig nang may dangal.
Before I end this post, I'll take the opportunity to publish here a short excerpt from the poem Monumento, Kaluluwa ng Bayan Ko by Jose David Ricardo:
Sana nama’y mula ngayon kapag natanaw mong muli
Sa malayo pa lang Monumentong pilit ginagapi
Ialay mo ang lakas at buhay sa pagpupunyagi
Nang ang kaluluwa ng bayan mo’y 'wag mapalunggati
Gunitain ang dusa't pagpapagal ng iyong lahi
Pinoy, Mabuhay ka, kamtin ang laya mong minimithi!
Laya mula sa gutom, pambubusabos at pang-aapi
Laya ng bayan kong sinisinta’t pinagbubunyi
Mula sa Silangan, libong sulo nga’y magliliyab
Dala ang apoy ng damdaming tigib ng pag-aalab
Minamahal ko ang bayang kong Pilipinas
Buhay ma’t yaman ko’y sa sarili’y ipipilas
Sukdulang mawalay ang buhay sa katawan
Sukdulang ialay ang munti kong buhay
Makita ka lang sagana at may tunay na kalayaan
Sapat na ‘yang tagumpay ko, Pilipinas, Inang Bayan.
Kaunlarang pangmayaman, pangdayuhan, pang-iilan,
Tandaan mo, kaibigan, wala itong katuturan
Kung bayan mo'y nagdurusa't nakalublob sa putikan
Tutulan mo't salungatin, ito'y isang kahibangan
Daang taon mula ngayon, patuloy titingalain
Monumento na bantayog sa giting ng lahi natin
Kung tayo ma'y nakalugmok, panahon na ng pagbangon
Burol sa lamay ng laya mo, tapusin na at iahon
Iahon mong buong giting, itong bayang nakasadlak
Iahon mo sa dusa, sa pagdarahop at pagsasalat
Iahon mo't huwag nang hayaang dumausdos muli
Iahon mo sa putikan, ilayo mo sa pusali
Hahayo ka't anong bitbit sa puso mong ma'y lunggati
Hahayo ka't anong lakas mayroon sa diwa mong sawi
Humayo kang sa puso mo'y Monumento nakakintal
Humayo kang sa puso may dambana ng iyong dangal
Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino! Mabuhay si Gat Andres Bonifacio at ang magigiting nating mga bayani! Mabuhay ka Pinoy nasaang sulok ka man ng mundo!
To God be the glory!
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