‘Bonifacio’s heroism is a rebuke to blasphemous public officials whose bluster could not compensate for negligence during the Wuhan outbreak and weakness in the face of Han chauvinists.’
ANDRES Bonifacio was needed 80 years ago: “Today is National Heroes Day in the Philippines. It is a day dedicated to the memory of all those who gave their all for the freedom and welfare of our people. From Balintawak to Bataan we call their role—and they are all the embodiment of Filipino heroism. We are grateful to them, and we think of them with reverence and admiration. As our country lies prostrate under the invader’s heel, new heroes are arising. They are those who in the hills and in the mountains are continuing the fight for our country’s redemption. They are those who refuse to crook their knee to the Japanese aggressor and whether on the battlefield or in the towns and barrios are bravely doing their share to keep the spirit of resistance alive in every Filipino heart.” [https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1943/11/29/the-presidents-day-november-29-1943/]
Bonifacio had a successor in Manuel L. Quezon (President of the Philippine Commonwealth during World War II) whose legitimate government was in exile while the Axis-recognized, Japanese-sponsored puppet regime in Manila failed to prevent food riots and deadly inflation: “The problem of scarcity was getting to be so acute as to create fear of serious unrest among the suffering masses. In Pasay, the people looted the market and, in an instant, the stalls had been cleaned out. The pillage was caused by the very high prices of foodstuff. A sack of rice costs P180. A purchaser would go to the market with 20 or 30 pesos to buy provisions for the day but go home with a little supply and an empty pocket.
Wages increased a little, but how could a worker survive on two or three pesos a day? And how would an employee receiving 100 pesos a month eat and clothe himself and his family? The salary should be increased five times to provide a decent income.” [Diary of Juan Labrador, O.P., December 1, 1943]
Bonifacio was needed 51 years ago: “Not lose hope? Did we really mean what we said? But today, the 30th of November, 1972, did we not really lose hope ourselves? On this day of infamy, did we not bury our dreams? The Con-Con is over. Finished… did we fight the good fight, really, or did we simply capitulate? The Constitution has been bastardized.
Authoritarianism has been legalized–but surely not legitimized! … Up to now, our democracy, at best, has been a fragile one. But even this as yet imperfect–because clientelist and elitist–democracy has been cruelly snatched from us by this coup from above… At the moment, one anxiously wonders whether this dark night of repression that has descended upon all of us will last for a long period. Or is this going to be a mere aberration in our 70 years of constitutional development–a nightmare whose memory will vanish soon enough?” [Diary of Augusto Caesar Espiritu, Thursday, November 30, 1972]
Bonifacio was needed 40 years ago when there was an economic crisis, the Philippine Government had requested a 90-day standstill on maturing foreign obligations from October 17, 1983 to January 16, 1984, and scarce foreign exchange resources could be utilized only for the importation of essential commodities and services, prompting Ferdinand E. Marcos (President of the Philippines) to order and instruct the indefinite suspension of applications for importation of fresh fruits even by such entities as the AFP Commissary, Food Terminal Inc., and National Food Authority. [https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1983/11/25/letter-of-instruction-no-1367-s-1983/]
Bonifacio was needed 20 years ago when the Philippine Commander-in-Chief admitted: “We inherited a weak state… in which dominant classes or sectors have controlled or shaped its policies, especially those dealing with the economy. And so, therefore, as a result of this dominance of the privileged classes dominating economic and political policy, there exists a large gap between the rich and the poor which has been exploited for political ends.” [https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2003/11/13/speech-of-president-arroyo-during-the-de-la-salle-university-symposium-with-the-presidents-lecture-on-the-politics-of-economic-crisis/]
And this Chief Executive also had to report: “In the last five years, including before I became president, there had been more than 400 kidnapping cases. Thirty-six have resulted in conviction. Most of these convictions were done in my time, accomplished in my administration even if the crimes were perpetuated before my time.” [Speech of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (President of the Philippines) During the 29th Philippine Business Conference and Exhibition, Delivered on November 28, 2003]
Incidentally, this is the Philippine head of government and state who renamed what was formerly known as the Premier Guest House or Presidential Residence in Malacañang Palace as Bonifacio Hall, in honor of the nation’s foremost revolutionary hero, Andres Bonifacio, thereby serving as a tangible reminder of Bonifacio’s civic and personal virtues to all who live, work, and visit the Palace of the People. Reason: “Andres Bonifacio, by virtue of his exemplary life and dedication to the cause of liberty, serves as an example of heroic dedication and sacrifice for all Filipinos” and “Malacañang Palace is an intangible symbol of the sovereignty which was Andres Bonifacio’s lifelong dream to achieve.” [https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2003/08/30/proclamation-no-450-s-2003/]
Bonifacio is needed today: The Second Meeting of States Parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations, COP28 UAE (United Nations Climate Change Conference), Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (globally observed on 30 November each year), and there is rampant illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and militarization of reclaimed features in the South China Sea. In fact, the incumbent Commander-in-Chief said: “There have been recent missions to Escoda (Sabina) and Romulo (Iroquois) Reef which revealed a direct correlation between the presence of maritime militia vessels and reef damage in those features. If only for that, the impact on biodiversity and the environment is– I’m afraid assessed as possibly already irreversible. This imperils livelihoods. This imperils the future generations of Filipinos. So, I have said it before and I will say it again, the Philippines will not give a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power.” [https://pco.gov.ph/presidential-speech/remarks-by-president-ferdinand-r-marcos-jr-for-the-daniel-k-inouye-speaker-series-at-the-asia-pacific-center-for-security-studies/]
Bonifacio is needed today: The World Health Organization has made an official request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children. [https://www.who.int/news/item/22-11-2023-who-statement-on-reported-clusters-of-respiratory-illness-in-children-in-northern-china]
Bonifacio’s heroism is a rebuke to blasphemous public officials whose bluster could not compensate for negligence during the Wuhan outbreak and weakness in the face of Han chauvinists.
