Post by seacid on Jun 20, 2007 7:33:30 GMT 8
Musa Dimasidsing
I believe we must forward this message till it reaches someone who can
influence the so called "honorable" men in our govt so that justice can be
served. Not just to Musa Dimasidsing, but to all the others (e.g. the
teachers in Batangas who were burned) who have sacrificed their lives in
this recent "democratic" process we call the Philippine elections.
The COMELEC should sponsor a perpetual scholarship in his name!
Jim Paredes on Musa Dimasidsing
Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:35 am (PST)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Musa Dimasidsing I am breaking two personal rules
with this entry: expressing anger and writing about politics.
Musa Dimasidsing, the district supervisor who was shot dead, was the
election official who exposed the election fraud and other anomalies in
Maguindanao. I was so shocked and deeply saddened when I heard it on the
news a few days ago.
I tried to imagine being in his place. Here he was, a teacher who probably
taught a lot of important values to his students and was probably so
troubled by what he saw in Maguindanao--the cheating, the fraud and the
outright disenfranchisement of his fellow Filipinos. He had to do
something.
He must have thought of his choices very intensely. On the one hand, he
could just keep quiet and pretend that nothing happened, and it would have
been the safe thing to do. After all, everyone seemed to be doing exactly
this, resigning to the fact that this is just the way it had always been.
Besides, what can one man do?
On the other hand, he could stand up and speak out the truth about the
hypocrisy that is the election practice in the place he lived. For sure he
knew there were risks, and he must have thought about the consequences. He
probably faced the inevitable question that haunted him and that was, what
is the right thing to do?
He knew exactly what he had to do and to hell be damned. He exposed the
fraud that he saw. One night, gunmen came and snuffed out his life.
A few days before, Commissioner Abalos was belittling all the complaints
about Maguindanao and implying they were mere hearsay. It was only when
media had exposed the blatant cheating that he cooled his heels about
recognizing the CoCs from there. He had no choice if he wanted to salvage
the remaining shreds of his tattered reputation.
I am so sickened and angry that evil men can carry out out their plans to
sow fear on the people of Maguindanao. I am so angry that our politicians
are involved in this. Regular, ordinary people will not cheat just to
cheat.
Our politicians do not give a rat's ass about the democratic process, and
that is the saddest truth about it.
If the death of Musa Dimasidsing is to mean something, we must express
outrage and let our leaders know about it. The Garcis of Comelec should be
ostracized and punished. The Comelec, if it has any decency left should get
to the bottom of this and punish the perpetrators. And yet, I know that as
I
write this, I sound just like another angry writer to our newspapers whose
sound and fury will MOST LIKELY amount to nothing.
BUT THEN AGAIN, IT MAY AMOUNT TO SOMETHING IF ALL OF US EXPRESS OUR
OUTRAGE.
For Musa Dimasidsing and what he stood for and paid dearly with his life,
we
must rage against the cheating machine and topple it because it tramples on
our rights to freely choose our leaders.
--
The sound
of water
says
what I think.
- Chuang Tzu
[ haringliwanag.pansitan.net ]http://haringliwanag.pansitan.net
--
We all have to link and expand our ranks till the entire country is bound
together with the strength and the ardor of our resolve. I do not
exaggerate
when I say this could be our last chance to save democracy in the
Philippines. The darkness thickens and we have to move. - Joaquin "Chino"
Roces, 1985
Bobby Kennedy - "Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce
laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for
each
and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see
the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close
our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too
frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow
against
freedom and decency and justice."
I believe we must forward this message till it reaches someone who can
influence the so called "honorable" men in our govt so that justice can be
served. Not just to Musa Dimasidsing, but to all the others (e.g. the
teachers in Batangas who were burned) who have sacrificed their lives in
this recent "democratic" process we call the Philippine elections.
The COMELEC should sponsor a perpetual scholarship in his name!
Jim Paredes on Musa Dimasidsing
Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:35 am (PST)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Musa Dimasidsing I am breaking two personal rules
with this entry: expressing anger and writing about politics.
Musa Dimasidsing, the district supervisor who was shot dead, was the
election official who exposed the election fraud and other anomalies in
Maguindanao. I was so shocked and deeply saddened when I heard it on the
news a few days ago.
I tried to imagine being in his place. Here he was, a teacher who probably
taught a lot of important values to his students and was probably so
troubled by what he saw in Maguindanao--the cheating, the fraud and the
outright disenfranchisement of his fellow Filipinos. He had to do
something.
He must have thought of his choices very intensely. On the one hand, he
could just keep quiet and pretend that nothing happened, and it would have
been the safe thing to do. After all, everyone seemed to be doing exactly
this, resigning to the fact that this is just the way it had always been.
Besides, what can one man do?
On the other hand, he could stand up and speak out the truth about the
hypocrisy that is the election practice in the place he lived. For sure he
knew there were risks, and he must have thought about the consequences. He
probably faced the inevitable question that haunted him and that was, what
is the right thing to do?
He knew exactly what he had to do and to hell be damned. He exposed the
fraud that he saw. One night, gunmen came and snuffed out his life.
A few days before, Commissioner Abalos was belittling all the complaints
about Maguindanao and implying they were mere hearsay. It was only when
media had exposed the blatant cheating that he cooled his heels about
recognizing the CoCs from there. He had no choice if he wanted to salvage
the remaining shreds of his tattered reputation.
I am so sickened and angry that evil men can carry out out their plans to
sow fear on the people of Maguindanao. I am so angry that our politicians
are involved in this. Regular, ordinary people will not cheat just to
cheat.
Our politicians do not give a rat's ass about the democratic process, and
that is the saddest truth about it.
If the death of Musa Dimasidsing is to mean something, we must express
outrage and let our leaders know about it. The Garcis of Comelec should be
ostracized and punished. The Comelec, if it has any decency left should get
to the bottom of this and punish the perpetrators. And yet, I know that as
I
write this, I sound just like another angry writer to our newspapers whose
sound and fury will MOST LIKELY amount to nothing.
BUT THEN AGAIN, IT MAY AMOUNT TO SOMETHING IF ALL OF US EXPRESS OUR
OUTRAGE.
For Musa Dimasidsing and what he stood for and paid dearly with his life,
we
must rage against the cheating machine and topple it because it tramples on
our rights to freely choose our leaders.
--
The sound
of water
says
what I think.
- Chuang Tzu
[ haringliwanag.pansitan.net ]http://haringliwanag.pansitan.net
--
We all have to link and expand our ranks till the entire country is bound
together with the strength and the ardor of our resolve. I do not
exaggerate
when I say this could be our last chance to save democracy in the
Philippines. The darkness thickens and we have to move. - Joaquin "Chino"
Roces, 1985
Bobby Kennedy - "Laws can embody standards; governments can enforce
laws--but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for
each
and every one of us. Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see
the law flouted--when we tolerate what we know to be wrong--when we close
our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too
frightened--when we fail to speak up and speak out--we strike a blow
against
freedom and decency and justice."