No Regrets

Last weekend, I was having dinner with Prinz and his wife when our discussion went into politics. Prinz knew I was anti-Erap ever since my UP days. I recall marking his State of the Nation Address (SONA) as a red letter day in my calendar. I never failed to participate in rallies outside the Batasan complex whenever Erap delivers his SONA. Unfortunately, I left Manila to go back to Iligan City, away from where most of the anti-Erap actions are taking place. Worst, Iligan City is Erap country; the guy's being treated like a God in that city.

During the start of the final days of Erap's government, a handful of brave souls (including myself) tried to organize a rally in the city plaza to denounce Erap. As expected, some people tried to interrupt our rally, snatching our streamers and cursing us tremendously. We were like chickens entering the lions' den. Fortunately for us, events in Manila were turning into our favor and eventually, the anti-Erap rallies in Iligan City were in full swing, culminating in one big rally in fron of the Diocescan centrum (the mayor which was pro-Eap never gave the permit to the organizers for the use of the city plaza). I can't forget that day; almost the entire physics department (with the exception of Jingle, Meinhart and Sir Willy, who were die-hard Erap fans) was in that rally. By late afternoon, news of Erap's departure from Malacanang hit the airwaves and the crowd was ecstatic. Once again, the Filipinos were able to overthow a corrupt president through people power and I felt that even I was already in Iligan then, I still was part of that momentous event in my country's history.

Prinz asked me a disturbing question: With how GMA ended up being much worse than Erap, did I regret participating in rallies that led to Erap's fall from power? My answer was quick and sure: NO REGRETS. I never hated him for being an uneducated womanizing drunkard; I hated the way he let these vices of him affect his responsibilities as the head of the land. He tried to surround himself with brilliant people as his cabinet but unfortunately as night falls, he surrounds himself with his drinking buddies who manipulates his drunkeness by pushing papers here and there for his signature, ultimately changing overnight government policies his brilliant cabinet have worked on. He has shamed the office of the president and deserved to be booted out of office. Unfortunately, the next in line to succeed him was GMA hence we are stucked with this scheming midget for a president.