(0:00:03) Praise God, Philippine Independence. Sa lahat nating mahal na kababayan sa Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao. Lahat ng kababayan natin na nagiging simbolo kung ano ang pagiging Pilipino sa bawat parte ng mundo.
(0:00:26) Napaka-unique po ng Pilipino kasi wala atang bansa na masasabing walang Pilipino doon. And usually, habang dumadami ang Pilipino sa isang bansa at nagkakaroon ng community, gustong gusto nila ang ating kultura, gustong gusto nila yung the way na manilbihan ang Pilipino, at talagang yung tatak natin na parating Diyos, bayan, pamilya, ay naging bahagi na ng pagkakilanlan o yung identity ng isang Pilipino.
(0:01:02) So from the Cayetano family to yours, binabati ko po kayo ng Happy Independence Day. And siguro naman po, lahat ng public servants or lahat ng leaders, maging student leader, maging leader ng Parent Teachers Association, leader ng mga TODA, JODA, Pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas, church leaders, business leaders, leaders sa media, leaders sa sports, pag Independence Day ay meron talagang message about kalayaan, about independence, about freedom.
(0:01:41) So, let me take a phrase out of the Bible that really means much to me. But let me apply it both to biblical principle, to politics, to both, but even more than that, sa everyday life natin. Meron pong biblical verse na nagsasabing, may verse po na nagsasabing, who will build the tower without counting the cost.
(0:02:14) So it’s a very very practical verse na basically sinasabi kung may ibi-build ka, tanungin muna sa sarili mo kung ano yung cost. And of course, during biblical times, hindi lang pera yun. Kasi ngayon, pag sinabing halimbawa, gagawa akong bahay, tatayo akong restaurant, tatayo akong hotel, or sabihin ng church leader, magtatayo ako ng church, basically ang tanong, may pera ka ba? Kasi nga…
(0:02:39) So with money, you can hire the architect, the engineers, you can get the best plants, you can buy the land, you can buy the cement, yung bakal, etc. But remember, during biblical times, it was much, much harder to build something. Do you have the skilled workers? Do you have permission of the king?
(0:03:02) Do you have the resources then? Not only the financial resources, but do you have the kahoy na gagamitin? Kasi yung iba nun, galing pa sa ibang bansa. Do you have the masons? So, napakahirap. But the verse basically tells us that kailangan ng wisdom, kailangan ng knowledge, kailangan ng understanding doon sa if you’re going to build something.
(0:03:32) Going back sa history naman, whether as an elementary, high school, or lalong-lalo na college student, every time we talk about history, paulit-ulit sinasabi sa atin, di ba, na ang taong hindi alam ang kanyang pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang paruroonan. That’s why we study history, di ba? Dahil sa Pilipino, parang paulit-ulit, di ba? Parang panahon ng Spanish, 300 years tayong sinakop, mahigit 300 years, almost 400.
(0:04:05) Paulit-ulit ang pangako, pero second, third, fourth class citizen tayo sa sariling bansa. Kahit na-educate na ang marami, kahit sila doctor or Gat Jose Rizal ay nakakapunta na sa Europe, nakakapag-argue na. Yung iba, gustong maging province tayo ng Spain, yung iba, kalayaan.
(0:04:28) Pero parang paulit-ulit, every time there’s a rebellion, may promise, maulit na naman. Siguro ibang-iba yung pananakop ng Hapon because the sadness and cruelty. But ganun sa Amerika. So first, with the treaty that delivered the Philippines from Spain to the US, parang savior. But suddenly, nung in-announce ang Amerika na hindi pa kayo handa, sa amin muna kayo.
(0:04:58) Tuturuan muna namin kayo ng governance. But later on, we realized that just like the Spanish, they wanted our natural resources. And just like the Spanish, there’s a different kind of class system. Pero hindi ka pa rin American citizen or iba pa rin ang karapatan ng Amerikano kaso sa Pilipino.
(0:05:19) Then of course, medyo put on hold yun kasi nga nung dumating yung Japanese na pananakop sa ating bansa nung World War II, grabe ang suffering. Hindi ko na isa-isahin yun kasi nga napaka-close na natin sa mga Hapon ngayon at that was in the past. But my point is, number one, if we think paulit-ulit na lang tayo, EDSA 1, EDSA 2, EDSA 3. Corruption.
(0:05:50) Hindi ko na isa-isahin yung mga scandal pero ito na naman tayo. Gulo sa Senado. May statesmanship, may pagkakaisa. Ito na naman tayo. Nagkulang ba tayo sa pag-aaral ng history? That’s another topic and I’ll leave that to historians kasi napakagandang debate yan. Hindi lang natuloy kasi nawala sa uso pero 2022, usong-uso yan yung about history.
(0:06:21) But the point I want to make today is that ang ating kalayaan ay may cost. So for example, as a Christian, and let me address myself to Christians, of course it’s for everyone, but as I read the Holy Book, the Bible, naintindihan ko na buhay ng Panginoon Hesukristo ang cost ng aking reconciliation sa Panginoon.
(0:06:46) Ang cost ng aking muling pagkabuhay o pagiging born again, ang cost ng pagkakasala sa Eden na nahiwalay tayo sa Diyos at kailangan bumalik. Naiintindihan ko rin na kung yun ang cost ng aking salvation, may pagbabago dapat sa buhay ko. So may cost, may benefit, di ba? So yung aking, yung sabi nila, he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. So minsan tinatanong ako ni Lani, paano ikaw naging mas patient sa akin? Paano ikaw naging patient one na kung ano-ano nang sinasabi sa’yo, kung ano nang ginagawa, okay pa rin sa’yo, or sumagot ka man, hindi ka galit sa tao na yan.
(0:07:35) Sabi ko, love, kasi lahat tayo work in progress. Siguro ako, kung hindi ako pinatawad ng Diyos, kung hindi ako pinatawad ng iba, kung hindi rin nila ako binigyan ng pag-asa, hindi ako yung taong nakikita mo ngayon. And if I offend some people now, partly kung tama ako, then you shouldn’t be offended. Doon sa part na mali ako, I’m a work in progress and I don’t offend people for the purpose of simply offending you or makipag-alaskahan lang. But it’s because may pinaglalaban tayo. So going back to may pinaglalaban, we’re fighting for something.
(0:08:15) So now, we’re fighting for truth na lumabas yung buong katotohanan maging sa impeachment yan, maging sa Blue Ribbon Committee, maging sa leadership sa Senate. We’re fighting na independent ang Senado at hindi utos-utosan lang ng Malacanang. We’re fighting na mawala ang corruption at mawala ang poverty sa ating bansa. We’re fighting na bawat sentimo na ibayad ng bawat Pilipino ay magamit sa tamang mga proyekto para walang mamatay na dahil walang gamot o walang doktor, wala pong ma-stunt which leaves permanent damage sa ating future generations, stunting yung pagkabansot.
(0:08:57) We’re fighting na lahat ng Pilipino has equal opportunity sa pag-aaral. We’re fighting for a living wage. Meaning, hindi lang minimum wage na ayan kumikita ka na ng konti. Hindi. Yung sapat para sa dignified o marangal na pagkabuhay ng Pilipino. Hindi lang sa sarili, pero sa kanyang pamilya niya. Lahat ng ito may cost. So kung pinag-aaralan po natin ang mga heroes ng Pilipinas during sa panahon na kano…
(0:09:26) panahon po ng Hapon, panahon po ng Espanol, hindi lang po pawis, hindi lang dugo, kundi buhay ang kanilang binuwis. For us who are martial law babies, of course, the narrative na baka naging communist country din tayo, like the other… Mahirap kasi ikwento sa inyo yung narrative na yun kasi yung dalawang communist countries na malapit sa atin, malapit geographically like Vietnam and China are much, much more modern sa atin pagdating sa education, technology, sa economics, yung socio-economic welfare ng tao, kung hindi lumalaban ay mas maganda sa atin. But during the 70s, 80s, hindi po ako 60s, kaya hindi ko na masasagot yun. Even 70s, I was from 1 year old to 10 years old, or from 0 to 10.
(0:10:27) So ang point ko is that during this time, yung sabihin na baka mapunta sa communism yung ating bansa or baka maging napaka-corrupt because of the oligarchs was reason for the narrative ng martial law. So hindi naman yun ang topic ko tonight. But may cost yung mga lumaban during that time. So pagdating ng EDSA revolution, even before that, Senator Benigno Aquino, meron pong cost.
(0:10:58) Hindi lang po yung buhay niya, buhay ng pamilya niya, friends niya, pagpapalaki ng mga anak niya, yung wife niya, yung wealth niya, yung paglipat nila sa ibang bansa, yung kanyang hunger strike.
(0:11:18) And eventually, he had the sense that he will be killed. But he made that commitment that ibibigay niya yung buhay niya. So may cost. Kaya nga nung sinabi niyang the Filipino is worth dying for, it wasn’t something lightly said.
(0:11:36) Because I think part of him knew that assassination would be coming. But even if assassination did not happen, yung commitment na yon may cost po yon. At right before this broadcast, I’d like to send out my love to the whole Villanueva family. Nag heart to heart kami ni Brother Joel. And even if I know the cost…
(0:12:02) It’s not something you can feel unless ikaw talaga. So, for example, may mga anak-anakan ako, pero siya real yung nararamdaman ng anak. May asawa ako, pero iba yung nararamdaman ng asawa ko sa pinagdaanan nilang mag-asawa, di ba? So, it’s different for every single person for…
(0:12:25) Senator Chiz, for Senator Jinggoy. Senator Jinggoy, nandun ako in the room nung kinukuha siya and no one can say that we understand how his wife felt. Especially after alam nung wife niya na talagang in-offer sa kanya, hindi ka makukulong, kumampi ka lang sa administrasyon, kumampi ka lang sa grupo ni Ping Lacson, ni Senator Tito Sotto, Win Gatchalian, etc.
(0:12:53) So may cost ito mga kababayan, ang kalayaan at independence, independence ng Senado, independence ng Philippines. So hinihila tayo ngayon ng China at saka ng US in different ways. But yung kaya sabi ko, we don’t need to be anti-China or anti-US to be pro-Philippines.
(0:13:15) You can be pro-Philippines without being anti-anyone. Kailangan lang independent ka. Hindi ka dependent kahit sa ibang bansa. That’s what it means to be sovereign. Hindi ka kumukuha sa outside influence. That’s what it means when we say God is sovereign. He will do what He wants to do because He does not need outside forces. Ako hindi ako sovereign because I’m not perfect and I need God to sustain me.
(0:13:48) And God uses people, uses your prayers, uses your support, uses purpose to sustain. So the point I want to make today is that kung may cost ang independence, meron din pong cost kung hindi tayo lumaban.
(0:14:03) Kung hindi lumaban ang ating mga national heroes during the Spanish time, it would have been harder during because there would not be reforms and we might still be a colony to this day. Kung walang cost yung paglaban sa mga Hapon, during that time, mas maraming na rape, mas maraming napatay, mas maraming karumaldumal na nangyari sa ating bansa. Or baka ginamit din tayo sa pag-invade ng ibang mga bansa sa Asia.
(0:14:39) If lahat tayo ay naging collaborators or kumampi lang. Ganun din sa US. Kung hindi tumayo ang maraming mga Pilipino para sabihin, big brother ka namin, Uncle Sam, but you’re not the owner of me, or famously sinabi ng ating dating Pangulo na he’d rather have a country run like hell by Filipinos rather than a country run by foreigners. And unfortunately, nagkatotoo na kahit Pilipino ang humawak sa Pilipinas, in many aspects, it’s run like hell in terms of corruption, idolatry, immorality, small things that seem small like the POGO, E-Sabong, nawala yun, nilabanan natin, pero nandiyan pa yung online gaming.
(0:15:24) Lumaban tayo sa health, pero nandyan yung vape na pinagbabawal sa ibang mga bansa. All of this may cost. So, may kita dun sa mga kumita through that. Pero, I’m talking about kumita through that illegally. Meaning, it changed public policy kasi nagkalagayan dyan or nagkalobby money dyan. So, lahat ng bagay po may cost.
(0:15:50) So pinag-uusapan nga namin ni Joel na parang kung alam lang nung lahat, yung mga nagsasabing you just want power, konting katahimikan lang sa buhay ng grupo namin ngayon is paradise already. Yung di ba halimbawa pag araw-araw sa restaurant ka nagkumakain, parang sa pinakamahal na restaurant ang paradise sa’yo.
(0:16:17) Pero kung araw-araw, nandung ka sa noodles lang or kanin. Nung time namin, hindi noodles. Ang symbol ng kahirapan talaga. Kung hindi yung kanin lang at asin. Yung wala ng ulam halos. Makakain lang ng konting kanin. Pero kahit ngayon, mahal ang bigas. So, so yung makapag-jollibee, maka mcdo, yung may fried chicken, or yung nga iba, yung parang yung kanin, mabuhusan lang ng ginisang munggo sa ibabaw, sobrang luxury na yun, di ba? So, alam nyo sa pinagdadaanan sa maraming lumalaban ngayon, not only for Senate Independence, but para lumabas ang totoo sa flood control, lumalaban sa administration, paradise na po yung konting katahimikan, no?
(0:17:10) But the question is, is the cost worth it? Nabanggit ko na po kanina yung sinabi ni Senator Benigno Aquino that the Filipino is worth fighting for. So that’s why now and then po, huwag ma-offend yung iba. Gagamitin ko talaga yung laban kasi we have to continue fighting. Laban lang po. It’s worth the fight. We have to continue fighting. Once, you know…
(0:17:35) We’re a product of hope. Kailangan ng pag-asa. Ang lahat kailangan ng pag-asa. It’s the end pag wala ka ng pag-asa. And to many, during the 70s, 80s, yung senyasan ka lang nun, ibig sabihin may lumalaban pa.
(0:17:53) So even yung daily na laban namin sa Senate na parang isa-isa lumalabas na yung totoo na yun, sila pala ang nagpapasok sa NBI, sila sa Senate President Sotto, coordinated pala yun. Yung Wednesday, May 13 na sinisisi sa amin ay yung pala ay alam din nila nung iba na nandyan sa labas armado tapos imbestigahan, huwag imbestigahan na hanggang ngayon hindi iniimbestigahan.
(0:18:20) And then yung walkout na parang tama sila, wag palitan yung rule na walang one-day notice. Ngayon, nakita nyo, binasura na yung rules, binabasura yung constitution, pinalitan yung rule kung sino mag-prepreside sa impeachment, tapos…
(0:18:38) You know, instinct ko, sana purihin si Senator Win Gatchalian nung sinabi niyang 16 talaga yung kailangan para ma-convict ang impeachable officer. Pero biglang binura sa Facebook niya. I don’t know the details so I won’t comment there but…
(0:18:53) The problem is trust. Sinabi din nila pa ulit-ulit, kung wala kayong 13, hindi nyo pwedeng palitan yung officers. Hindi lang yung Senate President. The officers are the head of OSAA, the Senate Secretary, Senate President Pro Tempore, which is Senator Loren Legarda, and the Senate President. Pero gumawa sila ng formula na pwede na ang 12.
(0:19:16) So yung modern day version ng pinaglalaban during the Spanish-Japanese time, American times na lies. So during the Spanish times, hindi kayo organized, hindi nyo alam yung gobyerno, you don’t know Christianity. So all of that were partially true, but you didn’t need to colonize a country to Christianize a country, di ba?
(0:19:42) So yan, very clear nyan. You didn’t need to make people slaves, whether it’s the African-Americans or the kind of slavery they had in Asian countries. You didn’t have to have slaves to say na it’s in the name of Christianity or the name of good governance, di ba?
(0:20:00) So yun yung bagong version ngayon na 12 is 13 you need 13 but you can justify because you need the senate and you need to cover up the flood control scam di ba so my point is there is the trust ang trust basta’t nandyan you can work kahit na enemy mo.
(0:20:22) Pero pag nawala yung trust, so once na paulit-ulit yung mga mananakop, sasabihin, we’ll give you your freedom, we’ll give you your freedom, nakita mong binobola ka rin. So ganun din, noong February, nung sinabi nila na wala kayong kaso kapag hindi nyo nilagay si Loren Legarda as Senate President, naniwala yung marami namin kasama. But then, nabuko nila, gagamitin na naman ito sa impeachment. Paulit-ulit sinasabi sa amin na ang impeachment, impartial.
(0:20:49) Pero yung definition pala nila impartial, kailangan i-convict ang vice president. So, nung lumaban at sinabing, huwag lang si Loren, nung ako na nilagay, ayan na naman. Pagka umalis kayo kay Alan, wala na kayong kaso. Pag nandiyan kayo kay Alan, kakasuhan kayo. That’s why nga iba po yung reaction ng pamilya ni Senator Jinggoy, because alam nila yung totoo. Talagang na-witness din po nila yung…
(0:21:19) Yung mga tumatawag at mga nagsasabi at mga nag-guarantee. So may cost po. If we don’t do anything now, the cost will not fall on me immediately. It will eventually, di ba? May individual akong pananagutan, pamilya ko.
(0:21:37) Bayan ko, siyudad ko, community. But it’s really the next generation. So in the same manner na lumaban ng EDSA 1, EDSA 2, lumaban sa Napoles, sa napakaraming scandal, is because we wanted it to end. Repentance, then reformation, restitution was there. Hindi lang yun masyadong keyword dati, ngayon keyword siya.
(0:22:00) Pero pagbabago, renewal. Sa tunay na renewal, the old is gone. So when you say that you’re a new creation in Christ, it’s a work of progress. Pero kung dati may idols ka, dapat wala na. Kung dati immoral ka, dapat nawawala yung immorality. Kung dati nagnanakaw ka, hindi ka na dapat nagnanakaw. So that’s the problem. Kung papayag tayo na i-maneuver lang itong flood control.
(0:22:30) At nakita na po natin, lalo po sa Blue Ribbon, headed by Senator Lacson. At hindi pa ho tapos, in-expect po namin. Part of their playbook yan, manligaw, mag-offer ng kung ano hindi, mag-threaten. Kung hindi, itutuloy nila, threat nila. False witnesses, maglalabas ng mga contractor, di ba kinuha ngayon si Discaya.
(0:22:50) Meron na pong bumaliktad dun sa mga DPWH na sinabi nila na dinidiktahan din sila kung ano sasabihin. Yung unang sinabi ni Usec. Bernardo, nagbago din yun. Kay Sen. Joel Villanueva, apat na, tatlo o apat, apat na yung version nung pano siya supposedly guilty. And none of those versions are true.
(0:23:13) So, ganun din na ngayon na kinuha na si Mr. Discaya from the Senate, sabi niya na damay-damay na, sasama na lahat ng kilala niyang politiko. That’s good.
(0:23:23) But there’s nothing stopping the creative people in this administration from saying, we’ll take care of you. Ito mga ituro mo. Then suddenly, may kaso, whether it’s a DOJ at Ombudsman, then suddenly you’re facing jail. Then finally, it’s true. That’s why pinilit nilang makulong si Jinggoy. Kasi sabi niya, nawawalan na ng takot yung iba. Lumalaban na. So kailangan natin ipakita na totoo. At madali kay Jinggoy kasi usual suspect. Di ba?
(0:23:53) So, wala nang maniniwala sa tingin nila na Jinggoy sacrificed because ayaw humiwalay sa grupo. But, siya na nagsabi, he has evidence in the right time. Payagan natin siya magsabi sino at ano yung ebidensya. Pero mabigat po yung ebidensya. And it will show. I’ve been hearing that the last few days, there’s so much evidence against the major players dun sa flood control. And everyone’s saying sana lumabas. That’s why nga, pinanghahawakan pa rin natin yung Blue Ribbon Committee.
(0:24:23) The other point I want to make about counting the cost is, yun nga, ano yung cost sa next generation? Kapag ka cinover up natin ito. May cost. So ulitin ko ha. Pag lumaban ka ngayon, may cost. May cost. Aapihin ka. Dudurugin ka sa media at social media. Kakasuhan ka. Baka ikulong ka pa. Sana naman walang papatay. Pero that’s always in there. That’s always there eh. Whether sadya or may nagkamali yung patayan. But…
(0:24:58) That is the cost for people who will fight. So I’m not dissuading people from joining the fight because we need you. We need the prayers, we need the commitment, we need more independent heads to stand up and say, mali na to, lumaban tayo. Pero may cost din yung hindi lumaban. Yung cost are the millions of Filipinos who will have to go abroad because walang trabaho dito.
(0:25:22) The cost will be the millions of Filipinos na hindi mapapagamot kasi nanakaw yung panggamot or pang-hospital. The cost will be millions of Filipinos na mababansot because there’s not enough money or not enough programs for the first 1,000 days ng buhay ng tao or including yung healthcare ng buntis. The cost is huli na tayo sa tourism at halimbawa sa education.
(0:25:53) Or as a country, no? There was a time in the 60s, second to Japan tayo. Then there was a time, second to the last. Then during the time of President Ramos, yun, umarangkada na tayo. During the time of President PNoy, umarangkada na tayo. During the first three years ng Duterte administration, grabe na po yung pinuntahan ng ating ekonomiya. Not perfect, nandun yung corruption, but it wasn’t systemic. Now it’s back to being systemic. So do you want to be truly free? To be truly free, we have to have a culture and we have to have the environment, we have to have the laws and the system, that guarantees that freedom.
(0:26:36) So the Constitution is a good start. Pero kung mismong Constitution, hindi natin masunod. At kung mismong Senado ay ibabasura ang sariling rules at ang Constitution, how do we expect that the other laws… So kung Senador mismo pwedeng kasuhan or wag kasuhan sa flood control, what do you think magagawa sa ordinaring konsehal, mayor, governor? So yes, we want a big fish.
(0:27:05) But we want the real fish. We don’t want a sacrificial lamb na fish, di ba? Or we want the people who really did it para meron talagang saying, may katuparan yung sinasabing crime does not pay. So when you pay, that’s a cost, di ba? Umutang ka, kailangan mong bayad. You do the crime, you have to do the time. So again, you’re going back to what is the cost.
(0:27:30) So, yun po ang hinihingi ko po sa mga kapatid nating media, sa mga kapwa nating senador, sa mga netizens natin, sa mga businessmen natin. This weekend, as we talk about independence, let’s think about the cost. Ano yung cost kung lumaban tayo? Ano yung cost kung e-expose natin? May personal cost po ito, ha? Pero yung benefit po ay sa buong bayan. Samantalang pag tumahimik tayo, may personal gain po ito.
(0:28:00) Pero yung epekto naman po sa buong bayan. I don’t want to compare yung mga lumalaban ngayon sa ating mga national heroes. Kasi grabe po ang pinagdaanan ng ating mga national heroes. I cannot imagine. I don’t want present-day Christians now to compare themselves to yung pinagdaanan ng apostles, for example. Or for a people to compare sa pinagdaanan ng Israelites, for example, when they were in Egypt. Iba-iba po ang season. Iba-iba po ang pinagdadaanan. But each season po, ay meron pong cost.
(0:28:39) Cost if we do the right thing. Cost if we do the wrong thing. So in a couple of days, we’re gonna face many issues. An economic crisis. Are we gonna tell the people kung ano talaga ang sitwasyon? Kung may pera ba talaga ang bansa o hindi? Are we gonna tell them why we have or don’t have money? Are we gonna tell them the truth whether we’re gonna increase taxes or not? Are we gonna tell them the truth nasaan na yung pera the last few years? We’re also gonna face an impeachment. So are we gonna tell the people the truth?
(0:29:09) Are we going to really have an impartial trial or aayusin at luto na ito? Are we going to tell them the truth that dapat 16 to convict or babawasan ba natin ang 6 na senador para maging 12 na lang? We’re going to face ilang pagsubok lumabas ang totoo. Again, pag lumabas yung 18, sabi nila may 4 pa daw. 18 na former Marines, hindi ko alam yung 14 kung ano yung ano nila, meron pong mga key people na may mga key evidence. Hindi ko sinasabi na lahat ng sasabi nila ay totoo or may totoo, hindi totoo. Ang point ko po, it’s our job to listen to them. It’s the job of the Blue Ribbon Committee, i-invite lahat. Kung kalokohan ang sinasabi nito, so sabi nung iba…
(0:30:00) Sir, over the years, ang daming nag-witness dyan na kalokohan. Yes. Paano nabisto na kalokohan yung sinasabi? Because nag-witness sila doon. Because you had different senators from different backgrounds, different styles of questioning them. Then you had an active media. Wala pa ngang social media masyado nun. So lalo po ngayon, maglagay ka dyan ng isa, labing walo, isang daan na may ebidensya, pictures, video, testimony. Maco-compare natin lahat ng date niyan. Makikita natin yan kung deepfake yan, kung edited yung pictures, kung edited yung video, kung AI yan, kung totoo. But the point is, if we cover it up…
(0:30:44) Grabe po ang magiging cost at ang magsasuffer nito, next generation. I’ll close by remembering when, you know, naiyak-iyak yung dad ko nung EDSA Revolution. Before pa pumutok lahat yun, I think it was a day before. Kasi nga pinapa-secure niya kami, tapos gusto niya mag-abroad muna kami, kasi Amerikana nga yung aking nanay.
(0:31:07) But nung sinabi namin, if you’re going to fight, we’re gonna fight. I was 15 years old. Sister was a little bit older. My brothers were much younger. My mom didn’t know what was happening, but she hardly saw my dad in tears. So, he… may iyak-iak lang. But nung sinabi namin, we’ll stay. If you’re gonna fight, we’re gonna fight. Doon siya naiyak. Kasi sabi niya, I’m doing it for you. I’m doing it for you.
(0:31:33) So, napakaraming beses all throughout our life na mag-aral ka ng mabuti, Alan, para sa’yo ito. Alan, bakit mababa grades mo? Di ba yung mapapamanahan kita, pero magagastos mo lang yan. Pero mag-aral ka para sa’yo ‘to. Pia, hindi ka pwedeng pumunta sa party na walang chaperon. Para sa’yo ‘to. Many, many times it was about discipline. And later on in life, para sa’yo ‘to. But yung sacrifice, he meant it. And in fact, fast forward, in his last few months, nung umiiyak siya, nung sa sakit, and then he told me, Alan, nung 60s, nandito ako sa America.
(0:32:16) High hopes for the Philippines, pero ganito Pilipinas. So isipin mo yun, 2003. But sabi niya, 40 years later or 30 years later, ganun pa rin ang Pilipinas. Sabi niya, ganun pa rin ang hopes niya, pero ganun. Tapos umiiyak siya. Tapos sinasabi ko, Dad, don’t lose hope. So can you imagine the sacrifices in 1986?
(0:32:41) Now, it’s 40 years later. 40 years was the number of years that the Israelites were in the desert. And I’ve always thought it was simply because of disobedience. Because disobedience, paulit-ulit, ang…
(0:32:58) People of God, hindi pinayagan na ang few weeks, a few days, or two weeks na byahe by foot mapunta na sa Israel ay naging 40 years. But may nag-explain po, and I’ve seen a lot of preaching after that na nagsabing, the Israelites were taken out of Egypt, but Egypt was not taken out of their minds. Meaning, they still taught as slaves. So they cannot be conquerors in the new land unless they learn to be conquerors.
(0:33:28) And because of many things, including disobedience, they did not learn to be conquerors, kailangan maubos ang generation nila. Kaya yung new generation na ang pumasok. So when natapos yung martial law, nagkaroon ng new constitution, sabi ng iba…
(0:33:47) Hindi nawala yung corruption na decentralized lang. So dati centralized sa Malacanang at sa executive ang corruption. Ngayon may corruption sa legislative, sa legislative, sa konsehal, sa barangay. Businessman, yun din ang sinasabi. Dati I just have to contend with the USEC, naging director. Dati I just have to contend to the mayor, ngayon panay barangay captain. So nandiyan yung mga problema. But the question is, after 40 years ng EDSA revolution, is the new generation, kami na yun, mga martial law babies, ready to turn over to the next generation to say, we’re ready to be corrupt free. So, yun po yung cost ng laban namin ngayon. We cannot turn over to you a corrupt free Philippines pag hindi tayo lumaban. And dun sa mga Gen Z na hindi naiintindihan yung laban ngayon…
(0:34:41) Hindi rin namin maintindihan yung laban ng parents namin nun. Kaming mga pro-Marcos, simple lang. Pro-Cory kayo, pro-Marcos kami. Ganun kami, ganyan kayo. At that time, it was simple. Dalawa lang eh. Sa basketball, Crispa, Toyota. Sa toothpaste, Colgate, close up.
(0:345:00) Sa camera, Kodak, Fuji, dalawa lang pagpipilian. Ngayon, magulo na. Multi-party. Everyone, may sobrang left, may sobrang right, may pink, may original yellow, may pinklawan, may DDS, merong DDS pero hindi ako ganito. May Marcos, Marcos alone, may Marcos pa rin, may Marcos na rin. So, gumugulo. At saka dati, diaryo, ilan lang, TV, ilan lang. Radio for province, yung top three. And ngayon, with social media, everyone has… So, iba po ang laban ngayon. We cannot solve today’s problems with yesterday’s solution. Iba na po. And yes, laban na to, hindi lang to laban nung ka-age ko at mas matanda sa akin. Laban to ng ating mga gen z, mga bata ngayon. Those between what? 15, 16, 17 to 30.
(0:35:56) Laban nyo to kasi you will inherit. So some of you think we’re wrong and it’s better the direction we were taking. Some of you think we’re right. Hindi yun yung topic natin tonight. Ang topic natin tonight, simple lang, may cost. May cost na mag-decide kayong lumaban, may cost din para sabihin natin hindi lumaban. And if you ask me tonight, if we want a real independent Philippines, kung gusto nyo na every year sasabihin natin, ngayon taon na ito, mas malaya tayo, kailangan tuloy-tuloy ang laban.
(0:36:30) Pag kumakanta po tayo ng ating national anthem, yung lupang hinirang, ang sinasabi po natin ang mamatay ng dahil sayo. So we’re singing to ourselves for the world to hear, but we’re singing it to ourselves. So when the athletes were so proud of wins the gold medal and their hearing, kung willing ka nga mamatay para sa ating bansa, ano pa yung mag-training ka na napakahirap para umabot dun. Di ba? So to certain groups of people, let’s say to doctors during COVID na frontliners, yung pagkanta nila ng mamatay ng dahil sa’yo is not only totoo, it is real everyday.
(0:37:17) Sa mga pulis na kahit off duty, pag may krimen, they have to rush to the site rather than run away, totoo yung mamatay ng dahil sa’yo. Kasi nga, any day, they can face death. To the AFP that’s assigned to areas na meron pang rebelde, totoo yung mamatay ng dahil sa’yo. Even if we don’t agree with the hard left, with the communist, yung gigising sila umaga na baka may enkwentro sila sa AFP, kung kumakanta sila ng lupang hinirang, totoo sa kanila yung mamatay ng dahil sa’yo. Kasi nga, hindi lang totoo, but it’s clear and present.
(0:37:53) To many of us, it’s a possibility but it’s not a probability. Okay. However, if we can sing, mamatay ng dahil sa’yo, that means, pwede rin tayong kumanta ng magsakripisyo dahil sa’yo. Pwede din dun yung magdasal dahil sa’yo. Nandun din yung magrally dahil sa’yo. Nandun din yung lumaban. Di ba?
(0:38:19) So, when we sing the National Anthem in the next few days, and when we remember June 12, let’s remember meron tayong pinaglalaban. And I will end by saying, I wholeheartedly believe we were made in the image and nature of God. So God wants us free. God wants us independent.
(0:38:46) But God wants us dependent to Him, but independent of other forces. So let’s pray for a country that is free from idolatry, free from immorality, free from sickness, free from poverty, free from corruption. But we have to put action to our faith, meaning pray, tapos lumaban, kumilos tayo. I will respect your views and your ways of fighting. Ang importante, lumaban tayo at ang importante, una sa Diyos, pagkatapos sa pamilya and para sa bayan. God bless you all.
