Shenali D Waduge

A series of popular demonstrations with over 2million civilians taking part began in 1983 continuing till February 1986 brought down the Philippine dictator. It also involved the participation of religious groups and political parties. It was called the Yellow Revolution (using yellow ribbons) & ‘the Revolution that surprised the world’. It was a campaign of non-violent civil resistance against corruption, vote buying, and election fraud & regime violence. It led to the ouster of President Marcos and the return to democracy in the Philippines. There are some lessons for Sri Lanka’s leaders & government to draw from the Philippine example.

There are some comparisons relevant to the Rajapakse camp too which cannot deny that it too had its share of follies that made the regime change easier to complete.

Marcos was vying for a 3^rd term which the 18^th amendment enabled for Rajapakse. While Marcos issued Marshall Law to extend his term, Rajapakse went against advice to hold presidential elections two years ahead of time. Other similarities was the floating of a new constitution in both countries which was aimed at transferring the presidential system to a parliamentary one allowing Marcos to remain in power. We can recall the draft constitution of 2000 in which Chandrika Bandaranaike attempted to do the same. A referendum was held in Philippines after imprisoning all his political opponents for the new constitution and passed with 95% which is probably the modus operandi being floated by the present government in Sri Lanka.

What is looking to be another likely scenario is the manner that immediately after the referendum Marcos ordered the arrest and imprisonment of political opponents and the Commission set up naturally found the accused guilty and were sentenced to death by firing squad. We have lost count of the number of political opponents that the present government in Sri Lanka has arrested on trivial charges that deny bail where the magistrate’s office is opened even at 10p.m. for sentencing. Even public officials have been dragged for questioning with each having to pay for and find their own lawyers to defend them. None of the so called legal defenders or human rights organizations have come forward to question why people are being arrested after being asked to come for questioning and kept without producing evidence against them while denying them bail.

Senator Aquino who was to be sentenced to death declared “I was sentenced to die for allegedly being the leading communist leader. I am not a communist, never was and never will be.” The recent UNP May Day Rally saw the former Presidential candidate publicly declare that the former President should be hanged by his shawl (Satakaya).

Aquino was assassinated on August 21, 1983 and the killing shook the Pilipino people most of whom by now had had enough of the Marcos regime and inspired them to commence a non-violent civil disobedient movement. With chances of history repeating it is advised that assassination attempts should not be considered an option lest it should accelerate public action against the SL government.

Marcos used the ‘Communist’ slogan to align with and obtain the assistance of the US. The present regime is using the former regime’s ties to China as reason to align with the US & India both of whom treat China as their enemy. What is also noteworthy is that Marcos assured the US that Philippine would allow US to use its military and naval bases just as the present PM of Sri Lanka is allowing both US & India to set up bases in Sri Lanka as well as gift Sri Lanka’s strategic assets without the approval of the People of Sri Lanka.

Another noteworthy comparison was the state of the economy in both countries. By 1983 Philippines was plunged into debt no different to the current status quo in Sri Lanka where a government complains of debt by previous government but has enough money to buy super luxury cars, go on frequent foreign jaunts even for gala dinners and has all the money to re-renovate their homes.

What is relevant to the present is the manner that the international community could not ignore the sentiments of the people of the Philippines and the US had no choice but to force Marcos into holding elections. However, election rigging was expected and Marcos declared himself winner though the National Movement for Free Elections (partly funded by the US) declared Corazon Aquino as winner. 35 computer technicians even walked out in protest against the deliberate computer manipulations of the election results to favor Marcos.

However, Marcos claimed stake as winner resulting in the 50 Opposition Members of the Parliament walking out in protest – a marked similarity to the numbers in the Joint Opposition in Sri Lanka! The Pilipino people refused to accept the result, another lesson that the Sri Lankan Government should take note of and probably explains why it is now reluctant to hold elections given that even cheating is not an option to follow.

In what could be another possibility likely to happen was the manner that both candidates taking oaths (Marcos & Aquino) in 2 different locations with people galvanizing around Aquino inspiring her to call for mass strikes and boycotts of media and companies owned by Marcos cronies no different to the current calls to boycott Indian products and Indian petroleum in Sri Lanka. As a result, the crony banks, corporations, and media were hit hard, and their shares in the stock market plummeted to record levels. These too are likely lessons for Sri Lanka.

The wave against Marcos affected the military and probably explains why the present Sri Lankan government has sought to weaken the military and virtually dismantle the country’s intelligence unit. Most of these officers are now in prison for trivial charges without bail and no evidence. In Philippines segments of the army however did plan a military coup however the plot was exposed and arrests were ordered. Lt. Gen Fidel Ramos chief of the Philippine Constabulary (now the Philippine National Police) resigned while the Cardinal condemned the election fraud encouraging the people to rally round the ‘rebels’. Radio Veritas was used to mobilize millions of people. Ironically, the same Radio Veritas tied up with LTTE Voice of Tigers and its Tamil service was run by the Tamil Catholics of Tamil Nadu. Voice of Tigers had a coordinating office” inside St. Sebastian’s Church in Mallavi, Wanni; the office was opened by the pro-LTTE Bishop of Mannar Fr. Rayappu Joseph. Radio Veritas was supported with United States Agency for International Development funds that had been funneled through the Asia Foundation

Marcos sent troops to the main transmitter of Radio Veritas to cut off transmission as it proved to be a valuable communication tool for the people – we can see how the present Sri Lankan government is toying how to handle the social media despite the failure of training given by the US.

While it goes without saying that just as the Catholics and the Church has a major say in the affairs of the people of the Philippines, the place of Buddhists and the Sangha in Sri Lanka remains unshakeable.

The Church provided full support to the rebels – informing of government troop movements, supplying food and essential provisions and even prayer vigils. ‘My Homeland’ song was sung aloud by all protestors who were now occupying the streets. The armed tanks started building up and the nuns holding rosaries knelt in front of the tanks and people began holding arms to prevent the troops and not a shot was fired. The tanks withdraw. Marcos imposes curfew. The US led by President Reagan is forced to take action and openly called for their puppet to resign and troops start deserting to join the ‘rebels’ amidst the cheers of the people. Marcos came on government-controlled Channel 4 tv station refusing to step down and soon the station was captured by the ‘rebels’.

It was a revolution without bloodshed and marked three very significant players which draw parallels to the very same rising dissent in Sri Lanka. The role of the Roman Catholic Church, the demoralized state of the military and the gentle nature of the Filipino people draw parallels to the Buddhist Sangha, the demoralized Sri Lankan military and the compassionate and gentle people of Sri Lanka.

Marcos was replaced by Cory Aquino, wife of the assassinated Ninoy Aquino who belonged to a wealthy family. However, her reign did not prove any better. The poor were still poor, rich were still in charge and capitalism emerged stronger than before. She too became a puppet of the West. The lesson is when a country is sold out to foreign countries who wish to use the geopolitical positioning of the country, the leaders are ‘owned’ and controlled by these countries. Aquino herself had requested US military intervention to stop a coup against her in 1989 (US declassified documents) https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/01/philippines-cia-declassified-reveals-aquino-us-airstrikes-rebels-1989/

The Rajapakse camp themselves need to acknowledge their former errors. People have forgiven but will not forget and the same follies cannot and should not be repeated.

America had been involved in Philippines since 1898. Independence came in 1946 but American influence remained. If America chose to ignore Marcos’s undemocratic government because of its bases, is it not the same status quo currently applicable to the Sri Lankan Government who are giving handouts of the island in exchange for their silence on the undemocratic methods they are now rolling out? Franklin Roosevelt was to say of US support for Nicaraguan dictator Somoza – ”He may be an S.O.B., but he’s our S.O.B.” Just as the US & India are supporting LTTE & TNA, the Reagan administration viewed Marcos as a ‘freedom fighter’ against the Communists. However, eventually, the same US administration that supported Marcos secretly connived to oust him & this is what the present government must take serious note of. When the wave of unpopularity sets in even those that initially supported, will desert, US deserted Marcos and the likelihood of the same happening to the Sri Lankan Government should not be ignored. The US press did a U-turn and news releases were anti-Marcos and these are clues that the Sri Lankan Government can gage to realize that they are being deserted.

Another noteworthy factor was how Marcos manipulated the Americans by claiming to the press that it was the Americans who advised him to go for early elections! Our present government is also highly capable of outfoxing even the Americans and Indians!

Corazon Aquino also hired US PR firms and incidentally Mark Malloch Brown was assigned to teach her how to respond to the media. This was the same person who has been involved in Sri Lankan affairs too and was deputy to Kofi Annan in 2006.

Marcos eventually departed. He died in Hawaii in 1989.

Marcos was accused of stealing billions no different to the allegations that were part of the campaign slogans against the previous Sri Lankan Government. The Philippine Presidential Commission on Good Government launched to investigate $10 billion amassed between 1965 and 1986 by the Marcos family was asked to end their 30 year investigation in 2013 after failing to recover what was alleged. It is interesting how the same modus operandi is being rolled out currently in Sri Lanka.

What is interesting currently about Philippines is the emergence of the tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte. I’am no American puppet”.

“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there is three million drug addicts. I’d be happy to slaughter them,”

When the EU urged his government to investigate human rights abuses, Mr Duterte launched an obscenity-filled rant and showed Brussels his middle finger and described the EU as hypocrites.

Just as Sri Lanka is of strategic interest to India, US & even China, Philippines has been the regional headquarters, of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for Southeast Asia.

The writings on the wall in Sri Lanka with the reluctance to hold even a municipal election showcases the lack of good governance currently prevailing. The government is advised through the example of the Philippines and their people’s revolution that brought down a dictator, not to take the same path.

Govern the country well, govern the country to meet the aspirations of the people and the future generations not to please the interests of those that brought them to power, because even those who help bring governments to power do not like to be condemned by the people of those countries and when that happens, they do not think twice to replace their puppets whatever the puppets promises them as this government is currently doing.

These are lessons for all of us

Shenali D Waduge