by Tommy Matic IV
The great irony is ALL their pet heroes - Bonifacio, Luna and Mabini - WERE NOT NICE PEOPLE. Bonifacio was prone to violent threats, was described by a close associate as "algo despota", deposed two previous Supremos (how about THAT issue? Why is Miong considered "jealous" for "deposing" "Pangulo" Bonifacio and Bonifacio gets a free pass for deposing NOT ONE BUT TWO previous Supremos), got those Pinoy elites killed or exiled by blackmailing them, tried to kill Vicente Hernandez, tried to kill Daniel Tirona, tried to commit armed sedition against the united Revolutionary government - anyone can see that he's not a nice guy.
Antonio Luna challenged Rizal to a duel where one of them might die, used slaps, insults to discipline the troops, possibly and almost surely made good on his threats to shoot disobedient soldiers, used a horsewhip to drive off defenseless sick, women, and children from a train, was implicated by Felipe Buencamino in the mysterious death of Buencamino's son Joaquin, and of course had no qualms about betraying the Katipunan, La Liga Filipina and Dr. Jose Rizal to the Spaniards to save his own life.
Mabini was bitter and vindictive first toward Luna and later Aguinaldo in his writings.
Yet of course ALL OF THEM GET WHITEWASHED.
This is not to say that they aren't heroes or deserving of Honour - but with all the epithets thrown at Miong: traydor, makasarili, walang awa, murderer, etc. - these arrogant ungrateful people should realize what kind of people their heroes REALLY were.
The truth is that Filipino people don't want human heroes, they want mythic gods, a simple narrative of heroism and betrayal, something that THEY CAN BLAME FOR THEIR CURRENT SITUATION AND NEVER DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. The tragic thing is that over and above their flaws, Bonifacio, Luna and Mabini did many great things because they had extraordinary vision, courage and intelligence respectively. But when they are mythologized it diminishes them because it tries to ignore their human frailties and minimizes their human struggle.
If these heroes were human and we learn and teach the TRUTH about them then maybe we can learn more about OURSELVES, what is AVOIDABLE, what is ACHIEVABLE and chart a better course for our future.
No comments:
Post a Comment