The Heart of the Revolution

30Jan11

“Why cant they wait?”

The question came from a former idealistic-military rebel, jailed for some time for his participation in the bloodiest coup attempt of 1989, pardoned, worked his way back into the military, and is now a high-ranking military official. He rued the fate of military rebels in the failed Oakwood mutiny in 2003. Did he see himself in the young, idealistic officers doomed to die or jailed? Did he also see the massive corruption in Cory Aquino’s government that led him to turn away from the system he swore to protect? Didnt he wait himself?

But anyone will ask “Wait for what?”

“Wait for your turn to steal” answered another officer who left the military service when he could not stomach the corruption by his senior officers. The culture to corrupt and conspire and protect one another is so pervasive, is so rock-solid that changing it is next to impossible.

The admission obviously raises eyebrows, but is no longer surprising. The idealists today are swallowed by the system they want to improve, they end up part of the structure. They even become worse than their predecessors.

If this culture of corruption and impunity is ingrained in one of the hallowest institutions of our nation, the military, where else can we find refuge and support? And we can only wonder, what has happened to the famed Philippine Military Academy, which prides itself on its core virtues of Courage, Integrity, and Loyalty?

Courage perhaps to take money from soldiers, while they are busy fighting terrorists and rebels? What integrity are we talking about? And, loyalty to whom? Is one’s country too abstract, too idealistic, that it makes much practical sense to be loyal to senior officers who do the same dastardly deeds?

It’s true almost everywhere, government and private sector, NGOs, military, communist party, terrorist groups. It’s also true not just here, but in other countries and other times. The French revolution, the Spanish Civil War, the Communist takeover in China and Russia. Beware of groups purportedly taking up arms to fight for ‘what is right’. A taste of power, of being in control, is very addictive. One can only want more and in various ways — under the context of good governance or

The real revolution is the revolution of the heart. If idealists do not have and use a strong, internal moral compass, he will eventually join the problem he is solving. Quickly or slowly, he will, like Winston Smith who rebelled against Big Brother in the novel 1984, betray the only person he loves and end up loving his worst enemy.

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