MANILA - The audacity and arrogance of the (EMERGENCY) declaration cast a Shroud of fear over the population when they heard of it. Some thought it was a coup others thought it was the end of democracy. Well it might have

 been if not for people brave and courageous enough to defy the

 sedition. It is so inspiring to know that there are so many

 Filipinos ready to suffer for what they believe in ‑ freedom,

 justice and the truth.

 

 The economy was in a downward spiral yet the figures were

 manipulated to make it appear it was going up. The single

 declaration laid aside human rights and civil liberties and cast a

 shadow over the media, intimidated the church, and had thousands

 fearing for their lives and family. This brazen assertion and power

 grab was unjustified unwarranted and destructive of all that was

 good in the Philippines even though itΓÇ(tm)s democracy has always been

 wasted, weakened and wounded.

 

 It had gone on too long, was too brutal and due to fall. The

 killings had been done one by one. The torture victims had screamed

 their last, and the poor were still poorer more wretched and hungry

 than ever before. The elite, the cream of the cronies were wallowing

 in wealth unimaginable. Time and again protesters arose ready to

 forfeit their lives, brave the tear gas and withstand water cannon.

 The said enough is enough down with tyranny and dictatorship

forever.

 

 The election was a fraud, cheating by the president was so obvious,

 so shameful and the contestants were outraged and marched again.

 They filled the streets, the avenues and highways. The military

 swayed this way and that way and flower power, prayer power and

 people power won the day. The dictatorship was told to cut and cut

 clean. Helped mightily he fled and escaped with the loot, pearl

 necklaces, gold bracelets, diamond rosaries, all packed into bulging

 suitcases, were hurried to the helicopter flown into the sky and

 away . It was over, the dictator had fallen. It was the day that

 ended one of the most devastating periods of Philippine history ‑

 the Marcos dictatorship.

 

 Last week after 20 years it was to be remembered and celebrated

 instead ‑it was a failed re‑enacted. The same people power groups,

 priests and people were on the march again last week protesting

 grievances not near as serious but serious enough. There were

 barricades to stop the march, and water canon to wet them down and

 police to arrest and cart them away. They claimed they had got rid

 of one dictator twenty years ago but now they had to get rid of

 another. But had they? Or can we see behind the scenes the

 machinations and manipulation of the mighty families drooling with

 greed for the levers of power, the keys of the treasury and the

 deals of the century.

 

 Outwardly, we hear a cry for justice and decency, right and good. We

 see a protest against election fakery and fraud, but who can cast

 the first stone and not hit himself? The well meaning and the good

 were there but so were the sinister plotters like the Wizard of Oz,

 pulling some strings with little new to offer.

 

 President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of emergency and

 blocked the massive protest. The Philippines seems to be always in a

 state of emergency no matter who is in power.

 

 As one elite group of powerful families square off against another,

 the nation stagnates, poverty spreads and just a few, too few, truly

 cares.

 

 That's our permanent state of emergency and there is no end in

 sight. It's not political, it's moral.

 (This column is published in various media around the world. Ed)