Kilusang Dekada 70 (KD70)

Contact Person. Prof. Guillermo Ponce De Leon

Phone: 818-749-0272

June 19, 2009

On the 148th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal: To Rebel is justified

San Francisco- “There are no tyrants if there are no slaves”

We are one with the Filipino people in commemoration of the 148th birth anniversary of the great Filipino patriot, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. His birth anniversary is significant indeed in the turbulent times the nation is facing.

Our situation hardly changed. This time, we are not under a colonial Spanish masters but under the tyranny of a local despot named Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo who serves at the pleasure of her US imperialist masters. Instead of the dreaded Spanish Guardia Civil, we have the obedient Armed Forces and the PNP that wrecked havoc on the people.

Still the feudal theocracy still exists like the rule of friars Damaso and Salvi. The Catholic Church is behind GMA and tolerates her culture of impunity on human rights violations and rampant graft and corruption. The Catholic Church is quiet for it benefits from the corruption of the regime.

Like the Spanish times, the Moro people are still the object of military expeditions and operations. More than 600,000 are refugees in Mindanao. Human rights activist and the democratic opposition are tortured, jailed and killed. While the empress GMA goes on junkets abroad while her people lives in misery and dire poverty.

What Rizal fought for- reforms is not viable anymore. Rizal learned it, as a hard lesson that even reformers like him has no place in an oppressive system. Even if he called for peaceful change, sill the authorities have him shot at Bagumbayan as an example for treason in December 1896. Rizal himself is our lesson for need for change.

What we need is real systemic change for the better. Even if elections can be held, we should watch out for the schemes and maneuvers of the regime that may declare martial law-Marcos style or force a new system of government perpetually under the rule of the Arroyo dynasty.

We all on the youth of our nation to follow what Rizal calls us to do: “never ever cease working for the benefit of our motherland”

No to GMA Charter Change. No to Con-Ass!

To Rebel is justified!