I don't think I need to summarize the rebellion that Antonio Trillanes and the Magdalo group held yesterday coz it was pretty big news anyway. Everyone's been talking about it. The media made sure to that and even exaggerated some points.

Some say he was just bored and frustrated in prison, hungry for some publicity, and angsty for being deprived of his rights to exercise his powers as a senator... and so he decided to be an action star once more (Manila Pen is Oakwood Part 2) proclaiming "dissent without action is consent". His motto sure does have a point because even if you do disagree with the "bulok" system, doing nothing to correct it is similar to consenting to it ("silence means yes"). True. . and with this quotation, Trillanes sure did stir a lot of slumbering willpower in the hearts of many Filipinos. Who knows what might happen on the next few days or months? I just hope that willpower was stirred for a cause. I hope that the motive behind yesterday's rebellion was truly for bringing about good change in the country, not just for personal interest. I hope that the bottom line of all this isn't again about feeding the powerful's hunger for even greater power.

Anyhow, no matter how you process the situation and which ever side you take, any action which involves jeopardizing innocent civilian lives will still never be a justifiable solution, whatever kind of principles one is fighting for. Trillanes, being a strong symbol of those yearning for this so-called change, ultimately opposed what he was rebelling for when he decided to go into a packed hotel establishment wherein he knows, in the course of his actions, people could get hurt or killed, even if luckily in the end everyone did get out safely.

Misuse of authority and fame sure goes a long way. By this, I do not refer to Trillanes alone, but to all the powerful ones who choose to set aside the greater good and put to further crumbling what is left of the people's trust in the government.

But hey, I don't think I am in any position to question their selfish actions. I'm a Nursing student who wishes to be out of the country as soon as I graduate to earn thousands of dollars a year serving sick foreigners. Foreigners, not my own countrymen. So who's selfish now?! Sometimes, even if I do generally like my course, I still can't help wondering if this was truly what I was meant to do.. to leave my country and get rich on my own.

I think that's the general problem among Filipinos. Everyone just wants to leave. No one wants to stay here and love their country. It's like it's been cursed or something. Everyone's itching to get away... and yet everyone knows this fact and everyone's complaining and doing nothing about this fact. It's quite ironic really.. knowing what the problem is and yet continuing to be a part of it. Truly, dissent without action is consent.

However, these unfortunate truths make me have second thoughts about Trillanes' credibility. Whatever his real motives are, at least he's here, shouting for change. Not planning to flee. That's as far as I know.

Kung bibigyan ka ng pagkakataong mamili, pipiliin mo bang
maging isang Pilipino?--Bob Ong

Happy Bonifacio day brave Filipinos.