Exit the dragon: A troubled, troublesome year

MANILA, Philippines - The earthquake in the Visayas last February proved to be a harbinger of things to come in 2012, which more than lived up to its Chinese zodiac character marked by tumultuous life-changing events fraught with political high jinks.

Fatalities were minimal in the towns of Guihulngan and La Libertad in Negros Oriental, but the images of roads cracked open in the hinterland towns suggested that doomsday and potential tsunamis could not be that far off.

And just as there was the usual end of world scare late in the year owing to the Mayan calendar, the strongest typhoon in decades hit Mindanao, resulting in more than a thousand dead and perhaps just as many missing. “Pablo” was a virtual reprise of “Sendong” that also hit in December a year ago, in the same unfortunate region.

Thus two natural disasters sandwiched serial diplomatic contretemps in the high seas, dizzying musical chairs and the changing of the judicial guard, the death of an everyman Cabinet secretary in a plane crash heading home, the naming of a second Filipino saint, a new draft accord with Muslim rebels in the south, and Congress rushing at breakneck speed to pass landmark legislation that will likely change the complexion of Philippine society.

Just when everybody was starting to prepare for the holidays, what should rudely come blowing into the provinces of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley but a super typhoon, in some cases wiping entire barangays off the map. Hardest hit were the towns of Cateel, Baganga, Boston, New Bataan, and Compostela, with whole families swept away. President Aquino was forced to declare a state of national disaster in the wake of the calamity, and relief drives went into high gear to reach the destitute and needy in cramped evacuation centers, even as more bodies were recovered under tons of logs, mud, and assorted rubble.

The late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo was deemed one of a few good men worthy of being called a public servant, and his death in August in the sea off Masbate brought back memories of plane crashes past that claimed the lives of other great men, such as President Ramon Magsaysay. Himself a Magsaysay awardee, Robredo set the example for transparency in governance, and never shirked from dirty work and the nitty gritty – wading in floods to get to typhoon victims and generally hobnobbing with the masa in his trademark tsinelas (rubber slippers) not for mere photo-ops, because there was something genuine and down to earth about the long-time, well loved Naga mayor.

What captured the people’s imagination and kept them glued to their seats in front of the TV in the summer months was the impeachment trial of then chief justice Renato Corona, who was eventually removed from office in late May by an overwhelming Senate vote for concealing secret accounts in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. It was the first time a sitting chief justice of the land was removed through impeachment, and much credit went to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile for ably steering proceedings to their conclusion. Corona’s walkout after his testimony only to be brought back bewildered and hypertensive in a wheelchair was a signal lesson on the various ways the mighty have fallen.

The Philippines’ relations with China entered a severe test with the standoff last April at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, when Chinese fishermen were caught poaching in the disputed territory in the West Philippine Sea. The diplomatic nip and tuck would last throughout the year, featuring an exchange of notes verbale, intramurals over the issue in the talkshop of ASEAN, and even a Senate showdown between Enrile and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who took on the role of backdoor guy to resolve the Panatag stalemate. Capping it off was the inclusion in the new Chinese passport of the nine-dash demarcation line claiming most of the territory as China’s, because the “law of the land is superior to the law of the sea”.

A ray of light and hope shined on the country in October in time for the feast of La Naval when San Pedro Calungsod was declared the second Filipino saint after San Lorenzo Ruiz in rites at the Vatican. The 17th century teenage catechist was one of seven new saints installed at St. Peter’s Square, in elaborate ceremonies attended by several dignitaries who made the trip to Rome. One of the miracles ascribed to the Visayan lay missionary that helped usher him into official sainthood was the seeming reversal of situation of a terminally ill patient. The saint’s body was never found after it was thrown into the sea by angry natives in Guam who refused to be converted.

Much fanfare attended the signing of the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro in October that sought to end decades of secessionist struggle by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Delegates from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as well as from peace broker Malaysia were present at the Palace for the landmark event, which also saw MILF chairman Al Haj Murad shed a tear upon stepping on what was formerly hallowed ground for Moro rebels. The draft accord, however, was considered to be a baby step toward a permanent peace, as there remained some thorny points to be addressed by the joint panel, not least the glum countenance of Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation Front.

No legislative measure has been more divisive than the Reproductive Health bill that finally passed Congress after close but decisive votes on the floor. The issue of contraceptives, health care for poor mothers, and birth spacing rent families as fathers took stands opposite their sons’, and daughters went against their mothers and the ubiquitous presence of men of the cloth tried to influence the affairs of state. There were subplots of plagiarism, tearjerking privilege speeches, and amusing debates over whether the phrase “safe satisfying sex” should be included or deleted in one of the provisions of the crafted legislation which Malacañang calls the Responsible Parenthood bill.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno made history by being named in July to head the traditionally male dominated Supreme Court, hardly surprising since she was the first appointee of the President to the high court, with the Aquino-named justices now numbering four. The televised Judicial and Bar Council interviews for the chief justice post again provided sufficient distraction for a population inundated by monsoon rains in the metropolis, though her constant mentioning of God almighty and praise the Lord demeanor seemed to make secular citizens a bit uncomfortable. Many senior justices she bypassed also got lazy attending the Monday flag ceremony.

More pertinent legislation passed the Congress mill that would impact on tax collection, news gathering, the disappeared, as well as cyber-bullying and intrigue. The sin tax reform bill has been signed into law by the President, raising the prices of alcohol and tobacco products, with cigarettes bearing the brunt of the additional tax. Also enacted was the so-called desaparecido bill which criminalizes enforced disappearance. The Freedom of Information bill may have to wait till next Congress, giving media access to sensitive government information short of state secrets. The Cybercrime Prevention Act had been earlier signed into law with libel provisions intact, raising the hackles of advocates of freedom of speech and expression.

Two former presidents continued their slide into local government, with Gloria Arroyo aiming for a second term in Congress between trips to court for various cases and stays in hospital, while Joseph Estrada is now gunning for the mayorship of Manila in a projected blockbuster showdown against incumbent Alfredo Lim. No such slow fade is expected of the President after his term in 2016, as Aquino has gone on record to say that his post presidential activities would be centered on finally settling down and maybe raising a family, keep those nicotine stained fingers crossed.