If we compare our nation's own struggles to our Lord, Jesus Christ's own passion, death, and resurrection, we can say that indeed, the Philippines has gone through a lot of pains, anguish, and suffering for many centuries. We went through a lot of Gethsemanes and Golgothas. Our people were subjugated by foreign invaders and colonizers and subjected to all forms of tyrannies, injustices, and corruptions. Today, we are still waiting for our salvation.
Our country and people were oppressed and exploited by the Spanish colonizers for 377 years, from 1521 to 1898 from Homonhon, Limasawa, Mactan, and ultimately, Kawit, Cavite. We were under America from 1900 to 1945 from the Treaty of Paris to the Philippine Independence. We were invaded and devastated by Japan from 1941 to 1945. And the whole country was under a repressive regime for no less than 20 years from 1966 to 1986. Today, there is still no resurrection from social injustice, poverty, crime, and corruption. The Filipinos had been promised liberation by trapos and all sorts of transactional politicians. The people are still poor and the nation is heavily indebted.
The Spaniards took our lands and distributed them to favored peninsulares and insulares through the encomienda system. Our forefathers were enslaved and exploited and our women raped, ravished, and made sexual slaves. For more than three and a half centuries, Spain robbed our country of its natural and human resources, exploited our lands and marine resources and used our people for their selfish political, economic, and other agenda. The Americans gave us better treatment by educating our people and by teaching us human rights. But then again, we were second-class citizens in our own homeland. Our bright young men were educated in America and were later used as public officials to give undue concessions to US businesses.
Quezon preferred a government run like hell by Filipinos to a government run like heaven by Americans. And that is precisely what we are getting, a lot of hell. Osmeña Sr. did not stay long enough to make a marked difference. Manuel Roxas gave America the parity rights to own, use, and exploit our forests, mines, and all natural resources. He gave the Americans the free use of many military bases and gave everything the US demanded. President Quirino's stewardship could only be remembered by its many reports of corruption. Ramon Magsaysay was a very nice guy but when he became very popular, he was allegedly eliminated in a supposedly disguised plane crash. President Carlos P. Garcia promised a Filipino-first policy but it was only a promise.
President Diosdado Macapagal was good and honest but he was replaced by the most controversial of all, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ruled the land for more than 20 years by declaring martial law, changing the Constitution to extend his limited terms, and caused the arrest, detention, and alleged disappearance of most of his political opponents. Cory Aquino promised too much and delivered too little. FVR sold many government properties including Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Air Base. Erap was the greatest disappointment. And GMA gave rise to the "Hello, Garci" scandal. PNoy was better but all his achievements were reversed by Duterte. Now, the International Court of Justice wants to investigate the so-called summary executions in the name of the drug war.
The current administration is facing a national debt of more than 13.7 trillion. Crimes are up and the economy is down. Corruption is becoming worse and there are no positive signs of abatement. The president wants to build more and better infra but where should the money come from? This government promised that rice will go down to 20 a kilo. On the contrary, prices are skyrocketing, inflation is getting worse and the economy is not getting any better. Unemployment is rising, poverty is moving from bad to worse. And the people are being fed lies and not being told the truth. The trapos want the Constitution changed to allow foreigners to own our lands and take over our economy.
My God, my Lord, why have you abandoned us? Today is Easter Sunday, but the lives of Filipinos are in perpetual Calvary. When will resurrection come to this forsaken land?