Do We Deserve November 8?

Every four years we experience Leap Year and add February 29 on our calendars because the Earth revolves around the sun slower than normal.

A Reverse Leap Year hasn’t been proposed yet wherein instead of add, we omit one day from the calendar. If that ever comes true, perhaps most Filipinos and Americans would vote for the removal of November 8.

If you belong in the minority of these populations who weren’t informed by the recent breaking news, here are they:

Our Supreme Court ruled 9-5-1 in favor of allowing formerPresident Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’Cemetery)—the final resting place for our country’s presidents, heroes, patriots, and national artists and scientists. For almost three decades, human rights lawyers, activists, and martial law victims have opposed this move because while he is technically qualified to be buried there as a former president; National Defense secretary; Medal of Valor awardee; and WWII veteran; the atrocities committed under his declared Martial Law counters the essence of the cemetery’s foundation.

For obvious reasons, social media exploded with furious netizens. While majority of people (at least on my feed) could not accept the decision, others said that life must still go on.

“Move On!” said those who have had too much of this ‘Martial Law thingy.’ For them, the burial might actually signal our national unity—an ideal path to progress with our past behind us where there is no sinner and everyone is a saint.

“It’s a soldier’s and a President’s burial, not a hero’s burial,” others said in an effort to calm down the opposition. Point taken: soldiers and presidents are qualified to be buried in the cemetery; however, whether Pres. Marcos was a war veteran and a decorated soldier remains contestable (read up on articles about his allegedly fake medals and hard fought war victories).

On another note, the AFP Regulations G 161-375 states that the cemetery prohibits a burial for people “who have been dishonourably discharged from service or personnel convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude.” Pres. Marcos was ousted from Malacanang in a dishonourably manner. If you’re lazy to read the news or browse online videos, ask your parents and grandparents about it. The recurring image of People Power revolution that shows military officers accepting flowers from rosary-decorated nuns is the culmination of a bloody struggle. While it painted a peaceful resolution, the path to achieve it was not. Others contend that while Pres. Marcos was charged with several offenses, he was never convicted—he died as an innocent man. Then we hear a new rebuttal and the argument just went, and still goes, on and on.

The following day our strongest ally (probably a debatable issue), the United States of America, held their elections to determine, above all, who will be their 45^th president. Whichever was the result, it was a historical night because they would have either elected their first female president or their first president who hasn’t held public office in his entire privileged life.

Popular vote favored Hillary Clinton but their election, validated by the Electoral College System, placed Donald Trump on the lead. If only to prove that America is first at anything, they trumped United Kingdom’s#Brexit from EU earlier this year and claimed the most embarrassing national move title.

“Why are you affected, you’re not even a US citizen?” asked clueless netizens to their friends who hate Trump or are appalled by the results overseas. For your information, USA is among the country’s top foreign investors (meaning they put up businesses here), trading partners (we can sell them our products and vice versa), and military partners (we can buy equipment from them and have access to their advanced training so our soldiers are better equipped to protect us).

Our current president is vocally not a fan of the United States but (surprise!) the feeling is mutual for Mr. Trump. In his race to the White House, Mr. Trump once cited the Philippines among “terrorist nations” whose immigrants should be barred from the US. Mr. Trump’s hostility will likely affect us, especially the more than 3 million Filipinos currently living in the US and millions more who aspire to visit or reside there.

Don’t blame Filipinos who are concerned with economics, diplomacy, foreign trade, and generally our security in the international scene. If you’re a Filipino who insists on taking care of your own business in your native land, then don’t bet on your favorite NBA team during the finals; stop binge-watching with your Netflix; don’t drink a tall, grande, or venti; don’t line up for the latest Marvel movie; and stop filling your sentences with “ahm,” “like,” or “you know,” because uhm...you know, all these and more are so like...American.

November 8 was 2016’s biggest irony yet. We were haunted by our past and left with uncertain prospects.

Now that the table has been turned by the highest court in the land, we ask ourselves: do we create another revolution by going to the streets, angrily typing at our keyboards, or shutting down everything so we can simply live free from politics? Now that Mr. Trump will soon be Pres. Trump, we have to observe and assess the impacts of his “America for Americans” plan. If it will be as aggressive as he promised it to be, his “wall” won’t just be for Mexicans.

November 8 begged the question if both our countries have been taking democracy for granted. It also challenged us to think if we can keep it longer.

Do we deserve November 8? It depends on your belief in your people, your government, your leaders and yourself. Even if it’s ideal to have a Yes or No for an answer, it only matters if you care enough. You don’t shrug off these issues and easily move on. It’s not as easy as when you click that like or share button but didn’t even read that damn political news.