Makikita sa larawan sa itaas ang screenshot ng mypandacan.com at doon ay tila ipinangangalandakan pa na si Imelda, ang Ina ng Diktadura sa binansagang Conjugal Dictatorship at ngayon ay kinatawan ng Ilocos sa Mababang Kapulungan, ay kasama nila sa larawan.
Tumayo ang balahibo ko. Nanlaki ang mata ko. At napamura ako ng "EntengInaNyo" nang tumambad sa akin ang larawan ito. Sigurado ako na kung buhay si Fr. Jacinto Zamora, ang isa sa binansagang GomBurZa at taal na Pandaqueno, ay malamang binaston niya ang mga taga-Pandacan. Kasama ni Fr. Zamora sina Padre Jose Apolonio Burgos at Padre Mariano Gomez na ginarote ng mga Kastila dahil kasama sila sa mga naghimagsik laban sa mga mananakop.
At ngayon wala si Padre Zamora, isang taal ding Pandaqueno - si Sixto Carlos Jr. - ang hindi lang nasamid bagkus malamang napamura din. Narito ang kanyang sulat ni Sixto Carlos Jr., isang magiting na aktibistang kumalaban sa pagmamalabis ng mga Marcoses, kay Ernesto Hilario, ang about town columnist ng Business Mirror.
Upinoste ko sa ibaba ang nilalaman ng sulat ni Sixto Carlos Jr. upang mabasa ng mga bumibisita sa blog na ito.
Pandacan folk reject Imelda as hermana mayor
I got this e-mail from a friend from way back, Sixto Carlos Jr., former chairman of a pre-martial law mass organization and resident of Pandacan. I quote the relevant portions:
“We, sons and daughters of Pandacan, some of whose families have lived here for more than a century, are appalled that a local cultural group has invited Imelda Marcos to be the hermana mayor of this year’s Buling-Buling street dance. This festival, which is a highlight of the fiesta of the Santo Niño in our district on January 14 is, indeed, a rich cultural and religious tradition but if the Buling-Buling organizers’ aim in inviting Mrs. Marcos is to gain ‘star power’ for the event, they are completely misguided. Although their putative hermana mayor is, indeed, a well-known personality, she is likewise notoriously known for dishonorable reasons—and she will only bring dishonor to Pandacan.
“Need we remind our fellow Pandaqueños that Mrs. Marcos is the surviving partner of the conjugal dictatorship that terrorized the nation, enriched itself on the backs of the Filipino people, and sullied the Philippines’s image? To people the world over, the Marcoses have become synonymous with abusive and authoritarian rule. Imelda Marcos herself has the further distinction of being well-known for her ostentatious display of wealth and crass material accumulation—even decades after the fall of the dictatorship, a reference to Imelda’s shoe collection is still the punch line for jokes about the idle rich the world over.
“Making Imelda Marcos hermana mayor taints the revered tradition of Buling-Buling. Her presence will poison the celebratory atmosphere of our Feast of the Holy Child and ruin the conviviality that marks the occasion. Honoring Imelda Marcos as hermana mayor is an affront to Pandacan’s proud history as a cradle of heroes that resisted colonial rule by Spain, the United States and Japan. And many of its residents were among those who participated in the fight against the Marcos regime. Their memories of the Marcoses include prison cells, the disappearance, maiming or death of loved ones; the suppression of democratic rights, and lonely exile. If feted as hermana mayor, Imelda Marcos will be a magnet of justifiable protests.
“If the Buling-Buling’s organizers have invited Imelda Marcos as a ‘daughter’ of Pandacan, they are again mistaken. While the Romualdez clan has an old mansion in Pandacan where Imelda Marcos lived with relatives for a spell, it is not her ‘ancestral home,’ contrary to her claim. She is not from, nor is she of, Pandacan. She grew up poor in Leyte, and her attempt when she came to power to promote the mansion as her ancestral abode was part of a shameless campaign to conjure up aristocratic roots more fitting of her ‘elevated’ status as the dictator’s wife.”
Here is the original letter signed by Rene Circia Cruz, Antonio Santos, Diana Carlos Sy-Quia and Mr. Carlos.
Never Again!
We, sons and daughters of Pandacan, some of whose families have lived here for more than a century, are appalled that a local cultural group has invited Imelda Marcos to be the hermana mayor of this year’s Buling-Buling street dance! This festival, which is a highlight of the fiesta of the Santo Nino in our district on January 14, 2012, is indeed a rich cultural and religious tradition but if the Buling-Buling organizers’ aim in inviting Mrs. Marcos is to gain “star power” for their event, they are completely misguided. Although their putative hermana mayor is indeed a well-known personality, she is likewise notoriously known for dishonorable reasons – and she will only bring dishonor to Pandacan.
Need we remind our fellow Pandaquenos that Mrs. Marcos is the surviving partner of the conjugal dictatorship that terrorized the nation, enriched itself on the backs of the Filipino people, and sullied the Philippines’ image? To people the world over, the Marcoses have become synonymous with abusive and authoritarian rule. Imelda Marcos herself has the further distinction of being well-known for her ostentatious display of wealth and crass material accumulation – even decades after the fall of the dictatorship a reference to Imelda’s shoe collection is still the punch line for jokes about the idle rich the world over.
Independent sources – including courts in the Philippines, Europe and the United States -- have documented more than 10,000 victims of torture, disappearances, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary arrests under Ferdinand Marcos’ strong-armed rule. The dictatorship turned government agencies into its private enforcers, even using the country’s embassies and consulates to extend its repressive reach to Filipino communities overseas. The Marcoses shamelessly lived high on the billions they and their favored cronies pilfered from the national wealth, and their depredations set back the country’s striving for socioeconomic progress. The Filipino people finally kicked them out of power for good reason.
Need we remind our fellow Pandaquenos that Mrs. Marcos is the surviving partner of the conjugal dictatorship that terrorized the nation, enriched itself on the backs of the Filipino people, and sullied the Philippines’ image? To people the world over, the Marcoses have become synonymous with abusive and authoritarian rule. Imelda Marcos herself has the further distinction of being well-known for her ostentatious display of wealth and crass material accumulation – even decades after the fall of the dictatorship a reference to Imelda’s shoe collection is still the punch line for jokes about the idle rich the world over.
Independent sources – including courts in the Philippines, Europe and the United States -- have documented more than 10,000 victims of torture, disappearances, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary arrests under Ferdinand Marcos’ strong-armed rule. The dictatorship turned government agencies into its private enforcers, even using the country’s embassies and consulates to extend its repressive reach to Filipino communities overseas. The Marcoses shamelessly lived high on the billions they and their favored cronies pilfered from the national wealth, and their depredations set back the country’s striving for socioeconomic progress. The Filipino people finally kicked them out of power for good reason.
Making Imelda Marcos hermana mayor taints the revered tradition of Buling-Buling! Her presence will poison the celebratory atmosphere of our Feast of the Holy Child and ruin the conviviality that marks the occasion. Honoring Imelda Marcos as hermana mayor is an affront to Pandacan’s proud history as a cradle of heroes who resisted colonial rule by Spain, the United States and Japan. And many of its residents were among those who participated in the fight against the Marcos regime. Their memories of the Marcoses include prison cells; the disappearance, maiming or death of loved ones; the suppression of democratic rights; and lonely exile. If feted as hermana mayor, Imelda Marcos will be a magnet of justifiable protests!
If the Buling-Buling’s organizers have invited Imelda Marcos as a “daughter” of Pandacan, they are again mistaken. While the Romualdez clan has an old mansion in Pandacan where Imelda Marcos lived with relatives for a spell, it is not her “ancestral home,” contrary to her claim. She is not from, nor is she of, Pandacan. She grew up poor in Leyte, and her attempt when she came to power to promote the mansion as her ancestral abode was part of a shameless campaign to conjure up aristocratic roots more fitting of her “elevated” status as the dictator’s wife.
If the Buling-Buling’s organizers have invited Imelda Marcos as a “daughter” of Pandacan, they are again mistaken. While the Romualdez clan has an old mansion in Pandacan where Imelda Marcos lived with relatives for a spell, it is not her “ancestral home,” contrary to her claim. She is not from, nor is she of, Pandacan. She grew up poor in Leyte, and her attempt when she came to power to promote the mansion as her ancestral abode was part of a shameless campaign to conjure up aristocratic roots more fitting of her “elevated” status as the dictator’s wife.
Imelda Marcos’ current position as a member of Congress cannot disguise the fact that the Marcos family still has to fully account for its crimes against the people. The families of their countless victims still await retribution. Yet the Marcoses have not shown remorse. Instead, they are taking advantage of the Filipino’s generosity and forgiving disposition by desperately attempting to rewrite the past, whitewash their misdeeds and reposition themselves for a return to power.
Naming Imelda Marcos as hermana mayor of the Buling-Buling festival only contributes to the Marcoses’ concerted effort to promote national amnesia. It is a shame that some members of our community are willing to be used as instruments of such deception. It is a shame that they are deploying a revered cultural and religious tradition in the service of the Marcoses’ narrow political agenda. It would be an even greater shame if this effort to glorify Imelda--an international symbol of greed and oppression--succeeds because we are silent.
Naming Imelda Marcos as hermana mayor of the Buling-Buling festival only contributes to the Marcoses’ concerted effort to promote national amnesia. It is a shame that some members of our community are willing to be used as instruments of such deception. It is a shame that they are deploying a revered cultural and religious tradition in the service of the Marcoses’ narrow political agenda. It would be an even greater shame if this effort to glorify Imelda--an international symbol of greed and oppression--succeeds because we are silent.
With all due respect to the Sto. Nino de Pandacan Parish-RCC and the Cathedral of Sto. Nino of Pandacan-IFI, we, all legitimate sons and daughters of Pandacan, strongly declare our firm stand in rejecting Imelda Marcos. She has no place in our hometown’s beloved commemoration of the Feast of the Sto. Nino as hermana mayor of this dance festival!
RENE CIRIA-CRUZ
San Francisco, California
SIXTO CARLOS
ANTONIO O. SANTOS
UP CLASS 1974
DIANA CARLOS SY-QUIA
Greenhills-West, San Juan
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