Hopes on EDSA Day

There are no more Madames or Mademoiselles in France. Their Prime Minister has issued a circular phasing out such titles after feminist movements protested against such labelling. Now you only call the women by their baptized names, although I wonder how one will address someone whose name one does not know. Will just “Pssst!” do?

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Well, feminist movements in other parts of the world, including the United States, have also agitated against the titling of married women as “Mrs.” and single one as “Miss”. And so a compromise was reached, now both married and single females can be called only “Ms.” As for the men, the simple “Mister” does not differentiate, nor does the French “Monsieur,” so they can retain them.

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It seems a strange coincidence that, just a day before the eve of the 26th anniversary of the EDSA People Power revolution, a former president of the Republic would be facing the court to be arrainged for alleged crimes committed during her term, while a Supreme Court Justice she had hastily appointed before stepping down from office, would also be facing a court, this time a special one that will decide on whether or not he deserves to retain that midnight blessing.

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As reported by news accounts, and as shown in pictures and TV footages, former president and now congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appeared to be in high spirits as she came to court, smiling and waving at people watching curiously. It was quite noticeable, though, that when she left the Veterans Hospital before leaving for the court, she was walking briskly to the van that was to transport her. But when she arrived at the court grounds, she had to pushed in a wheelchair to get to the courtroom. Did the trip make her feel unwell?

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After Kris, it’s Ruffa. The beauty queen and showbiz personality Ruffa Gutierrez announced recently that her marriage to that Turkish businessman (?) had been declared null and void. Which means there had been no legal marriage at all, as also in the case of Kris Aquino. So what happens to their poor offspring? Will Lorin and Venice, Joshua and Baby James all be what the old people call “bastardas y bastardos”? What did they say about the sins of the fathers – the mothers in these cases?

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So it is going to be Tim Bradley who will provide the foil for Manny Pacquiao’s show in June. Well, the Mayweather affair had collapsed again, after the braggart and racist American champion continued to put obstacles in the way of their match, so it has to be Bradley first. I remember seeing Tim Bradley fight in the undercard during Pacquiao’s latest fight with Juan Marquez, and when he won over his opponent then, he expressed his wish and dream to fight Manny Pacquiao. So far, they have already started their promotion for the fight, but I don’t think trainer Fred Roach likes the idea that the two appear to be friendly. He wants Manny to be at his most ferocious when he fights – no quarters given.

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Yellow ribbons will flutter along the historic Epifanio de los Santos (EDSA) highway today as the country celebrates the 26th anniversary of that memorable day when Filipinos forgot personal safety and marched in the street of EDSA, praying and daring to face soldiers and tanks of the dictatorship in order to free their country from its grasp. It is sad to note that with all the years that have passed, we still have not attained the kind of government and governance that we had longed for with the staging of EDSA.

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But it is significant that, while no mass marching in the streets by people from all walks of life is going on, things are taking place that have similar aims as those of EDSA. We are now placing on trial a president perceived to have betrayed her commitment to the office, and we are also witnessing the trial of a man, who had been elevated to the most exalted position in our court, a trial that is gradually confirming the belief of many that he is not at all the kind of person we should have heading the highest court of the land. But maybe these are still continuations of the struggle at EDSA, and let us pray that we arrive at the hoped - for ends.

God bless the Philippines!*

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