Military backed uprising versus Charter Change and Gloria forever?

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend? I think not. They can just as easily rob me of the freedoms I have fought for and won. They can just as easily be more corrupt "

When Brig. General Danny Lim issued a statement against the railroading of charter change in congress and HINTED at a threat of a military backed uprising, I shuddered.

I shuddered because the statement betrays an undemocratic tendency which may not be compatible with his aspiration to become a member of the Philippine Senate.

STATEMENT

To the Officers and Men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines:

Last Tuesday’s brazen railroading of the Con-Ass Resolution has erased whatever doubts, we have, about GMA’s true intention of holding on to power beyond 2010. This is not the first time she has trampled upon the Constitution we all claim to follow and respect. The EDSA Dos in 2001 was a coup d’etat that we, as an organization, took part in to oust a duly elected president. The 2004 election cheating, as exposed by the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes, was partly an AFP operation masterminded by the former Chief-of-Staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. Countless other offenses have followed since.

GMA is determined and she will keep on ramming through every perceived obstacle there is, until she attains her much-coveted goal.

Now, only the collective will of the people with the support of the AFP can stop her.

I, therefore, call on every officer and enlisted man to follow your conscience and do what is right – PROTECT THE PEOPLE AND THE STATE!

BGEN DANILO D. LIM AFP

I was told that I was seeing things, that I misinterpreted the statement, and it was conjecture to say that General Lim was attempting to signal an uprising.

I bit my lip, despite knowing that the words printed in the e-mail that was sent to me was clearly aimed at rousing the military to take part in what is a CIVILIAN and DEMOCRATIC exercise.

For what purpose? To protect the people? From whom? From what?

I could have passed it off as another one of those publicity hounding statements, but then this was followed by Senator Rodolfo Biazon's statement against Con Ass saying:

"The people's massive response to this could drive that soldier to invoke their constitutionally mandated duty of protecting the people and the state and take actions to provide a resolution to the controversy, " Biazon also warned.

"THE DANGER IS IF THIS HAPPENS, FOR THE THIRD TIME, THE SOLDIERS MAY NOT ANYMORE BE WILLING TO GIVE BACK POWER TO CIVILIAN AUTHORITY."

"HR 1109 could very well be our constitutional equivalent of 9-11, an attack against out Constitution"

The biggest threat to our democracy are not communist or muslim rebels.

The biggest threat to our democracy are POLITICIZED MILITARY OFFICIALS who, on the face of it, are offering to save us from a corrupt regime but whose real objective is to seize power.

I cannot trust people whose actions or plans will deprive me of my democratic rights, for whatever purpose.

So, if you dear reader want to protect our democracy, make sure you don't support MILITARY OFFICIALS whose aim is to subvert and overthrow our DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES.