Impeachment, What Impeachment?

I could still remember it well. It was mid-February and the Senate Impeachment Trial of President Estrada is already coming into a close. For months, everyone was glued into their television sets because of the drama unfolding everytime the trial has been televised on the major networks. In fact, I have heard that the televised hearing itself gained high ratings despite the fact that it lasted for more than 5 hours every day.

It was around 8 pm. I could remember that they were debating about the issue of opening the second envelope. The debate ensued well into the night. I remembered the counting... the NO votes won. There were cheers from the Pro-Estrada Camp. The camera was focused on then Senator Loren Legarda bursting into tears and was being comforted by Senator Franklin Drilon.

Former Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta was jeering the civilian spectators by dancing like a stupid witch possessed by her own deadly incantation... and yes, even Miriam Defensor-Santiago was one of the most hated figures of that time. I swear, some people have imagined her laughing like a deranged woman proclaiming her victory against the wind...

Midnight came and the people - especially the brothers from Ateneo wasted no time in organizing themselves again at the Edsa Shrine. Everything came very fast from that point and the networks began televising 24 hours just to cover the events that were unfolding.

That night, I sneaked out of the house and joined the multitudes who gathered at Edsa. I was young then and very much adventurous. It was 2 am and the air was so cold. People are gathering forces way into the morning. It was the beginning of changes. The winds, which the administration believed to be on their side has finally turned against them.

---

Five years later and the rest was history.

Again, some new forces attempted to tame the wind and tried to unseat the once victorious forces that drove the former one away.

Still, there were the never-ending dramas, the rallies and mass demonstrations, the slogans are still there and the declarations of support and opposition to the administration or being proclaimed by Balimbings in all corners of the world.

It's like being transported back to history where things were and the future was still hopeful for the eyes of many.

But now...

More and more people are getting hungry. Millions are jobless and some of them are trying their luck in foreign lands. Everyday, the threat of energy crisis is looming on the horizon. On the other side of the globe, people are dying from a Hurricane's aftermath. The world is coming to an end and here we are busy with our own politicking and greed for power.

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Yes, I don't deny the fact that she has done us wrong and that she must be punished.

But I think in many ways, she is already paying for her bad karma. Don't they notice it? What else do they want to do? Nail her to the cross? Order all history books to judge her as a cursed person? Replace her with another leader with a more questionable background when it comes to management and leadership?

What??

That is why I never participated in any mass demonstrations that happened during the past few months. No wonder, as everyone looses their support towards her, mine had become stronger and stronger.

That is why I hated almost everyone in the opposition and percieved them as greedy pigs because

I am sick and tired of fucking politics.

God, when we would ever learn? When would we ever realize that everything is being manipulated by compromises and secret agreements?

When would we ever realize that there's more to government than the fucking impeachment? When can we finally see that in impeaching her, this nation would never find closure... Not now, not ever.

---

I admit, I belong to one of those drones who chooses to work rather than to participate in those silly demonstrations.

After all, only the bums, children and the bourgeoisie could afford to waste their time and money on those affairs these days.

In the first place, what are we really fighting for? Justice?

What justice? For the Filipino People?

How would they appreciate it when most of them are sick and tired of the system?

Gain for themselves? Most probably...

But you know what, the fact still remains.

They don't have a clear-cut and long term solutions to the problems faced by this country. Oust the President now and someone would take over.

Once that someone who took over fucks around, others would begin to oust that person they allowed to take over the fallen government again.

Maybe God has a very clear reason why He sided with GMA rather than the opposition this time.

Perhaps, he is saying:

"Cut the crap now and work your assess in looking after your people's needs instead of goofing around"

If I only knew then, when I was still a kid that this would be happening, I wouldn' t have wasted my time going to Edsa Shrine to oust a former president.

I wouldn't have stormed Malacanang during the day we ousted the former president.

If only I knew that there would never be peace in the outcome of a war, I should have not supported the war at all...

Because look at we now,

We're just having a sick carousel ride over and over.

Seems like youre a very very lucky girl huh?

Rica Paralejo

Tuesday.

Pumasok ako sa work at since ka shift ko ang isang bisor na mainit ang dugo sa akin ever since naging regular ako sa trabaho, naharass na naman ako ng wala sa oras.

Ang issue naman ngayon, ang paggamit ng Limewire. Sabi niya, i-disconnect daw namin ang lahat ng Limewire dahil bumabagal ang bandwith ng mga computers. Ok lang naman dahil nga against sa company policy yun, pero ang kapansin pansin doon, alam niyang ako ang nagpapatugtog ng music sa office gamit ang Limewire at kahapon daw, kung kailan wala ako sa office, hindi naman niya pinansin yung mga nakaduty na gumagamit ng Limewire.

Napansin rin niya ako at one instance kasi binabasa ko ang e-mail galing sa mga Diyos namin sa Australia. Hirit ba naman sakin magtrabaho daw muna ako dahil maraming pending message. Hirit ko naman nagtratrabaho ako at binabasa ko ang mga bagong policies ng client bago ako bumirada sa ginagawa ko.

Ang gago ba naman, hindi talaga umalis hangga't hindi ko sinasarado ang window kung saan nandoon ang e-mail na binabasa ko.

---

Tangina.

Linggo linggo na lang laging ganito ang eksena. Every duty kung saan magkapareho kami ng shift, hindi malayong may mapansin sa akin.

Dati rati, quever lang ako kahit na alam kong may weird na pakitungo siya sa akin, pero ngayong marami na ang nakakapansin na ako ang lagi niyang pinupuntirya, sobrang haggardness deluxe ako kapag duty ko ng Monday at Tuesday dahil kasabay ko siya at di malayong mapag-initan na naman ang nananahimik na ako.

Hindi ko naman alam kung ano ang nagawa ko sa kanya. Basta, ever since pumasok ako dun, parang ang gaan gaan sa kanyang barahin ako o kaya mag-init ang dugo niya sa akin.

Nakakabadtrip rin minsan, lalo na noong feeling ko mag-isa pa lang ako. Kaya nga napa-apply ako sa West dahil lang sa sama ng loob ko sa kanya.

---

Pero every week simula noong unti-unti kong nakakabonding ang mga katrabaho ko, marami akong na-uuncover tungkol sa past transgressions niya.

Nandoong nalaman ko na marami na siyang pinag-initan bago sa akin at talagang nasa personality niya ang mag-power trip.

Nalaman ko rin na hindi pala ako nag-iisa at meron nang mga tao sa office ang minsang pumalag sa power tripping niya.

Pero feeling ko, mukhang isa ako sa mga nakalinya sa mga susunod na papalag sa kanya.

---

Nakakaawa lang kasi ramdam mo talaga na lahat ng tao ilag sa kanya.

Lalo pa ngayong may solid front ang lahat ng pang-umaga.

Noong isang linggo, halos tatlong araw hindi makausap ng matino kasi merong isang colleague namin ang nagpalit ng pangalan niya sa whiteboard at ginawang pangalan ng babae.

Tuwing uwian naman, pansin na pansin mong maaga siyang umaalis ng office dahil alam mong may iniiwasan o ayaw makasabay sa daan.

At tuwing may napapag-initan bukod sa akin na suki na niya, lahat ng tao biglang napupunta sa kanya ang focus. Minsan pinagtatawanan siya sa mga ginagawa niya. Minsan hinahanapan siya ng dahilan sa ganung pag-uugali niya.

Nasa kanya nga ang tiwala ng mga boss... pero ng mga subordinates niya, parang medyo kaduda-duda yun.

Lalo pa ngayon.

---

For once, naging leader rin ako.

At alam kong kapag may subordinates ka, dapat ikaw ang maging dahilan nila para mainspire sila sa pamumuno mo at hindi mawalan ng loob.

Alam ko para maging effective leader ka, dapat tinitingala ka ng mga tao at walang nakikitang puna sa iyong paraan ng pamumuno.

Sa case niya, ang lousy niyang supervisor. Ako mismo, nawalan na ng amor sa kanya... ang iba pa kaya?

Kaya tuloy instead na maging efficient ang trabaho namin tuwing araw ng duty niya. Ramdam mo ang friction at tense atmosphere sa office.

Ramdam mo na hindi ka kumportable magtrabaho... at kung pwede lang matapos na lang ang oras ipagdadasal mo wag mo lang siya makasabay ng trabaho.

Ganun ang feeling ko madalas kapag kasama ko siya.

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Buti na nga lang hindi pa kami openly nagkakabangga.

Buti na lang at hindi pa ganoon kalakas ang loob kong mag-fight back sa kanya kung hindi medyo matinding gulo ito... na siguro ay magreresult sa aking immediate termination.

Sa unang pagkakataon, pumasok ako sa trabahong hindi kumportable sa immediate supervisor ko.

Himala na nga lang at hindi ko pa sineseryosong mag-pull out sa kumpanya

Sa totoo naman, madali lang ako pakisamahan eh. Hindi naman talaga ako problema sa taong nagcocommand at nagbibigay sa akin ng orders.

Hanggang ngayon, palaisipan pa rin sa akin kung bakit parang ako ata ang napapaginitan noong taong yun. Hindi ko naman siya na-offend ever since ah.

At the end of the day kahit pagtawanan mo ang buong nangyari, sa huli nakakadisturb pa rin na alam mong merong taong mainit ang dugo sa iyo.

Nakakadisturb na ikaw mismo, handang pumalag kapag alam mong gagamitan ka ng power tripping niya at ang hatred niyo sa isa't isa eh nagiging "mutual" na.

Kung hindi lang dahil sa mga kasama ko sa trabaho... lalong lalo na kay Mami Athena at sa buong morning shift.

Kung hindi lang sa loyalty at pakisama ko sa boss ko.

Ang tagal ko nang nag-resign.

Nakakita ka nga ng pamilya na medyo nagiging malalim ang ties mo, sa pamilya namang iyon, merong black sheep na palaging sa iyo nakatutok ang mga mata.

Nga namang buhay ito.