Pluma at Papel

Nailibing Na Si Tita Cory


nailibing na si tita cory sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala. dating presidente ng republika dating asendera ng hacienda luisita asawa ni ninoy na may monumento sa ayala dahil lumaban sa diktadura hanggang patayin ng mga pasista. nailibing na si tita cory sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala. ina diumano ng demokrasya tagapagtanggol ng hustisya ina rin […]

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

dating presidente ng republika
dating asendera ng hacienda luisita
asawa ni ninoy na may monumento sa ayala
dahil lumaban sa diktadura
hanggang patayin ng mga pasista.

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

ina diumano ng demokrasya
tagapagtanggol ng hustisya
ina rin ng artistang si cristeta
at amiga ng mga madyungera
sa mansiyon ng saya’t ligaya.

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

sa ospital noon pa man
umalingawngaw mga dasal
pumailanlang mga misa
tinutukan ng kamera
mayayaman at elitista
sa mga simbahan at kapilya
dumagundong kabi-kabilang nobena
ng mga banal at santo santita
“diyos naming mahabagin,
buhay ng aming tita’y pahabain.”

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

matapos bumaha ng mga bulaklak
sa katedral ng maynila
matapos ulanin ng papuri, ng paghanga’t pagdakila
ng kung sinu-sinong nalawitan niya ng grasya
sa mabulaklak niyang paglalakbay sa lupa
mga alaala’y madamdamin ngang sinariwa
at nangalaglag mga talulot ng luha
sumabog sa maamo’t mabangong mukha
ng mga babaing kutis porselana
at may tapalodong sutla rin yata
mulang puklo hanggang balakang
mulang dibdib hanggang baywang
may mga daliring hubog-kandila
na mahihiyang isawsaw sa suka
o ilamas sa maputik na lupa
“o, diyos na mahabagin
kaluluwa ng aming tita’y kalingain.”

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

di nga nahiyang sumilip sa kanyang bangkay
sa mamahaling kabaong sa katedral
maging doble-karang mga nilalang
na pawang mukhang banal
habang gumigiling ang kamera
sa mukha nila’t katawan
tumitig din at nakiramay
maging mga sagad-buto ang kawalanghiyaan
laban sa pambansang kapakanan
nakamaskarang nakidalamhati
sa pamilyang namatayan
“o, diyos na maawain
kaluluwa ng aming tita’y pagpalain.”

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

sa kahabaan ng lansangan
hanggang sa huling hantungan
inihatid siya ng tanaw
ng nagtiis sa ulanan at arawan
na masang sambayanan
silang noo’y dumagsa sa edsa
para suportahan ang mga bida
silang iniwan ang mga labada
silang tumakas sa pabrika
silang hindi pumasada
silang mangingisda’t magsasaka
silang estudyante’t intelektuwal
na nakialam sa lipuna’t pulitika
silang alipin ng burukrasya
na pawang nagsakripisyo sa edsa
wakasan lamang ang diktadura.

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

hanggang ngayo’y sinusuob siya
ng insenso at kamanyang
ng papuri at paghanga’t pagdakila
siyang mahinhin at relihiyosa
na laging lumulunok noon ng ostiya
siyang matulungin at mapagkumbaba
siyang mapagpatawad at mapagkalinga
siyang batbat ng kabanalan bawat salita
sabi tuloy ng mga hunyango
pambansang bayani siya
sabi ng mga ipokrito’t ipokrita
karapatdapat na santa siya
pero sabi ng makatang sumulat ng “gera”
paano mga magsasakang minasaker sa mendiola?
paano mga napatay sa hacienda luisita?
paano rin mga magsasaka
sa hacienda san antonio sa isabela?
paano mga isneg sa dumalneg?
paano mga taga-lupao sa nueva ecija?
paano mga katutubo sa marag at paco valley?
paano rin ang ora pro nobis ni lino brocka?
paano, higit sa lahat
ang bilyun-bilyong dolyar na pambansang utang
na maaari sanang di na bayaran
nang itatag niya rebolusyonaryong pamahalaan?
“o, diyos na mahabagin
kaluluwa ng aming tita’y patawarin.”

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

mula noon hanggang ngayon
sa kabila ng ibinandilang diwa ng edsa
nakatunganga’t dayukdok ang masa
nilulunod sa ilusyon ng pag-asa
ng iilang hari-harian sa ekonomiya’t pulitika
tuloy ang laban.. tuloy ang laban…
sigaw maging ng mapagkunwaring mga elitista
at tagapagtaguyod ng burges na demokrasya
tuloy ang laban hanggang makalaya ang masa
sa kabusabusan at inhustisya
tuloy ang laban hanggang mapairal
lantay na hustisya sosyal
tuloy ang laban hanggang maghari
lipunang makatao, makabayan
maunlad, progresibo at tunay na demokratiko.

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

“o, diyos na mahabagin
kami naman ang iyong pagpalain…”
sa bawat madulang eksena
kaming masa’y laging mga ekstra
walang mukha ni pangalan
mga anino sa karimlan
at basura ng mga bida
pagkatapos ng pelikula
sila ang laging pinagpapala
kaming masa ang laging kaawaawa
“o, diyos ni abraham
talaga bang mapapalad ang maralita
at kukumutan sila ng grasya’t kaluwalhatian
sa paraiso mo sa kalangitan?
at di bale nang magpasasa sa lupa
mayayaman mong nilikha
kahit pawis at dugo at laman
ng masang sambayanan
kanilang pinagpipistahan
sa mesa ng grasya’t kapangyarihan?”

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.

tuloy pa rin ang laban… tuloy…
dahil kaming masang sambayanan
araw-araw na dinarahas
inililibing sa inhustisya’t kaalipinan
sa gutom at karalitaan
sa dusa’t kapighatian
habang magarbong nagsasayaw
mga diyus-diyosan sa lipunan
at masigabong kumakalembang
kampana ng bawat simbahan!

nailibing na si tita cory
sa sementeryo ng mga pinagpala.


 

Tita Cory Has Already Been Entombed

(in memoriam of tita cory and edsa 1)

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

former president of the republic
former landowner of hacienda luisita
wife of ninoy with his monument in ayala
because he fought the dictatorship
and was murdered later by the fascist state.

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

alleged mother of democracy
acclaimed defender of justice
mother also of the chattering cristeta
and amiga of mahjong maniacs
in the arlegui mansion
of merriment and joy.

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

in the hospital then
masses were daily held
in various chapels and churches
while the camera focused on
the rich and the famous
the saintly double-faced mammals
recited their novenas
“please god the merciful
“prolong the life of our tita.”

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

after she was showered
with expensive imported flowers
inside the grand manila cathedral
after being rained with praises
and adulations by those
she had shared her blessings
during her rosy journey on earth
her memories were solemnly refreshed
and petals of tears fell
slowly dropped on the lovely faces
of ladies with very smooth skin
like rare porcelain
also with silk underwears
from the sexy waist
down to the sacred mound
from the bulging breasts
down to the tight belly
with candle-shaped fingers
forbidden to even dip in sauce
or to mash the wet-sticky soil
“oh, god the merciful
“please take care of our tita’s soul.”

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

shameful they were not
the hypocrites in government
to peep at her cadaver
and polished bronze coffin
all looking piously
amidst the glaring lights
of so many cameras
even the national welfare’s traitors
and notorious plunderers of public fund
remorseful they were not
to gaze at her serene saintly face
they even deceptively expressed
their masqueraded symphaties
to the grieving landlord family
“oh, god the merciful
“please bless our tita’s soul.”

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

along the long stretch of road
to her final resting place
she was sent off by the stares
of throngs of ordinary people
who didn’t mind the falling rain
or the sun’s irritating rays
they who massed then at edsa
to support their audacious leaders
against the dictatorial regime
they who abandoned their laundries
they who deserted their factories
they who did not drive their jeepneys
they the fishermen and farmers
they the students and intellectuals
who were so worried and concerned
about politics and society
they who were slaves of the bureaucracy
they who all offered everything at edsa
to end the despicable
reign of terror and fear.

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

up to now she’s being idolized
offered with incense and perfumes
showered with praises and admirations
she who was so religious
always taking then her communion
she who was so helpful and humble
she who was so forgiving and loving
she whose words were holiness full
that’s why the chameleons
keep on saying
she’s a national heroine
the stooges keep on drumbeating
she deserves to be a saint
but the poet who wrote “gera”
keeps on asking:
what about those farmers
massacred in mendiola?
what about those murdered
in hacienda luisita?
what about the peasants
in hacienda san antonio in isabela?
what about the isneg in dumalneg?
what about those in lupao in nueva ecija?
what about the natives of marag and paco valley?
what about the “ora pro nobis” of lino brocka?
what about above all else
the billions of dollars foreign debts
which could possibly be absconded
when she established then
a revolutionary government?
“oh, god the merciful
“please forgive our tita’s soul.”

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

from then on till now
despite the enshrined spirit of edsa
still suffering and wretched are the masses
bombarded with illusionary hopes
by a few demigods and mafia bosses
of patronage politics
and foreign-dominated economics
struggle we must… fight!
even the deceiving elitists
and defenders of bourgeois democracy
keep on shouting back
continue the struggle… fight!
till the emancipation of the masses
from bondage and injustice
continue the fight
till vigorously unshackled
from the manacles of servitude
till violently cut-off
from the tentacles of exploitation
so genuine social justice reigns
continue the struggle
so a nationalistic, progressive
and democratic society prevails.

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

“oh, god the merciful
“we are the ones you should
“help and bless now…”
in every dramatic scene
we, the masses, are the peons
faceless and nameless
and mere shadows in the dark
mere trash in the eyes of leading men
after every scripted film showing
blessed always are they
but, we, the masses are nothing
“oh, god of abraham
“is it really true
“blessed are the poor
“for they will inherit
“the kingdom of heaven?”
to hell are the rich on earth
who enjoy your abundant blessings
to hell are the plunderers and exploiters
gluttunously feasting on the blood
and flesh of the wretched masses.

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.

let the struggle go on… fight!
yes, fight, because we the miserable masses
are always being repressed and exploited
tortured and most of the time buried
in the desolate and cruel graveyard
of injustices and servitude
of hunger and grief
of sorrow and despair
while dancing joyfully
society’s demigods and rulers
and tolling raucously
the big bronze bells
of money-filled churches!

tita cory has already been entombed
in the cemetery of the blessed.