MALICE AND PERSECUTION
INTERVIEW WITH RENATO REDENTOR CONSTANTINO

The photo says it all I suppose. It's why involvement in our nation's affairs should be an imperative. It's what business as usual will mean until a different sort of gravity forces crappee and crapper to change places.

Oftentimes, the more a ruling party resorts to using coercive measures to wipe out dissent, the more rapid the dissolution of its legitimacy. But things never follow a linear course in increasingly paranormal Philippines. Too many have been cowed, too many are resigned, too many are indifferent. Too many have been murdered. The State is gambling on the powers of indifference, fear and resignation -- and the gamble seems to be paying off. For now.

The interview below is quite short, but perhaps it may be interesting to read. The photos I have posted show, of course, that RC was indeed at the EDSA uprising anniversary protests in February this year, the day of the supposed coup de tat, as was I, since, I was the one who took the shots in this post. We were two laughing folks proud to stand with the tens of thousands during that fateful commemorative activity on February 24, 2006, when an illegitimate leadership tried to ban people power on People Power Day through edicts, canons and bullets.

That was in February; the bullets and bullying threats have only increased since.

And still, flickering candles illumine the night. From the gutters and the streets, from homes and barracks and factories and hovels and fields. #


Son slams reports linking RC Constantino to coup
Meet with San Juan was on 'RP Blueprint'
By Nonoy Espina
INQ7.net
Last updated 02:48pm (Mla time) 07/23/2006

THE son of activist Renato "RC" Constantino has slammed news reports saying repentant mutineer Lieutenant Lawrence San Juan's had linked his father to an alleged coup plot in late February.

In a statement addressed to INQ7.net, Renato Redentor "Red" Constantino acknowledged that his father had met with San Juan and other young officers but said this was part of consultations conducted on a project called "A Blueprint for a Viable Philippines," which the elder Constantino engaged in with former University of the Philippine president Francisco "Dodong" Nemenzo and UP professor and Inquirer columnist Randy David.

San Juan was a member of the Magdalo group of military mutineers and, later, of the Makabayang Kawal Pilipino. He escaped from detention January this year and was recaptured a month later.
He recently renewed his allegiance to the government and renounced his ties to the mutineers, at the same time confirming government claims of a "left-right" conspiracy between rebel soldiers and communist rebels to topple the Arroyo government.

Red said he wanted to reply to the allegations against his father, who is "on vacation right now attending the wedding of the son of RC's best friend."

He said he had consulted his father, who gave him the go ahead to respond to the issue.

He added that his father was "contemplating filing a libel suit, but I will try to convince him to back off."

At the same time, in a phone interview, he said there remained an urgent need "for a citizens', a social, movement, to oust this illegitimate administration."

The younger Constantino referred to a July 21 Inquirer report by Dona Pazzibugan and Luige del Puerto, and posted on INQ7.net which said, in part: "The affidavit said among those San Juan plotted with aside from Honasan and Lim were detained Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin; a group of retired officers including Malajacan, Turingan, Colonel Rafael Galvez, Victor Batac and Mel Acosta; former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo and activist Renato Constantino Jr."

"This statement is preposterous," Red said.

"If it did not appear malicious, these news reports would be silly," he said. "The reports made it appear that RC was linked to the coup conspiracy frenzy through an open initiative he spearheaded with Dodong Nemenzo."

Red acknowledged that his father did meet with San Juan and other young officers but said this was either "in late 2004 or early 2005" but certainly "before August 2005," when the Blueprint was launched, and not, as "some news reports and commentaries have even maliciously dated or implied…in December 2005 obviously in an effort to link this with the February events, which is ridiculous."

He said that, aside from the officers, his father and his project partners also consulted involved hundreds of experts from government," including Cabinet members and undersecretaries of the Arroyo administration, "academe, business, labor and other sectors."

"Even experts from the field of sports were consulted," he added.

"If drawing up alternative visions for the country - openly and with the participation of scores, at that - can be made to appear like a sinister threat to the state, then unfortunately, we are truly in danger," the younger Constantino said.

"The crisis facing the country is grave," he said. "We cannot continue on a business-as-usual mode."

Copyright 2006 Inquirer, INQ7.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


MORE ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT PROJECT
THE BLUEPRINT PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
AMANDO DORONILA's REVIEW OF THE BLUEPRINT PROJECT
THE STORY AS PUBLISHED BY INQUIRER ONLINE
MORE PERSONALS
BACK TO RED's MAIN PAGE

All photos by the author, except for the great first pic above, which was sent sometime ago by good friend Alan.