Moral reckoning needed during present turmoil

Retired fighter jet pilot Col. Hector Tarrazona writes: “Our nation needs a spiritual and moral revolution against political leaders and evil acts.

“Top sectors of our society need to take the challenge and responsibility: the religious, schools, families. Since the time of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., those institutions have failed to mold the young to be spiritually, morally upright.

“Religious leaders failed to shepherd erring members of society. Had they cautioned Ferdinand Sr. and Imelda Marcos against excessive spending and embezzlement of taxes long before the 1986 EDSA 1, Philippine history would have been different.

“Today I am waiting for religious leaders to march to Malacañang to tell PBBM, First Lady Liza and Rep. Sandro Marcos to stop stealing our taxes and borrowed money. After all, it is a sin to steal. The Filipino people would be cheering them on their way to Malacañang.”

On March 1, 1888 Filipino priests marched to Manila City Hall, where Spanish Governor-General Emilio Terrero held office. With them were lawyers Marcelo H. del Pilar and Doroteo Cortes, merchant Jose A. Ramos, some gobernadorcillos (mayors) and intellectuals.

The Filipino priests, accompanied by Spanish secular colleagues, aimed to hand over a manifesto to Terrero. They wanted to end the evil of frailocracy, that is, the control by Spanish religious orders of trade, imports, haciendas and parishes – to the stifling of the economy and society.

Terrero snubbed them. So did Manila Civil Governor Jose Centeno. That didn’t deter the moral revolutionaries. Inspired by the 1872 Cavite Mutiny and undeterred by the Gomburza martyrdom, they spread out across the archipelago and planted seeds of dissent. To some extent they enabled the 1892 Katipunan formation.

Colonel Tarrazona was with the 11-man steering committee of Reform the AFP Movement in 1985. He and other middle officers wanted to stop military corruption and political cronyism. As well, answerability for the 1983 Ninoy Aquino assassination.

Defying the Conjugal Dictatorship was perilous. More so if within the AFP. RAM leaders risked arrest, court marshal and dismissal. Still, on Feb. 15, 1985 RAM drafted a Preliminary Statement of Aspirations. A month later it concretized this into a nine-point Statement of Common Aspirations.

On Mar. 21, the unimaginable happened at the Philippine Military Academy graduation. PMA alumni from classes 1968 to 1984 broke from the long line at the parade ground to display a banner marked “Unity Through Reforms.” They wore T-shirts stating “We Belong.” Commander-in-chief Marcos Sr. seethed.

The disgruntled officers met with religious superiors. They plotted social-political change through conscientization. Priests, pastors, nuns, deacons brought the message of change to campuses.

When Marcos Sr.’s forces began arresting RAM officers in the wee hours of Feb. 22, 1986, Jaime Cardinal Sin called out the faithful to the stretch of EDSA between Camps Aguinaldo and Crame. Yet for RAM it seemed a futile stand. Marcos had sent tanks and artillery to quell the revolt.

On Feb. 23, Tarrazona telephoned Air Force Col. Antonio Sotelo to possibly defect. At sunrise on Feb. 24, five Huey attack helicopters, two S-76 gunships and a Sikorsky rescue chopper circled above Camp Crame. RAM forces below and people awakened on the pavement outside thought it was their end.

Unknown to most, the pilots sought permission to land. AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Fidel Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile strode to the parade ground to meet them. From the lead airship, Sotelo, commander of the 15th Strike Wing, hopped off and tossed a mandarin orange. Ramos caught it. Through the din of rotor engines, Sotelo’s message was clear: “We come in peace.”

At Malacañang the First Couple realized they had lost. The rebels had taken control of the air. Ferdinand Jr. was last televised in military fatigues toting an M16 automatic rifle. The next day they were on a plane to Guam, on to Hawaii.

Since Marcos Jr.’s election in May 2022, Tarrazona has emailed the President more than 400 times. Invariably his messages pleaded for Bongbong Marcos to turn to God for strength and wisdom to combat corruption, political dynastism and electoral fraud. None of Tarrazona’s emails received a reply.

A devout Methodist, Tarrazona hasn’t lost hope. At 83, he’s busy meeting fellow retired colonels and generals. He requests them to convince religious leaders to mobilize families, youths and communities for peaceful moral regeneration. More so now with the exposure of P1.7-trillion flood works plunder and amid fuel and food price crisis.

He organized Love Movement Philippines, composed of military retirees, religious leaders, professionals and businessmen. In emails to BBM and texts to fellows, Tarrazona always quotes Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.”

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