At first, I saw nothing wrong with the planned inauguration in Bohol of a monument to honor the late President Carlos P. Garcia. In fact I am of the belief that it is but fitting that we honor one of Bohol’s greatest sons who was an ardent nationalist and a staunch defender of our nation’s patrimony.
Garcia during his presidency from 1957-1961 bannered the “Filipino First” policy which put to the fore the interest of Filipinos over that of foreign businesses and the local ruling elite. He also made sure that the tenure of US bases inside our shores are cut from 99 years to 25 years through the Bohlen-Serrano Agreement.
That was quite a feat for a Philippine President during those Post-War times given the left and right lopsided conditionalities imposed by the United States after World War II like the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951 and the Military Bases Act which guaranteed US military presence in the country despite their so called granting us “independence” in 1946; and of course, the Bell Trade Act of 1946 which effectively gave US citizens and corporations equal access to our natural resources.
But then I learned who was behind Bohol’s “Carlos P. Garcia Filipino Muna Monument” project. It was Bayani Fernando’s Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)!
The infamous Bayani Fernando tarpaulins
What the hell was Bayani Fernando doing, implementing projects and spending taxpayers money outside of his official mandate which is Metro Manila?! Clearly, this man is using MMDA funds to bankroll his dream of becoming President.
Somebody should stop this man, before a) we run out of funds to solve Manila and its environs’ perrenial problem of floods and garbage and b) someone elects him President and he pinkyfies the entire country!
