02022002

One of my Tinig.com friends, walangdila, today wrote in his PinoyExchange wireless journal: “ei nice date 2day.. 02022002 never will it happen again in my lifetime.. gotta do something special…” I could only wonder what interesting thing did he do as I remain on duty here at the office. (Well, if you could consider going to work on a holiday as something special, then I did as walangdila did. However, staying on duty on supposedly special days is an ordinary thing for me.

Another thing that could make this day special, on the other hand, is that it is the anniversary of the establishment of the first labor union in the country. Formed in 1902, Union Obrera Democratica was instrumental in fighting the American colonizers.

One hundred years later, the colonizers are here again, but just for military exercise and training, the government maintains. As we hear US President Bush say “If they do not act, America will,” the Defense Secretary says the Philippines will not allow the US to impose what it wants on us. Uh, well, as if President Arroyo didn’t look like a movie fan when he met with Bush earlier.

Prof. Luis Teodoro in his column in Today said: “For those who argue that the world has changed, and that what used to be referred to as US imperialism has passed from the stage of history, are correct but are at the same time also mistaken.”

He said Bush’s stern warning “in fact presumes that the US has the right to do anything it wants, when and wherever it wants.”

Meanwhile, while Philippine government officials insist that the US troops will leave after six months, an American military official recently said that the length of their troop’s stay here will be decided upon evaluation after six months. Now, tell me, who’s the boss?

I could only agree with my professor when he wrote “Listen to Bush again. In his words is the same drum roll of empire to which US troops marched into Manila (a hundred years ago).”

At any rate, it is still a nice day. I’m going home now.