Thanks to Director Ellene Sana for this very enlightening post (Benjamin Pimentel of Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Now, we understand Etta Rosales and her stand, and her UNIVERSALITY of human rights.
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Kuwento Kuwento
The Sherrod Affair and Etta Rosales
By Benjamin Pimentel Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 10:07:00 07/25/2010
CALIFORNIA, United States—By now, Shirley Sherrod’s fascinating story
is well known.
CALIFORNIA, United States—By now, Shirley Sherrod’s fascinating story
is well known.
She’s the African American federal official in Georgia who was
vilified as a racist for a video clip in which she appeared to talk
about discriminating against a white farmer.
But she turned out to be the exact opposite of how she was portrayed.
For the full video of her speech showed her to be not just a
courageous and committed activist, but also someone with enough
humility to see the limitations of some of her beliefs—which helped
her become an even more compassionate advocate for those in need.
A teenager when her father was murdered by a white man, she vowed to
fight for the rights of African Americans. But as a community activist
years later, she found herself in an awkward situation: A poor white
farmer on the verge of losing his land wanted her help. At first, she
was reluctant to devote her time and energy for a white man.
But the 62-year-old veteran of the civil rights movement did. And, in
the process, that gave her a broader perspective of what her activism
should be about.
“Working with him made me see that it’s really about those who have
versus those who don’t, you know, and they could be black, they could
be white, they could be Hispanic,” Sherrod said.
“And it made me realize then that I needed to work to help poor
people, those who don’t have access the way others have.”
It was a beautiful, heart-warming story of commitment and compassion
that some tried to distort for cheap political gain.
And it quickly reminded me of the case of another woman who also has
been vilified publicly by those who sought to portray her as a person
without proper respect for human rights.
A recent political brouhaha in the Philippines involves P-Noy’s recent
appointment.
To hear some from his critics describe it, one would think Noynoy had
named Imelda Marcos to head the Commission on Human Rights.
That he had chosen to lead this important body with a crass,
insensitive, grossly unqualified, delusional, rabidly pro-military
politician, with zero sympathy for community advocates, who would
spend all her time waging a witch-hunt against social activists.
One blogger even proclaimed the appointment as P-Noy’s “single worst
act of political madness.” A columnist imagined "the torturers, hit-
teams and other human rights violators" in the military and police
being "mighty pleased to have Ms. Rosales chair the CHR."
Former Akbayan Representative Etta Rosales, who like Sherrod is a
woman who has devoted herself to a life of activism, but who also had
the courage to change her perspective when needed, would hardly
qualify as a disastrous choice.
But that didn’t stop a faction of the progressive movement from
painting a portrait of the 71-year-old veteran social activist and
respected legislator as Valentina, Darna’s evil nemesis, or the Pinoy
version of Madame Defarge.
Their opposition is based on the fact that Rosales was once aligned
with a more extreme faction of the left before embracing a more
independent path, to the point of publicly speaking out against the
bloody purges and extortion carried out by the underground movement.
Such views are not acceptable for this faction which has long espoused
one core belief: That only the military is capable of, and should be
accused of, committing human rights abuses, while the armed,
underground left cannot possibly be accused of such offenses. For when
guerrillas and cadres kill and extort, these acts must naturally be
for righteous reasons. Anyone who dares challenge that view must be in
cahoots with the worst fascists in the armed forces.
The irony in this controversy is this: Etta has spent virtually all
her life fighting for those who are weak and powerless.
And she paid a heavy price for her commitment.
After martial law was declared in 1972, Etta was arrested in the mass
sweep of activists and opponents of the regime. She was arrested again
a few years later.
The second time around she came to know first-hand the brutality of
the Marcos dictatorship.
Etta was subjected to water cure. Her torturers let electricity pass
through her nipples and toes. She was sexually assaulted.
After her release, she bravely told her family about what happened.
Her daughter Rina Rosales was around 12 years old then.
“It took me a few days to finally realize the pain she went through,”
she told me. “Mahinahon niyang kinuwento sa amin. Calmly shed told us
what happened…I remember she was not crying. She was not shouting.
Para lang siyang nagkukuwento ng ordinaryo. She was just telling us a
story.
“But what I can remember was her resolve not to be emotionally
affected too much. Para bang kahit ganun ang dinaanan niya, in spite
of what happened, she remained steadfast to the cause.”
In fact, by the mid 1980s, Etta was a major public figure in the fight
against the Marcos dictatorship. Eventually, she broke with the
national democratic left, but remained active in progressive politics.
What has astounded many is that Etta’s nomination is being opposed by
people with whom she marched in the streets in the struggle against
dictatorship—that she is being portrayed as someone who would
deliberately hunt down people who, like her, are committed to genuine
social change, while defending the likes of those who tortured and
humiliated her in prison.
If at all, it is perhaps the military that should be worried given
what some from their ranks did to her.
But Rina Rosales says her mother knows what her job would entail.
“Her attitude toward the military has always been one with optimism,”
she said.
Optimism that, while the armed forces has many problems, including the
presence of corrupt elements who may also be prone to violence and
torture, it’s possible to instill human rights within that
organization, especially among the younger officers and rank and file.
“If you’re asking me if she has become cynical, because of what she
went through, I can honestly say na hindi. She has not become
cynical.”
And she said her mother believes in a basic tenet of conflict
resolution: “To always keep an open mind, to suspend judgment, when
you’re dealing with opposing forces. But if there’s a clear violation
of human rights, e kahit sino ka pa, whoever you are, she will speak
out…Universality of human rights—that’s her motto.”
Copyright 2010 by Benjamin Pimentel
ellene a. sana
Center for Migrant Advocacy Philippines
72-C Matahimik Street, Teachers’ Village
Quezon City, Philippines
Email: cmaphils@pldtdsl.net; URL: www.pinoy-abroad.net
Telefax: +632 4330684; Telephone: +632 920 5003; Cellphone: +63 928 795 2222
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