THE FIGHT AGAINST SM IS A FIGHT FOR LIFE AND AGAINST AN OPPRESSOR

Friends who are in this fight to save the 182 trees,

We are in for A LONG FIGHT!
…
We have entered the second month of the battle since the petition was written (
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-the-cutting-uprooting-of-trees-at-sm-baguio.html) in January 8 and when we went to the streets. The battleground has changed. The monster we are at war with, Sauron (SM) and his henchmen are turning to be more than just orcs. Their tactics are becoming sinister and demonic.

Because the war is against greed and against destruction of life and everything we cherish and value, we will fight harder. Even as our faith is deep in God and our Christian leaders are backing us up, we must, by tradition, now bring in our spirit elders to ask them to let the spirit gods (anitos) help. A black pig must be butchered, it’s blood strewn at Luneta Hill, and our prayer-men and women’s chants and incantations be heard by the trees and around SM mall. We do a war dance or perhaps a “manerwap” to Mount Santo Tomas and call for Lumauig/Kabunian to interfere. A spell must be cast on this OUTSIDER, an uninvited guest that now wants to turn the homely abode of his host, his kingdom.

We have to fight with whatever weapons we have and can muster because our enemy is the richest and the most powerful in the country. We have shamed and humiliated SM for what it is, and for that, it will do everything to to let us lose and fail. It has the politicians in its pockets (from cabinet secretaries, senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, councilours and barangay leaders). It has the police on its side. And if these are not enough, it has P-noy on its side too.

As friend Mike Arvisu said, we are in for a long protracted war. SM will throw anything at us and believe me, even threats…and threats can be made good. I am at the receiving end now. Persons posing as police intelligence have even gone to digging up my public records…from schools I once attended to offices I worked at. A local television broadcaster quipped yesterday, “Sir, we were informed someone has threatened you with a gun?”

Politicians will not want to be dragged because they know during election time, SM’s pocket is deep. We wil fight SM in the court, in the streets and everywhere. We start educating our Baguio kababayans of the evils of corporations, of the need to love and care the environment for the future. We start selecting now leaders who care for the environment whom we will support in the next election. We go to the schools and teach children to follow our footsteps in tree planting and earth care.

We continue to be vigilant, carry out different protest activities by as so many groups and diverse approaches. We continue to stand as one because it is the only way we can win this fight. With God on our side, we will win this one. Thank you so much.