THE Big Story in Negros now is not the filing of the case against BIR’s Rodita Galanto or her lecture yesterday to all, including the provincial board that was holding the inquiry.

The biggest story is the restiveness of the planters, the small ones especially and the laborers because for the last two weeks there has not been any sugar-buying following Galanto’s repressive measures against sugar cooperatives.

Rallies may be held as laborers are not paid. This never happened before in the sugar industry. If President Arroyo comes on Oct. 1 she better brings in solutions to the problems as a gesture of returning the love for her of Negrenses.

Or they will spoil her day with rallies and demonstrations. Let those demonstration be one of gratitude and appreciation, Madame President.

* * *

Coalition of Landowners Association of the Philippines Spokesman Eddy Villanueva wrote me a letter but I wasn’t able to get it until yesterday.

He complained that the provincial office of DAR is proceeding with the land acquisition and distribution activities of CARP.

Villanueva said DAR continues to process claim folders of the landholdings for valuation by Land Bank. It is common knowledge, he added, that CARP or Rep. Act 6657 already expired June 10 this year.

And this is acknowledged by the President.

What to do? Landowners must take mass action. People in government understand better mass actions. And let Congress know it is being taken for granted.

* * *

Our problem is that many of our Congressmen do not care if they are taken for granted as long as they can make their questionable “insertions” in the budget. To make the dirty word more palatable in the Lower House they changed it to Congressional Initiative and also Congressional Augmentation.

If Congress should stand up, especially against unjust taxation, people will stand up and fight for them.

When I wrote about Revolutions, I got reaction from a friend who texted me that “Treating people with disdain is the biggest cause of revolutions.” Is our BIR not doing this also?

He cited Charles I in 1640 and Louis XVI in 1789 previously “treated their Parliaments disrespectfully needing them to raise taxes.” And BIR is showing disrespect to the planters?

Hence, he added, the English and French Revolutions.

* * *

On Oct. 24, 1775, George III, when opening the 1775-76 session is the House of Commons in London, was rude about Americans. By January 1776, this news crossed the Atlantic and the Americans began the War of Independence in earnest. He wanted Americans taxed without representation.

Filipinos revolted against Spain, registering a total of 36 revolts because of taxation.

It is not only in England and France. Most of the causes of the fall of dictators was their taking their legislature for granted.

Yes, these are true. Especially leaders who think they are the state. The French Revolution had its roots as early as Louis XIV when he told the Parliament in 1651 a popular phrase in French, “L’etat c’est moi!” This means “I am the state.”

The people were angry but they kept their peace.

Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI whose heads, two of them, rolled down the guillotine at Place le Concorde in Paris was quoted to have said, when informed that people had no more bread to eat, “Let them eat cake.” They felt it was a grave insult to a hungry people.

Nobody heard Marie Antoinette say this. She was just quoted by political writer Jean Jacques Rousseau in his book, “Les Confessions.”

* * *

I talked the other day with the multi-awardee, muli-talented movie director in the country Peque Gallaga.

Peque left the movie world in Manila and has been here teaching at La Salle and sharing his own talents in the stage and movies.

He told me, he is going staging a play in Ilonggo and he thought I might be interested as I have been promoting, too, the Ilonggo dialect as a beautiful one. It is our heritage. Let’s learn English but not neglect Ilonggo.

I want to see that play of Peque.

Our Rotary Club of Bacolod under our lady president Leilani Salem Alba, manager of ABS-CBN here, is promoting the arts too. Tuesday, the Family Week was celebrated at Robinson’s with Ilonggo “composos” or ballad, chorale contest, and poster making. It was the promotion of the arts. We the judges enjoyed and were impressed by the multi talents of our people.

The “composos” were in Ilonggo and the best songs in the chorale contest were in Ilonggo.

A foreigner friend who is fluent in Ilonggo told me one time, “Ka nami sang Ilonggo. Pero mas manamit ang Ilongga.” As I always say, I will not translate that to punish those who don’t bother to learn the local language.

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