The fallen

SHE SAYS

Dinah S. Ventura

05/26/2008

In death, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran proved that he had lived as he preached.

He was on the roof of his house fixing a leak when he slipped and hit his head, a fatal accident. He was 75 years old, and until his death, had remained active both in mind and body.

In fact, prior to his accident, his wife revealed that Beltran was preparing for the congressman’s privilege speech at Congress on power rates and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp). His speech would no doubt have given voice to the hardships and suffering of the poor, whose backbreaking toil still yields nothing much for themselves.

Throughout most of his life, Beltran stood for the causes of the simple Filipino laborer. Unlike some leaders, who spout support for the toiling masses yet live like kings, Beltran lived simply and courageously, even when he probably had a chance to increase his wealth as a political figure.

As a congressman, his bank account apparently remained as lean as his chances for becoming a millionaire.

Beltran’s career included a leadership of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). From 2001-2003, he served in Congress as one of three Bayan Muna solons. After that, he served as chairman and representative for labor and the urban poor concerns of the Anakpawis party-list. He consistently upheld the needs of the working class, never wavering from his cause.

For many, and for so long, Ka Bel, as he was called by his comrades, was just one of those faceless bodies queuing with banners and all manner of demands in those strikes and demonstrations that have continued to be organized by groups such those he led, as life shows no signs of improving for the Filipino.

He came into the limelight under the Arroyo administration when he was arrested in Bulacan on the grounds of an old 1985 case for inciting to rebellion. This happened in February 2006, when President Arroyo declared a national state of emergency, which met with plenty of criticism here and in the international community. His arrest gained the sympathy and support of even those who did not agree with his ideology or the so-called “parliament of the streets” because it appeared to them that he had fallen victim to the iron hand of this highly unpopular administration.

During his life, Beltran fought for the working man as a working man himself. He struggled to give them the rights that could improve their lot. During his stint in Congress, he authored a number of House bills, including House Bill 3059 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB), that would supposedly replace the Carp, and House Bill 1722, which would add P125 to the salary of workers across the board.

He still had a lot of work to be done, and perhaps a long way to go before his dreams were met.

When he died, it wasn’t at a much better time then when he had lived. We are living at a time of great economic suffering and social unrest. The extreme conditions in the country have become all the more glaring with news of escalating violence and unrest, such as the recent robbery attempt of a provincial branch of a bank, where 10 persons were killed. Crime and violence are natural results of great social inequality, where it seems the poor are increasing and their conditions worsening, while the rich’s wealth are off-the-charts flabbergasting.

Yes, at the extreme opposite end of the scale, we recently discovered the vast wealth enjoyed by many of our politicians, with Senate President Manny Villar leading the pack as richest senator. Of course, the man was rich because of his business interests long before he became a politician, as are a number of political leaders we have now. That is not the issue, however, since the wealthy stand a greater chance of attaining and keeping political power, and vice versa.

The Arroyo family was also notably in the list, with its family members’ declared assets amounting to more than P90 million-plus each. Everyone, it was obvious, became several million pesos richer in the past year, even as millions of their countrymen were experiencing spiraling costs of living at the same insufficient wages.

And those in power wonder why millions of Filipinos are losing their confidence in the country, or why they are angry enough to mount rallies and demonstrations such as those led by the late Ka Bel.

Crispin Beltran may have fallen to his death, but it gained for him more respect than those who have really fallen in the eyes of millions of Filipinos across the globe.

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