Conrado de Quiros justifying "Independence" Day 'snub'

Conrado de Quiros is taking great pains to justify Noynoy Aquino's snub of the 12th June 2010 "Independence" Day commemoration. This guy's certainly doing his bit in expediting the transformation of the Second Aquino Administration into the certified Emo Government it seems destined to become...

Was Noynoy Aquino wrong to snub the Independence Day celebrations last Saturday?

Not at all.

At the very least, why attend a celebration whose purpose is not to celebrate the country’s freedom (or spirit thereof) for the last 112 years but its enslavement over the last nine?

Arroyo’s officials had been announcing it beforehand last week—the Independence Day celebrations would be a testament to her rule, a showcase of her accomplishments during her interminable term. It was obviously going to be a culmination of her (expensive) "legacy campaign," a campaign dedicated to showing how much this country owes her. Ferdinand Marcos of course had beaten her to quite literally building a monument to himself with a bust in Agoo; she would settle for the next best thing, which was mount an extravaganza for herself.

That's the trouble with a false holdiay such as the 12th of June 1898 "Independence" Day of the Philippines. Because it means nothing in a true and recognised historical sense, it readily becomes politicised by the small minds that inhabit the ocho-ocho politics that the Philippines is renowned for.

The real sense highlighted here is that Noynoy Aquino and his mouthpieces allow Arroyo to interpret things like this for them. Perhaps this is telling of the weakness of character of Aquino and his Yellow Mob -- they'd rather opt out of a public appearance with outgoing President Gloria Arroyo than risk feeling awkward or seen as subject to her. If Noynoy were truly a man of impressive stature and statesmanship, this is something he need not be worried about.