Confused

It is sad to hear about the present situation in my country. There seems to be an endless question about the legitimacy of the presidency, power struggle, coup d’etat, rallies, etc. At the end of the day, it is really the common Filipino who suffers from all these instabilities.

If we have pushed through with our planned Philippine trip, we would have arrived amidts these rallies. This is really nothing new to me as I was in Edsa in 1986 and likewise in 2001. My husband on the other hand was on his way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on his way back to London in 2001 during the supposedly People Power 2 movement. The flights were full and he was even offered a free roundtrip if he would give up his seat. He decided to leave.

When non Filipinos ask me nowadays what is happening to our country, I really have difficulty to explain. Once during a presentation in London, I was asked by a professor if the Philippines has established real democracy. At that time I didn’t have any definite answer, and until now, I am really not so sure anymore.