ILIGAN City ― I remember for a time then President Duterte toyed with the idea of a “revolutionary government.” His supporters were carrying signage of “revguv” and they converged at the city public plaza here. Not only were they coming from this city, but they came also from Lanao Norte and even from Lanao Sur. Their speeches also included the name of Du30 which was promoting what else, “revguv.” Were they some “hakot” crowd, funded by this government?

Naturally, I couldn’t “gets” it, as millennials would term it. What were they “revolutionizing” about? About Du30 himself? Thereby Du30 versus Du30? Laughable. Although that wasn’t any laughing matter.

The logic was that it was for the purpose of quelling the “destabilizers” in “his” government. Shades of the strategy of then Ferdinand Marcos? But the latter had a clear name for the next procedure ― Martial Law. Because his term in 1972 was expiring and per Constitution, he couldn't be in power anymore after one reelection.

But in time Du30 abandoned the “revguv” idea.

Per some hurried research which I made, persons plotting those “revguvs” were Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, and yes, in more recent history, Corazon Aquino. Although as I see it, she was just forced by circumstances, a reluctant leader, I should say. So, she had her “Freedom Constitution” which gave way to this now 1987 Constitution of ours. That is after the Marcoses were swept out of Malacanang in 1986 by this so-called bloodless revo called EDSA 1 otherwise also known as People Power.

Yet the reign of Pres. Cory was a coup-filled one. Propelled by that fateful February EDSA in 1986 And there were as many as eight to nine coups under her presidency. And one joke said that in one of those, she “hid under a bed.” Of course, when the coup plotters were dealt with under her yet struggling government, she showed the media that there was no space under her bed that she could creep under!

Now, one of those revolutionary movements, in 1990 was that of Col. Alexander Noble. Which I had talked about in passing in an earlier column. That, per count of some “tsismis” makers, no, historians. I mean, that was the 7th coup on Cory’s watch. Noble and several hundred of his men marched from Butuan City to Cagayan de Oro to promote their idea of an “independent” Mindanao, separating it from “imperial Manila.” There were no shots fired along the way as they tried to “conquer” the army here in Cagayan de Oro.

Of course, Noble et al were subdued and considered a “renegade” along with his men. It was later reported that he surrendered to then-Senator Nene Pimentel who lived here in Cagayan de Oro. So, that was the end of this trying-hard movement for a revolutionary government.

In the process though, there was another “revolutionary movement” in this part of Mindanao. A man by the name of Ernesto ‘Toto’ Chu started this “revolution.” Not in the government, but in the newspaper industry in this part of our world. Like I said earlier, there were two issues of that day when Noble and his men marched through Cagayan de Oro. And the actions were taken by that “renegade” batch as they tried to hurdle the moves to quench them.

A daily newspaper, making two issues in a day? When several weekly newspapers cannot even come out weekly? And some “weeklies” were even dubbed as “mushroomic.” This means, that they only come out when there’s rain pouring the night before, coupled with some thunder. Go, figure, this one out.

Now. 33 years after and counting, there’s still this Mindanao Gold Star Daily. Though still somewhat disturbed by some disturbances, one of which is this darn Covid. So, this is a successful revolution. After all, this is its 33rd year.

Again, Happy 33rd Anniversary, Mindanao Gold Star Daily.

Email: norasorino2@gmail.com