Illustration by Reil Scott Matthew Solis.

We, the Sovereign

Kyla Dessirei Dequito

September 15, 2025

“We, the sovereign Filipino people”

A preamble that seems to only exist in name,

So that those with serpent skins of greed

Have you be used for their own personal gain.

Can’t you hear the cries of your people?

The grief of mothers clutching bloodied coffins,

The pleas of a nation held hostage,

When citizens were drowned beneath brutal gunpoint

All for justice that silenced the people and crowned the dictator.

The final nail echoes in our hollow coffins,

Yet from the grave, we rise renewed.

Comrades gather, chains rattle like war drums,

Rallying cries ignite into angry infernos,

Until the people wake as unyielding phoenixes.

Change doesn’t happen with our eyes closed,

It starts with raised voices and chains set ablaze.

Let our numbers flood the streets,

Show the people’s power now unbound!

“We, the sovereign Filipino people”

Words inked in the blood of the avenged,

A vow of a fire that will never be extinguished.

You might want to read…

Buhay sa Gatilyo ng Langis

Buhay sa Gatilyo ng Langis

"Puro estudyante pa ang sakay! Maawa naman kayo sa amin—regular na ang ibayad niyo!” Nabasag ang ugong ng makina ng jeep sa sigaw na ito ng tsuper. Bilang isang pasaherong anim na beses sumasakay ng jeep araw-araw para makapasok at makauwi mula sa aking internship,...