That the syllogism is fallacious is just one. The other precept that is more problematic, and poses grave threat not just to farmers but to the whole human history, is that the science of profit should take legitimate control of almost the entire affairs of the world. The extent to which profit motive becomes the rule, rather than exception, in the pursuit of knowledge cannot be more pronounced. From farming to medicine to making tomato ketchup to selecting potatoes for french fries, both food producers and consumers have become by default cuddlers of the transnational corporations's indefatigable tinkering with nature. By establishing lordship over the life industry, scientists and transnational companies were able to forge an unchallenged global order that ushers to them none but monumental profits. This, done at the expense of environment, biodiversity, culture and people.

In relevance to the TRIPs renegotiation next year, all opponents of genetic engineering especially those who care for the plight of food-producing, developing countries like the Philippines, should be able to declare in full resolve the following calls:

NO to genetic engineering, NO to patents on all life forms (including products, derivatives and processes associated with genetic manipulation). And as corollaries, NO to the elitism of science and submission to commercial interests, NO to the manipulation of transnational corporations. Especially, END the imperialism on food!

Opposition to genetic engineering (and other agricultural biotechnology processes) and patenting of all life forms is particularly necessary in respect of the following concerns:

• It undermines local efforts of farmers in increasing farm productivity, disempowers and further marginalizes them specifically on food production and security, as the industry is fast claiming these domains;

• It perpetuates global oligopolistic control of transnational companies on food system, health, science and industry--undermining the peoples right to choose and the right to be informed of the risks associated with genetically manipulated products;

• It reduces political leverage of the farming sector in their fight for land ownership, protection of biodiversity, promotion of environmental security and agricultural sustainability;

• It limits access to otherwise locally-available, responsibly-shared products, knowledge, processes and both biological and genetic materials derived from such life forms as plants, animals and humans;

The issue of genetic engineering cannot discount the social and cultural costs shouldered by the basic sectors of most developing worlds, costs mostly unaccounted in the march toward the so-called scientific progress. The lure of ego worship coupled with fat pay makes many scientists and transnationals brothers in arms. When cloaked under the guise of addressing potential famine, their conspiracy becomes more deplorable. Scientists and TNCs are fast redefining the essence of being--what to aspire for, how and why. They are also redefining a standard of living--like what to eat, wear, how to live, think, die, etc., the list goes on. They are capable too of overhauling the general framework of knowledge, what it entails, how it should be generated, from where.

Scientists, along with the TNCs, often thought they were gods. And that gods should interfere with world affairs: from determining the right size of tomato (for making ketchup), to the ideal amount of milk that a hapless cow should produce in one day as a standard of industrial efficiency. They are not the gods that most of us know.

Indeed science can create its own facts and produce its own proofs for a brainwashing truth, but it is not what humanity deserves. Genetic engineering whether it is science or not (but it is brainwashing truth), is not what humanity deserves. Humanity deserves the wisdom (and not just knowledge) that co-exists with the natural laws of the cosmos, the progress that sits well with the people, the science that charts human history not destruction.