Edwin
August 19, 2006

 

Ms. Ric, there is no way that the atrocities that you mentioned which were and are being committed in the “Peoples” Republic of China, Afghanistan, or the other places you mentioned compare with any of the liberties which were denied during martial law. People were not being executed and buried in mass graves. Please stop the rhetoric. Iran? Were the females in the Philippines made to wear a burka or prevented from practicing their chosen religion. Afghanistan? Were any females prevented from being educated because of their sex? Iraq? Please show me the rape rooms and torture chamber. Or the Mass graves. Please tell me how you, personally, were affected by the martial law. GET REAL! What do you really remember about the martial law other than what you read in the biased Manila newspapers?

At the time prior to martial law I was aware that something big was going to happen although many of my friends in Manila said that martial law could never happen. With the prevalent corruption which was taking place there could only be one solution. I was aware of the movement of high ranking officers in the army, navy and national police. When you have a large amount of promotions and transfers in the military combined with the aforementioned wide spread corruption, again, there can only be one conclusion.

During the “Peoples’ Revolution”, most of the opposition were those from the Manila (Tagalog speaking) area. When Cory Aquino was winning the votes there was no thought of a “Revolution”. It was not until after the votes started to come in from the provinces showing President Marcos pulling ahead did the “Peoples Revolution” begin. Then as the ‘Revolution” took place, Gen. Ramos changed side (political expediency?) History is repeating its self. The same thing is happening today. All sorts of hell are being raised in Manila by the losers while the rest of the country has been forgotten. Where there has been an over polarization and division within the political forces, you have the seeds of an eroding democracy. You cannot have a free and democratic society when the opponents are urged to go into the streets at the behest of those who are opposed to the present government. That is what ballot boxes are for. You cannot go on for years crying about being cheated. It does the country no good and prevents the necessary work of the government from being done. That is what is happening in the Philippines and also in the U.S. This does neither country any good.

 

Ms. Ric
August 19, 2006

So you want to discuss God and evil, Mr. Oriel. Like I said before, I’m not an expert on religion. I’ve also stated my views on religion and where I feel it should be. It’s in my church, my home, and most importantly it’s in my heart, my mind, and hopefully my soul. Like you, I am a Christian, and like you, I have a pastor who guides me and whom I can seek his assistance if ever I’m in need to discuss God or his teachings. So don’t take this the wrong way, but let’s discuss good and evil instead.

Good is when you can unselfishly help your neighbor without having to be reminded by anyone. Good is when you can keep a clear conscience without needing a book to show you how. Good is when you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you’ve made a difference without asking for anything back in return. Good is never about rewards or punishments.

About evil, I witness it almost everyday. I see it in a child’s sunken eyes and bony figure because his home was either a carton or a tarp perched under a bridge. I smell it from a mother’s ratty clothes and drunken breath because she thinks life is too tough and she’s given up. I hear it from my politicians when they promise the moon around March and October, but by year-end responsibility is somehow synonymous to a four-letter word. Yes, in my world, evil lurks, but I’ve also been fortunate enough to say that the goodness in most people makes it a palatable reality.

Be it my home state or my birthplace, the basic principle is the same. I guess I’m a bit more optimistic when I say that Philippines have progressed from the days when hear-no-evil-see-no-evil was a way of survival. To speak against the government now and the fungus that’s contributing to its decay maybe suicidal but someone will certainly know something about it, and you and I are definitely going to talk about it. Filipinos are openly exercising our freedom to ruffle our politician’s feathers without being accused of demonizing law-abiding citizens or idolizing criminals. Those who are intent on accusing us of these wrongdoings, I not only question their patriotism, but I question their agenda as well.

LET’S look within ourselves and have the courage to ruffle our politician’s feathers to make them keep their promises, to challenge their self-fulfilling urges, but most of all to remind them that their ideology should only be for the people, of the people, and by the people. (Do I hear chorus of amen?)