By now, a lot of people would have blogged about the gruesome events in Maguindanao. My wife wrote a beatiful post in her blog a couple of days ago. I am now compelled to write up my own piece. Not just as a response, or an outcry about the events, but more for my son, who will eventually inherit this society and the past that goes with it.
With the act of brutality by a certain clan in power over a province in the SOuthern Philippines, this country has surpassed Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists. I don’t think everybody realizes this, but we have been compared to an active warzone in the middle east, where car bombs were almost a daily occurence a few years past. Collectively, this country has permitted the killings of journalists. Much worse – this recent act is very clearly done by people in power.
This act is a culmination of the hypocrisy and apathy. Hipocrisy by those people in power claiming that everything with our country is OK, and that there is no patronage politics governing this land, and that the rule of law always prevail. Apathy from the people who have been too calous because of the numerous lies perpetuated by this current government, weary of taking action only to be nipped by cleverly crafted conspiracies that undermine any move to bring justice to those even in high offices.
I join all Filipinos crying for justice for those ruthlessly murdered in the Maguindanao Masacre perpetuated by the Ampatuans, who are aparently ‘friends’ with none the less than GMA. This will be a test of how effective justice will be in a land where Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President of the Republic. This will be a test on the Department of Justice, if it is worthy to carry out its namesake and deliver to all those bloodied hands and, more importantly, bloodied minds who had the capability to conceive such a plan and thinking that they can get away with it. It is a test for all Filipinos to be ever vigilant and to not let up the pressure to those who are seeking justice and to those who are trying to uncover the truth.
So, with this low point in our country’s history, where are we all headed?
I believe that we have reached the bottom of the barrel. Similar to the last years of the Marcos Era, we as a people has had enough.
There is an awakening of the Filipino spirit. Early this year, even late last year, I have noticed the emergence of t-shirts bearing the 3-stars-and-the-sun. There is a resurgence of Filipino pride. But unlike the road leading to EDSA I, the road we are trekking bears all signs that we may have the chance to finally becone a nation – not a loose confederacy of bayans, barrios, or barrangays. A nation mature in thinking, with a renewed spirit, and one who has learned from the past. We do not need to go to the streets anymore. We will watch intently and ensure that the electoral process will proceed untainted (unlike the previous one).
Change. We have the opportunity to fulfill this in next years elections. Each voting individual will have the capacity to determine how the history books of our sons and daughters will view the events in Maguindanao and collectively of this presidency.
We need someone who is NOT tied to the current administration – for we do not know how many strings there are that bind his soul and ultiately, how he will decide on what to do in terms of digging out the truth of the era he will replace. And we do not need a VP who is from showbiz who could potentially be the next president in the event that something happens to the president, and who has NOT shown any leadership skills whatsoever (What the hell were they thinking? Are they that desperate?)
We need Pampanga NOT to vote the president into congress – for she will relentlessly pursue cha-cha for her personal gain.
We need a leader who can inspire, NOT someone who leads an immoral life of drinking and gambling.
We need someone whom we can trust, who has no record of any abuse of political power, who has never been accused of corruption.
Most of all, we need a president who is upright and God-fearing.
For someone who has watched the US primaries and the campaign season last year, the choice for Americans was whether they will choose someone who is a seasoned veteran – who touted leadership like a broadsword in battle, or someone who can inject fresh ideas and action into the very head of a country reeling from 2 unpopular wars and has suffered an economic meltdown that has dragged the whole worlds economies with it. They chose the latter.
I wonder who will we choose?
May God help us in this time of greatest need.
*Let’s wait until after May 2010 to answer the title of this post, shall we?
