In our family parties in America, there is a standing commandment, “Thou shalt not talk about politics or religion.” That's because most of us are highly opinionated and hate to lose an argument, regardless! Ha!ha!ha!
At a recent Republican presidential debate, the candidates were asked about a ‘what would Jesus do?” question. Most of the candidates felt uneasy with their replies, except for PC Gov.Mike Huckabee who said, “Jesus would be too smart to join politics!” Well said!
Religion and politics are the two most controversial issues we face today. Certain oxymoronic circumstances might be considered legal, but not necessarily moral. “It’s your word against mine,” is often used as the basis of many an evidence. But then the question of character is tested for authenticity. The moral fiber of american politics is important in keeping office...until one gets caught and then one's career is over.
A few months ago, New Jersey Governor McGreevy resigned after he declared himself gay. It was either that or face a billion lawsuit of harrasment from his paramour. Senator Larry Craig of Idaho recently resigned after he was booked on misdemeanor charges (like soliciting sex) in an airport restroom. The Clinton-Lewinsky case was such a huge scandal many years ago. Don’t they ever learn that men think with their balls? When it’s loaded, it just has to be relieved, otherwise, the balance between the brains and balls would be like a pendulum hitting one on the other.
On the other hand, some preachers, priests and religious leaders, are often caught with their ‘pants down’, to the dismay of their flock. However, forgiveness by the flock is often crucial. After all, didn’t the bible say to forgive seventy times seven? So hey! They still have 489 chances to go.
The 300 years rule by the Spaniards in the Philippines is significant in molding the moral fiber of the Filipinos. Its early colonization brought with them the culture and practice which easily assimilated into the system. Hearing about the good fortune in the East, many Spaniards traveled thousands of miles to seek their own fortunes at the expense of the island inhabitants. Moreover, because of its geographical location, the Philippines was considered an Alcatraz, where thieves, corrupt officials, murderers and other criminals from Spain were ostracized to serve their sentences in the Philippines.
The first mention of the Philippines to the U.S. was in 1786 when the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia was urging Spain to grant American trading privilege in Manila. Burdilla, the first american businessman to trade in the Philippines, kept a diary about his travels. In his observation he wrote,”There exists among them a want of moral discrimination. This is no country for an honest man.”
Spanish rule in the Philippines was heirarchical, discriminatory and corrupt.
Only Spaniards were allowed to govern and rule . Discriminatory in the sense that the inhabitants were called ’indios’. Spaniards born outside of the archipelago but had tainted indio blood were called peninsulares. Spaniards born in the Philippines were called insulares. Mestizos were considered a mixture of indio and Spanish or with any other race including the Chinese.
Most indios were prevented from learning anything except to be servile of the Spaniards. During the 18th century, the moneyed indios paved their way to gain education and status in a hispanic dominated culture. They were called the “Illustradores”. I would presume that the term "it's not what you know, but also who you know" became prevalent in this corrupted culture. The indios/illustradores paved their way to be recognized as equals by greasing the pockets of any Spaniard in command.
It was the Ilustradores who coined the term ‘Filipinos’. Among them was Jose Rizal, and my very own maternal great grandfather whose name is honored by a street in Cebu famous historically as D. Jakosalem
When many a Filipino could no longer stand the atrocities committed to them by the Spaniards, several underground movements flourished. Aguinaldo’s group was one of those that succeeded in creating loud noises against Spain. Eventually he was exiled to Hongkong after the Spaniards paid him P400,000.00 (a hefty amount) to keep his mouth shut. No wonder every politician has his price.
Sources say, Aguinaldo kept the principal intact while spending the interest on his troops and staff. He waited for the right time to buy arms and consequently plan the overthrow of the Spanish rule. Consequently he found an arms dealer in the U.S.,who swindled him of more than a hundred thousand dollars worth of arms and ammunition. But his luck didn’t turn out for the worst. When the Spanish war ended, the Americans bought the Philippines for 2 million dollars. (another money exchange for land which wasn’t theirs in the first place)
The moral fiber of the Filipinos were unraveled during the Japanese Occupation when they had to cheat and rob in order to survive. In 1947 an inquiry by the U.S. government was made regarding a $300 million worth of assets given to the Philippine government in terms of military surplus vehicles, machinery, garments and other items which were stolen. A senator during that time (Jose Avelino) amassed about 300 thousand dollars from selling the loot to Chinese fences. In other cases, crop loans worth millions of pesos went into the pockets of landowners and officials. The New York times who did investigation on this found “no tenants and no crops, and the money could not be recovered.”
So what else is new in the Philippines? With 300 years of ironic religion by Spain and 50 years of Hollywood by America, the Filipino people indeed live a messed up life of principles. A land inherited through blood and violence , then professing Christian love and sacrifice, cannot be legal to the people it once belonged to. But who are the original owners or where are their descendants? Lost in the graves along with Lapu-lapu.
But inspite of all these adversities happening, I am still hoping for a miracle. After all, we can only hope for the best and prepare for the worst. As a cebuano and having the blood of Lapu-lapu, a silent passion is burning within me, waiting, analyzing, strategizing for that moment when I can make a significance. Not necessarily in a huge magnanimous way, nor a political way, (God forbid,but I don't like politics), but in my own humble way. Where my only witness is my God that would say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
Just recently, a clown was given a ‘time-out’ by its peers and placed in a cage indefinitely. A midget was seen unlocking the door of the cage, freeing the smiling clown out of his cage. We can only assume that something was traded for the clown's release. This is a scenario quite obvious in a circus. Actually, this is Philippine politics 2007.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
by Edmund Burke (Irish Political Philosopher)
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