What’s wrong with this country? Today, one can’t help but feel sick with all
the news about the Philippines. A quick glance at the newspaper immediately
triggers a throbbing pain in my head. Generally all the news on the
frontpage is negative. I have to take scholarly supplements because what is
served by the media is junk.

There are times I’d rather starve than eat adulterated and spiced up news
intended to belie the truth and instead titillate the senses of the masses.
Why do I even bother to look?

The government is in shambles. And I don’t need to read a newspaper to know
that. However, I am a creature of habit and as much as I don’t want to read
the newspaper to spare myself from the stress of this nations’ depressing
situation, my fathers influence remains strong. It was he who nurtured me to
read newspapers.

A cousin of mine had told me some time ago he was fed up with politics that
he had stopped minding at all. He does watch local television news from time
to time to exercise his thumb in shifting channels. He shifts TV channels so
fast I bet he’s gonna win if there was a contest on channel surfing. Such
was his disgust he ignored the news altogether preferring to read or watch
other things on TV. I’ve heard this sentiments expressed by others. Some of
them proclaiming with much disdain their utter distaste for politics. “I
know nothing about politics” some even say with pride. Never have I seen
ignorance admitted with such haughtiness.

What can I say? That’s the kind of indifference that allows tyranny to
thrive. The controversies swirling around us are interesting enough to catch
my attention. But everyone believes the bleakness of the political landscape
will eventually kill whatever chances we have for improving ourselves as a
people.

This country’s plight is sometimes so depressing that I begin to regret
living in this country. I know that statement is an insult to our ancestors
especially the proud Moros who fought with everything they had to maintain
our freedom. And coming from a race of great heroes, I should be slapped in
the mouth for saying something like that but with the condition this country
finds itself today.

Who wants to be Filipino? Don’t get me wrong, there was a time in my life
when I gave in to the nationalistic spirit and was proud of being Filipino.
It was one of the few moments this country won recognition abroad.

First is for having the fastest electoral process since other electoral
bodies abroad get to know the results of an election three hours after
polling booth close. Our very own comelec gets to know the results three
months before polling booths open.

Second is for having the most alert law enforcement. While other police
forces have a response time to crime of five to ten minutes. Our very own
PNP has zero seconds. When a crime happens they’re instantly there, not to
prevent or protect but to participate as criminals. How can you not be proud
of that?

Nevertheless, I lose that sense of pride whenever I hear on the news that we
are once again among the top 10 nations in terms of being the most corrupt,
the most dangerous to visit, having the highest number of illiterate and
hungry citizens. And I bet that given the chaotic political situation
obtaining in this country today. It might even be considered among the most
politically unstable countries in the world. These past events have become
another one of the motivating reasons for Filipinos to feel less patriotic.

How can I be patriotic to a country that doesn’t believe that access to food
is a universally recognized right? And that it’s the responsibility of the
state to ensure the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger
including the Muslims.

How can I be patriotic to a country that is only good at exporting its
people whose remittances are the only thing that is keeping its economy
afloat?

How can I be patriotic when someone borrows two presidents combined by
helloing Garci and assigning taxpayer’s money to the account of a certain
Jose Pidal instead of creating more classrooms for the Bangsamoro who has
the highest percentage of illiteracy in this country?

How can I be patriotic to an educational system that enforces ignorance to
its people most especially to the Muslims?

How can I be patriotic when this government taxes me to death so it can fund
its war against so called terrorist and bomb our mosques?

How can I be patriotic to a military that murders my innocent Muslim
brothers to answer to its call of greed.

How can I be patriotic to a congress that represents suppression of the
truth and brazen violation of human rights?

How can I be patriotic to the justice system when lying has become an
acceptable tool to get ahead? Saying “I am sorry” has become the standard
template to excuse murder. Don’t you think the law would be much more
effective if those who make the law and enforce the law are not suspected of
breaking the law?

How can I be patriotic when you have the national security adviser himself
hiring an American firm to U.S. congress to directly intervene in Philippine
affairs by funding an initiative to change the constitution?

How can I be patriotic to a country that has a citizenry that swallows all
the lies of the government and a supposedly intelligent and idealistic
studentry doing nothing in the face of serious crimes committed against
them?

How can I be patriotic when this nations church closes its eyes to pray and
discern as if a mountain of evidence were beyond its ken and vision. The
church professes to uphold the good and demands to be the shepherd of the
faithful. I think the sheep has no business following a shepherd that is
more lost than them.

Let me ask you. Why is it when bishops take jueteng money its called aid
while when government officials do so it’s called a bribe? Common sense
tells me if you want to help the poor, the logical thing to do is not accept
gambling money to give to the poor but to stop gambling which is making the
poor poorer.

This country claims to have enjoyed independence for more than a hundred
years now. Yet it seems like it is just starting from scratch. This nation
would always proudly wave its diplomatic and economic independence, yet it
remains a third world country.

China only reached out to other countries yet it is already emerging as an
economic power house. Vietnam which suffered greatly during its war against
America is now starting to improve economically.

Singapore is even more surprising, not because of the country’s advanced
technology but because such a geographically small country has reached great
lengths while a bigger country like the Philippines remains highly
underdeveloped.

We used to boast that we would become the next Asian tiger, but it seems to
me that it has been reduced to being a stray cat trying to imitate a roar. I
have little doubt that given the spark of outrage and the flame of
inspiration. the Bangsamoros will do everything by all means necessary to
right the humungous wrong done to them.

Our people can express their power in many ways, not least by refusing to be
real citizens of this wretched country. We are not powerless before someone
who insists on ruling us without our consent. We can always refuse to be
ruled. It’s time to take a stand and make a choice or live a lie within
ourselves as long as we live.

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 20-09-2007 13:34 - Guest
	who are u? i like ur write up. straight from the heart

	2. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 22-09-2007 23:18 - Guest
	Sunny Rasheed Lucman Pacasum is a freelance writer.

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