The worst social cancer is currently plaguing the whole nation. The people are losing trust and confidence in the government and institutions. And the people are impervious to what matters most at these critical times. If unabated, this could be the beginning of the nation’s end.
Many people don’t take government institutions seriously anymore. There’s no more genuine respect for authority because people see government officials as oppressors and exploiters. Taxpayers are no longer motivated to pay properly and on time because they’re convinced taxes are being stolen by the officials.
Gone are the days when members of Congress were truly honorable, men and women we can be truly proud of, who served the nation well and never stole a peso from the public coffers. Our senators today are “tinimbang, ngunit kulang”. And our congressmen are “tinimbang ngunit sobra”.
People today don’t respect legislators anymore. We cannot blame them for losing their trust and confidence in Congress because the men and women in the august halls of both the Senate and the House don’t inspire respect anymore.
Gone are the days when our women solons were exemplars of brilliance and integrity, in the likes of Geronima Pecson (the first female senator who was an educator), Tecla San Andres Ziga (the first woman Bar topnotcher), Pacita Madrigal Warns, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Helena Benitez, Magnolia Antonino, Letecia Ramos Shahani, Santanina Rasul, Nikki Coseteng, Loren Legarda, and the greatest of them all, Miriam Defensor Santiago. Today, we have family dynasties in the Senate, siblings coming from the same families monopolizing powers and protecting their family business empires.
During the golden era of Claro M. Recto and Lorenzo Tañada, you could not become a senator if you were not a highly-competent lawyer, a Bar topnotcher, or a famous Law dean, professor, or author of law books because you are supposed to make laws. Today, you can be a senator even if you were convicted and imprisoned for serious crimes and even incarcerated, having been accused of plunder and other high crimes. You can be a senator today even if you were only a high school student as long as you are an actor or you represent a well-entrenched family dynasty with a lot of campaign funds contributed allegedly by your favorite public work contractors.
The standards for electing public officials have gone down to the level of the dogs (with apologies to the dogs), and members of Congress are being insulted, defamed, and ridiculed in the social media as crocodiles (with due respect to the crocodiles). During my younger years, whenever a senator or congressman would enter a room, we all stood up and bowed our heads. Today, the effigies of senators and even presidents are burned and trapos are being seen as burdens to the people instead of being models for excellence and integrity. People don’t respect politicians anymore, and yet, on election day, they still vote for them in exchange for a few pesos and cans of cheap sardines.
The social cancer of the whole nation is reaching its terminal stage. Both those who govern and those who are governed are no longer imbued with a sense of nationalism and patriotism like the spirit that animated Rizal, Bonifacio, and Mabini. We have no more sense of dignity and pride like that sense which characterized Don Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Quezon. We don’t respect authorities anymore like the times of Carlos P. Romulo and Camilo Osias. We are a people with such malignant social cancer that the slightest touch would exacerbate the pains and anguish in our hearts and the woundedness of our souls.
The Philippines is a very sick nation with a people beset by a terminal cancer of distrust and a tumor of indifference. We no longer have respect, no more trust, and soon not even a feeling of shame. Ours is a nation that has lost our soul. Only a surgical operation, through another peaceful revolution may have the opportunity to save us all from total perdition. If the people don’t seize the day, I am afraid that the retired generals may take the law into their own hands. It is better that the people should opt for a bloodless transition.
And may that happen very soon, of course, within the framework of law and order, upholding bloodlessly and peacefully the sovereignty of the people over the government. That will be the day.