I don't know where to start anymore. It's just so bad.
Apart from everything that has been happening in
the Philippines these past few weeks has been far from dull. I have chosen to
remain quiet about this in my blog for a very long time because it is not in my
interest to make such political comments. But because of today's events I just
have to speak out even if it's just my
blog.
I'm currently posting this at two
sites where my blogs are placed. Please leave comments and pass it around. I
encourage you to.
I was born in 1976. A
time when the Philippines was still under Martial Law under the dictatorship of
President Ferdinand Marcos. I was in third grade when his reign ended and
President Corazon Aquino took office after winning the February snap
elections.
It is 2005 today. I have
finished my college education. Voted twice in presidential elections and
regularly pay my taxes to the government. My entire education has been paid for
by the Filipino people and I have remained in the country to serve the nation
that put me to school and to serve the country that I was born into. I am lucky
enough to have travelled around the world. I could have just left this country
and serve some other nation with my God given skills but I did not. Or should I
say I have not. Today has given me a reason to not to serve this country
anymore.
I have been long disappointed
with Filipinos for a very long time now. Other than the fact they cannot follow
traffic rules, pay taxes, complain about every single thing that they themselves
did not pay taxes for and so on. I am ashamed to be part of a race and to be
part of a country that forgets history
easily.
For those of you who haven't
been watching TV or reading newspapers lately, the President of the Philippines
is being accused of cheating in last year's elections. Her family has been
accused of profiting from illegal gambling. And because of these accusations
some people are asking her to resign. Some people are blackmailing her to
resign. People have threatened her to resign. And today people have gathered in
the Makati Business District and demanding her to
resign.
In light of events today, this
is my opinion of the entire situation. The court of law is here to serve
justice. Justice is civilized society is done in the courts and not in the
streets. Even President Estrada was given more respect than this. He had his day
in court. Accusations are being made based on illegally wiretapped conversations
of not only the president, but various government officials as well.
Conversations that include the president's accusers as well. If they have
complaints about the president, take it to court. According to Philippine law,
illegally wiretapped conversations are inadmissible. If we allow every here-say
and rumor and take it at face value, no individual will be able to do any work
done. No president will last long enough to reach a hundred
days.
Take a look at the stage on who
are there. People of the opposition, movie actors, and children of dictators.
Surrounded by leftists and communists, masses of people (many who have been paid
to be there) and the world media. Are these the kind of people who we want to
lead a nation? It takes more than words to lead a stubborn nation. These are
people who are threatening the very constitution that holds this country
together. They are asking the President to resign with no clear plan on how to
solve the country's problems. None of these problems will go away with the mere
resignation of the president. These are problems that will merely pass on the
next poor fellow in line.
Those who
have not given back to the nation do not deserve to vote. They do not deserve to
have an opinion. They did not build this nation. This nation was built by men
and women who believed that we were worthy to be a country; who gave their lives
for the very freedom that we enjoy today. There are many who have done nothing
but take from the government. Not just corrupt officials, but also those who do
not pay taxes. They are not worthy of the benefits of
citizenship.
Those gathered in the
streets today are people who have easily forgotten the lessons of history. They
forget that Congresswoman Imee Marcos is the daugther of President Ferdinand
Marcos. They forget that Senator Jinggoy Estrada has criminal charges against
him and his father. They forget that Susan Roces is a movie actress.
President Aquino has asked the
President to resign as well. But I would like to ask her, why did she not resign
in the six years she was President of this republic? After many bloody coup
attempts, threats to her life, bombing the Presidential Palace, why did she not
step down?
Because the presidency cannot be
bought, threatened or intimidated. She should know herself the reason
why.
The issue here is, who wiretapped
the government? That is an issue that should be answered. It takes a lot of
money and skills and influence to be able to wiretap the government let alone
the president of the country. This is the very threat to our nation. And the
fact that Filipinos are willing to be blackmailed into the streets by a mere
taped conversation, this is threat to our liberty and our
freedom.
Before you go out shouting and
asking the president to resign, look around you and see where you are in this
nation. Are you a taker? Or a giver? I may stay another couple of years to see
if the Filipino is worthy of the freedom and liberties that we currently have. I
still have something to give this country and it's just not my tax
money.
Posted at 07:29 PM