It's sad to think that right after the victory of Manny Pacquiao, the next reason why our country hits the international news is because of the Maguindanao Massacre that lead to the death of 47 people and maybe counting. It's even sadder to think that the root of such abomination is because of politics, because of the greediness for power, because of the ultimate desire to win the election.
Why is it so hard to play it fair? Why is there a need for such ruthless means? Why is it so hard to give-up power---to accept defeat?
At first, I don't want to write something about this. After all, much had been said about this topic. And the story, the picture of all those innocent victims whose lives are wasted because of greed still makes me cringe, and that though I don't know any of them, they made me cry. I am grieving not much like a loss from an immediate family. I am grieving because this country's democracy is giving its people freedom indeed. The freedom to hurt his fellow countrymen. The freedom to kill.
But I feel responsible to write. To express my thoughts about this, to condemn such action, and though my voice may be small and may not be heard but as long as I'd get to tell even just one fellow Filipino maybe I could start a change---a ripple effect.
Who am I by the way? You might ask. Who am I to teach/preach nationalism? My portfolio doesn't include any political affiliations, neither am I an active participant of an NGO and most especially, I am not a leftist.
Yes, I am one of those who had been lurking for a long time. The minority who had been lurking for a long time. The minority who had been outside the fence looking in/listening to the bantering of the pro and the anti. But what's good is there in lurking?
In the end it will still boils down with me being a Filipino---an ordinary Filipino---and I feel that this is what our country needs---an ordinary Filipino to realize his/her worth. An ordinary Filipino to realize that there's something he/she can do aside from taking everything in to the streets. Millions of ordinary Filipinos realizing/living what REAL freedom means. An ideal society is never far from reality if such mentality will be applied in our daily ordinary lives.
It's hard to promote nationalism when the world views our country with violence. It's hard to answer the question Are you proud to be Pinoy when you know your countrymen is killing another Filipino for money and power. Manny Pacquiao, Charice Pempengco, Ariel Pineda, Lea Salonga, Rice Terraces and Palawan seems to be insufficient reasons to blaze that passion of patriotism. It's hard to be a patriot cause you know your enemy is a fellow Filipino. Unlike the heroes from our history books who fought for our freedom versus other nationalities, the fight right now is more difficult cause it's among us. But either way, the loser will still be the same: Our Country.
You might ask me then, what's my proposal as a resolution, as a mean to end all of these. To be honest, I still don't know. All I know is that this country is almost broken beyond repair. And all I know right now is that this is the most important thing: for us to recognize that there is something wrong. We had long known that there's something wrong with this nation. But we're always blinded or we always nonchalantly look into our country's situation.
Apathy---this is the last thing that we must feel towards our nation.
This is not the time to label one as Christians or Muslims. For in the eyes of the world, we're all Filipinos. Those who died from the massacre are just a small percentage of our countrymen who had wasted their lives for all the wrong reasons.
I am heart-broken.
My heart weeps for those who died. My heart yearns for justice. My heart prays for peace. My heart is still desperately loving this country.
Jesus, Allah, Buddha and Shiva...Please, make this country endure.
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