I hear the voices of children selling ‘pinaypay’ or fried banana and pancake outside, in the streets. There were two young siblings talking, Their conversation breaks my heart. One tells the other that they could not go home yet if all the pinaypays are not sold out as their Mama will be mad at them. Force majeure (superior force) and it is the children who are made to suffer so the family can still eat for just a day.
What have we become? If only I have money enough to give out food to many who are now hungry and miserable. On top of all these, I have been glued to the screen and could not avoid being flooded with angry netizens’ outcry over one stupid COVID-19 positive senator who infected frontliners in a hospital. As if we have had enough for a day of infectious stupidity!
From someone who would like to help especially the health care workers in the frontline of the fight against this COVID-19 disease but could not for practical reasons, it is difficult to be just watching in the sidelines. There are many of us mothers, women who do not have the means to do so (or who chose not to rock-the-boat in deference to our front-liners who are begging us not to go out) and could only pray for everyone out there who are risking their lives to serve the people and especially to save lives.
And so we have to be content and endure the pain of knowing we can do so little.
As a “helpless” granny, though, I abhor the way some so-called leaders of this God-forsaken land of ours are manipulating the pandemonium caused by this pandemic. I could see how both Houses are getting out of their way in giving in to the whims and caprices of the sick dictator and his cohorts without even considering the consequences of their actions on the Filipinos.
I could not understand how easily the mindless oligarch makes decisions supposedly for and “in behalf” of us citizens, but are actually doing it to serve their selfish interests.
How pathetic it seems that the majority of us the electorate was duped into “voting” (if at all) for these uncouth public officials supposedly to “serve” the peoples’ interests, but instead are making a mockery of “public service” and enriching themselves at our expense. Were they truly elected by the people, in the first place? I have since been wondering if these unscrupulous politicians have not manipulated the whole electoral process as they have control over government machineries and they could easily do whatever they want.
I pity us, the wretched populace of this otherwise beautiful land of my ancestors, who could not even defend ourselves from the caprices and whims of these monsters who have shown not even a minuscule of compassion for the poorest among their constituents. Thus, even when the poor in their areas of responsibility groan with hunger and difficulties, these public servants turn a blind eye and deaf ears to the cries for help in these critical times. Where are their conscience and sworn oath to pursue not their insatiable greed but the people’s welfare?
Or is the question really should be: are these people capable of being and feeling humane at all?
We may be damned because we are not vigilant enough, or that God must be telling us something in this biggest challenge yet. It doesn’t mean though that just because we follow directives from the ‘high and mighty’, our fundamental rights are waived. Because though we understand the urgency and the practical need to contain this pandemic by staying out of sight, we must continue to be vigilant and defend the God-given rights we have.
What are these? Foremost, the heads of State should primarily ensure that all its citizens are assured of the daily sustenance to decently and safely live in the confines of our homes. Meaning, we do not even have to line up in barangay centers for a quarantine pass which could be easily distributed through the purok leaders.
We are hearing the ordinary daily wage earners and their difficulty in meeting the basic need for food on the table. And endlessly, we pray for sobriety, because there is no guarantee that people will still listen to controlling agencies if the government persist of playing deaf and dumb. I don’t have the answer, but God knows. And people know their limits, too. (davaotoday.com)
