A COUPLE of weeks ago I was with some batch mates sharing a variety of stories over a few bottles of beer when, after the staple reminiscing of beautiful, hilarious and undying memories of the not-so-distant past, our discussion shifted to the current crop of lawmakers in the Senate. While we were not surprised by how one senator fumbled in his now infamous “I move, I move” gaffe, we were all floored to note that most people did not find the incident disconcerting at all. In fact, some people considered that “performance” a breath of fresh air in an otherwise boring session on the august Senate floor.
Really? When did it become part of our esteemed lawmakers’ job description to provide entertainment or comic relief during a parliamentary proceeding? While I do not mind a lawmaker whose unquestionable intelligence, proven track record and sterling performance is complemented by a sense of humor, I just find it really unacceptable for a lawmaker or anyone for that matter to camouflage his or her incompetence, ignorance and unpreparedness with his or her brand of humor and funny antics. The late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has that deadly combination of intelligence and wit; but not even once did she insult or waste Filipino taxpayers’ money by coming up with her pick-up lines to spice up an important proceeding.
The previous national elections have resulted to a highly polarized Philippine society. With false narratives and fake news being a staple ingredient in our daily lives, we have classified one another as either red or yellow, or categorized each other either as pro- or anti-government. As a result, we find it difficult to discern the real issue at hand. Worse, we no longer find it necessary and refuse to know the real problem.
Take the case of Philippine cinema’s bad boy turned number one senator. Whenever he is called out for his inability to understand, embrace and perform his role as a lawmaker, his supporters come to his defense very quickly, coming up with a variety of excuses to launch counter-attack against his critics but without taking a firm stand or saying a thing about the issue.
One time I was expressing both my amazement and disappointment to some colleagues how a has-been action star could have topped the senatorial elections while at the same a brilliant human rights lawyer did not even make it to the top 12. To my disbelief, one teacher, an Araling Panlipunan teacher at that, quipped, “Dyang eya byasa, ing importante maganaka ya at para ya kareng masa.” While another joined in the conversation and added “Makasawa nala reng byasa at professional kasi eh. Aliwa pa naman.”
These remarks are from supposed professionals who have the background and capacity to read, analyze, and distinguish facts and data from fake news. But I took the side comments very calmly and decided to stop the discussion sensing the futility of it all.
Sadly, this is the current state we are in as a people. We have not clearly moved on from the highly polarized national elections that we cannot engage in a fruitful discussion. To date, people who point out the inefficiencies of the government are dismissed outright and are called sore losers. The same generic responses continue to permeate even after the elections. “Ika na ing byasa, ika na kasi ing maging presidente.”
The people behind fake news and historical revisionism that started as early as 2000 must be laughing their way to their respective bank accounts. They have been compensated well after deceiving the Filipinos and dividing them successfully so much so that engaging in a healthy dialogue to uncover the lies and flesh out the truth will be next to impossible.
The next time someone talks about the PhilHealth corruption allegations, the Department of Tourism’s P49-M fiasco, the Maharlika Investment Fund or any burning issue confronting our country, listen as a Filipino who wants nothing but the best for the country. Study the arguments, do your own research and do not be swayed by the so-called influencers. Learn how to cross the lines and boundaries that have divided and disconnected us over the years. Let us not allow fake news and false narratives to polarize us any further.
