Pagluluksa at Pag-Asa
Philippine Consulate, Hong Kong
Fr. Roberto P. Reyes
November 8, 2007
There was neither noisy and prolonged applause nor a standing ovation directed to either camp. Just as Gloria did not receive the noisy din of appreciative supporters after she pardons her nemesis, likewise, Erap also left his Tanay mansion and returned to his Greenhills palace amid very little fanfare. Why should they be applauded? Instead, there was the morgue like silence of apathy greeting the shameless pardon of a guilty president by another who is no less guilty. Such acts of moral turpitude reveal more and more the icy morgues of moral relativism and compromise, where the deadly grip of mammon chokes the last surviving strands of principle and integrity. They say that the pardon is unconditional, with no strings attached. It was for unity and peace that Erap was pardoned. With this pardon, a string of revolting pardons is in offing. Pardon awaits Garci, Bedol with their former boss Abalos, Bolante and of course, their grateful mentors and benefactors in Malacanang. It is not that we wish to be un-forgiving, we just refuse to be treated as fools. Yes Erap is seventy and so are hundreds of convicts in Philippine jails. Yes Erap has served more than six years but instead of a regular jail enjoys his comfortable Mansion in Tanay. Yes Erap promises not to run for public office and so did his pardoner in Jose Rizal’s home town a few years ago.
She lies, he steals. He lies, she steals. Lying and stealing are both crimes and sins but obviously pardonable through an act of presidential prerogative. God does pardon but not without inviting us to learn from our sins and weaknesses first. What has Erap learned in his Tanay mansion? What has Gloria learned in Malacanang? I am afraid both have learned little and their behavior betrays an identical moral and spiritual bankruptcy.
But if our leaders refuse to learn and use power to bend the law and prostitute morality, then the people do not only have a right but a duty to denounce official hypocrisy and depravity. If some of us came out denouncing the brutality of General Than Shwe towards the freedom loving people and Buddhist monks of Burma, we should also express our anger and disgust at Erap’s pardon.
With Erap’s pardon, morality and decency are moribund. GMA and her spin doctors should be denounced and made to see their crime of the systematic and vigorous murder of morality. Shortly after Erap’s pardon, money went around in Malacanang. A former Mayor could not have described the situation better, “It is normal.”
Yes it is normal for the corrupted and corrupting to spread corruption. No, it is not normal for those who have been working for the thorough cleansing of the nation.
Today, in solidarity with the Black and White Movement, we present a “gift” to Gloria, “Regalo sa Pagkakanulo ng Pangulo.” We wrap the Philippine flag in white. We would have wrapped the Philippine flag in black if we were in the Philippines. But in Hong Kong and China, White and not Black is the symbol of death and mourning. Indeed, with Erap’s pardon, we mourn the deliberate, pre-meditated murder of morality and decency. But we put the Philippine Flag wrapped in the white of mourning in a box wrapped in green. For even as we mourn (white), we are not hopeless (green), we do not despair. Even as we mourn and denounce murder, we hope and continue the peaceful, parliamentary struggle for change.
We distribute white and green ribbons and invite all to wear these (white and green ribbons) to express both our deep sorrow and our unshakeable hope.
Gloria, Stop the Hypocrisy! Stop the Compromise! Stop the Corruption! Stop the Murder of Morality and Decency! Stop the Murder of Democracy! Resign!!!
There was neither noisy and prolonged applause nor a standing ovation directed to either camp. Just as Gloria did not receive the noisy din of appreciative supporters after she pardons her nemesis, likewise, Erap also left his Tanay mansion and returned to his Greenhills palace amid very little fanfare. Why should they be applauded? Instead, there was the morgue like silence of apathy greeting the shameless pardon of a guilty president by another who is no less guilty. Such acts of moral turpitude reveal more and more the icy morgues of moral relativism and compromise, where the deadly grip of mammon chokes the last surviving strands of principle and integrity. They say that the pardon is unconditional, with no strings attached. It was for unity and peace that Erap was pardoned. With this pardon, a string of revolting pardons is in offing. Pardon awaits Garci, Bedol with their former boss Abalos, Bolante and of course, their grateful mentors and benefactors in Malacanang. It is not that we wish to be un-forgiving, we just refuse to be treated as fools. Yes Erap is seventy and so are hundreds of convicts in Philippine jails. Yes Erap has served more than six years but instead of a regular jail enjoys his comfortable Mansion in Tanay. Yes Erap promises not to run for public office and so did his pardoner in Jose Rizal’s home town a few years ago.
She lies, he steals. He lies, she steals. Lying and stealing are both crimes and sins but obviously pardonable through an act of presidential prerogative. God does pardon but not without inviting us to learn from our sins and weaknesses first. What has Erap learned in his Tanay mansion? What has Gloria learned in Malacanang? I am afraid both have learned little and their behavior betrays an identical moral and spiritual bankruptcy.
But if our leaders refuse to learn and use power to bend the law and prostitute morality, then the people do not only have a right but a duty to denounce official hypocrisy and depravity. If some of us came out denouncing the brutality of General Than Shwe towards the freedom loving people and Buddhist monks of Burma, we should also express our anger and disgust at Erap’s pardon.
With Erap’s pardon, morality and decency are moribund. GMA and her spin doctors should be denounced and made to see their crime of the systematic and vigorous murder of morality. Shortly after Erap’s pardon, money went around in Malacanang. A former Mayor could not have described the situation better, “It is normal.”
Yes it is normal for the corrupted and corrupting to spread corruption. No, it is not normal for those who have been working for the thorough cleansing of the nation.
Today, in solidarity with the Black and White Movement, we present a “gift” to Gloria, “Regalo sa Pagkakanulo ng Pangulo.” We wrap the Philippine flag in white. We would have wrapped the Philippine flag in black if we were in the Philippines. But in Hong Kong and China, White and not Black is the symbol of death and mourning. Indeed, with Erap’s pardon, we mourn the deliberate, pre-meditated murder of morality and decency. But we put the Philippine Flag wrapped in the white of mourning in a box wrapped in green. For even as we mourn (white), we are not hopeless (green), we do not despair. Even as we mourn and denounce murder, we hope and continue the peaceful, parliamentary struggle for change.
We distribute white and green ribbons and invite all to wear these (white and green ribbons) to express both our deep sorrow and our unshakeable hope.
Gloria, Stop the Hypocrisy! Stop the Compromise! Stop the Corruption! Stop the Murder of Morality and Decency! Stop the Murder of Democracy! Resign!!!
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