An open letter to all Pinoys out there

This open letter was forwarded to me and I think it's worthy to be read by everyone so I posted it here. In this time of political and economic turmoil Gemma (the person who wrote this) is a breath of fresh air. It's nice to know that not all people are complacent about this very critical issue surrounding our country these days. I would like everyone to please take time and read this letter and ponder on what we can do in our own little way to help save our country.

To all Filipinos Everywhere:

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the
Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me
this isn't true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug
addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and
poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was
always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked
away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time
thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country.
Can it get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these
characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too
unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these
"honorable" crooks lambast each other, call each one names, look
each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very
same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and
apalling that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It is
entertainment at its worst!

I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and
looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs,
strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire
fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like "Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and
worse, "President". Ironically, these lawless individuals
practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why
our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and
the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band of
moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich."

It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and
what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools
they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of
environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and
steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished
people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their
children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are
breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and
liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible
conscience. Heaven forbid!

I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job
that pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30%
of my earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my
lot, I have complained time and again because our government
could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and
deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social
services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have
always thought that was what all third world countries were all
about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.

And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents
pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen
who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De
Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has
ended, Enrile inquiring about someone's morality! The already
filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or
their great grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker
making a joke of his own "pag bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor
rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security
men providing anything but a sense of security. And it's all
about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few
remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work
in other countries?

And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry
president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle
on a rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new
meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her
husband's financial deals. And still blinded with all that is
happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts
in tow while her country is in shambles.

They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the
Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't
agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call
our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with
them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own
ineffectuality. It is not that I won't make a stand. It is just
that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all,
these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my
family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it.

But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I
need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not
remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my
children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos
who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to
know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in
every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in
decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas,
a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they
have abused their power and that it is time for them to step
down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the
only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure
I have done what I could for it.

Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it
needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon
the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families
every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass.
We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives and friends
here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our
petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation
in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be
more powerful than God!

I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way
you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of
the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them.
Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I
beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them
the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity
and compassion – right from the sandbox till they are old enough
to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in
school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining
examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible
adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and
honor.

I call on educators and teachers – we always underestimate the
power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill
in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of
perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us
mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our
graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift
this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk
us into. The youth is our future – and it would be largely
because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate
the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators,
congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful
citizens.

I ask all students, young people and young professionals
Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern
yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this
make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh
perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR
COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use
Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your
best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret
it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your
past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you
did.

Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running
this country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers
greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic
leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else.
I voted for Atty. Martin Bautista and his team and I sure hope
they will run again. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen
field. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer
techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are
called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a
record that can speak for itself.

For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the
many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and
ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we
can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let
crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe
our country even more.

Gemma S Dimaculangan/ PH_MAND/Unilab
02/18/2008 09:38 AM