Most Corrupt!

"Father, kababaing tayo!"

The old man told me how shameful we have become as a nation. He was reffering to the news that came out last week.

Data collected from interviews with over 1,476 business men who are operative throughout the Asian continent showed that the Philippines ranks first place among nations with the highest level of corruption. Close runners up China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

"How did we end up so?" He further asked.

"What have we done to our country?"

Questions that should be asked. Questions that should be answered.

Honestly. Truthfully. Painfully.

Truth hurts the un-true!

Our Parish BEC Coordinator told me, "Father, samay sakey ya kabiangan tayod BEC et agto la kuno. Mananap lay sananey a simbaan." He spoke almost in a whisper as he informed me that one of the members of the BEC was now looking for a new"church". She wanted out of the Church.

"Akin ey?" I asked. "Why?"

He explained, "Her son is running as a Councilman with the known Jueteng Lord of the town. She is hurting."

"Hurting?"

"She claimed that the church and even the priest (meaning 'me') is campaigning against the Jueteng Lord, and she does not want that. The chances of her son winning in the coming elections might diminish." He further told me.

I took a deep breath. We have been conducting Voters' Education as part of the Christian Formation Program of the parish since the end of January. I am personally going around and bringing the program of the parish "WALANG HIHINGI! WALANG TATANGGAP!" even to the farthest barrios.

"Father", our Coordinator said, "the truth really hurts. What we have been telling the people is the truth. Since she cannot accept the truth, and she has compromised her principles with one who is un-true, then she cannot but be hurt."

I nodded.

"She does not want to face the truth. Since she does not want to accept the challenge of the truth for her to remain true, the only way for her is run away from the truth," he continued.

How sad!

To vote or not to vote!

"Ag ak manboto!" She told the group, with her fingers waving in the air to emphasize that she would NOT vote during the coming elections.

"Ampano man-pasnok so sakey no agko iboto." This time she said this with a confused and hurt look . She would not want to hurt the feelings of any of the political candidates. Thus, she would not vote.

Probably, for her, it is important that the candidates who are close to her heart, would not feel bad if one of them would not receive her vote; and if ever one of them would lose (which with certainty, one will surely lose), then she could claim that she was not a part of the reason why that particular friend-candidate lost.

I guess she is voting (or not voting, for that matter) for the sake of the political candidates.

She is wrong!

She should vote! Not for the sake of the candidates, but FOR HER SAKE! For the good of her CHILDREN! For the sake of the COMMUNITY!