The devil’s own

E·N·Q·U·I·R·Y
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL

The devil’s own
Sunday, 02 01, 2004

Plato once said the greatest penalty for doing evil is to grow into the likeness of evil men. This is a converse restatement of the ethical concept based on the conscience, and philosophy, that man innately good; that humans have a deep sense of ethos, not only in their attitudes toward others bust also in the manner they govern themselves.

This ethical concept, however, is sadly wanting in the current administration, whose leadership has resorted to three sets of “-ions” in their pre-election activities to ensure that they stay in power beyond June 30, 2004, These are deception, conglomeration and demolition.

Deception is a common strategy among politicians. Lights and shadows, mirrors and smoke are applied to trick the people to believe that the leadership of President Arroyo represents competence, unity and popularity and strength. Government resources, media and private finance are used to carry this out through gigantic billboards, television and radio talk shows and print ads that shamelessly extol what she and her team had supposedly achieved over the past two and a half years. Simply drive by the whole length of Edsa and you get what I mean. Of course, all these are in the aid of election, but it shows the basic weakness of the deception: the painful truth is there for all to see.

When the curtains of the GMA’s theater of the absurd are raised, the show would unfold an economy undone by wrong economic assumptions and a heavy debt burden, both domestic and foreign. It would show the audience that a great majority of marginalized and deprived people continue to live a hand-to-mouth existence, unsure of where the next meal would come. It would reveal a deeply divided nation, exacerbated by the politics of hate and vengeance, instead of reconciliation and justice. It would expose a very dismal peace and order situation marked more by rampant disorder and a peace enjoyed only by the many dead.

The second strategy is a meld of schemes, perhaps rustic, founded on a quid pro quo basis. Makinabang ka? Makinabang din kami! Conglomeration. That is the concept employed by many of those converging at the Palace and in Perea, who want to squeeze and take advantage of all the perks and profits that could be obtained. The private interest is no longer distinguishable from the public. Public resources – money and the bureaucracy are there for the taking, without any regard for decency. “Mercenary” aptly describes this; and “corruption” as everybody knows it is. Drive by the most expensive boulevard in the entire universe, recall who took the money, and you know what I mean. Or, take a look at the rickety ambulances being doled out by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and you could fall ill by recalling the name of this or that political ward who concerned millions that would otherwise have been put to good use, or wince from the execrable truth that many of those who denounce corruption, a senator included, were themselves elected with the use of PCSO money. And who is going to benefit from the scheme that will make at least five-million Filipinos members of PhilHealth by May 1, 2004, and definitely not after May 10, dues already fully paid for? Who will benefit from this? Who will distribute the membership cards? Who will print them? Whose money will be used to fraud the membership dues?

The last “-ion” of the three strategies is the most alarming and demonic. The demolition strategy employs all conceived and still to be conceived evil, the goal of which is to ensure the loss of face is not total destruction of the perceived foe, whether he is Fernando Poe Jr. or somebody else. The mountain of clearly criminal disqualification charges filed against FPJ, which will probably outnumber the entire population of lawyers in Manila, is an example of this scheme. The charges totally disregard conscience, ethos and all norms of civility, just to fulfill a wicked desire. Yesterday, it was done by springing a live person, who will then proceed to denounce the object of the evil design. Today, demolition by computer, by fabricating documents that totally rewrite the foe’s genealogy.

Thanks to Remmel, Vicelyn and Emman, all Filipinos with a conscience, who exposed the details of the scheme to disqualify FPJ. Their coming out in the open, at great risk to their lives and jobs, speaks well of people able to resist corruption and averse to all forms of deception and dishonesty, willing to put into light a sinister plot to mock democracy.

Plato would most probably rise from his grave, and shake his head in pity of the ringleaders of deception, conglomeration and demolition. He could very well say of all of them, that they are the devil’s own.


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