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Friday, November 18, 2005
Wenceslao: When our own kind betrays us
By Bong O. Wenceslao
SOME sectors’ reactions to the rape incident in Subic involving six American servicemen somewhat reveal the quality of Filipino nationhood. These show that the attitudes of our leaders and people have remained unchanged. In this sense, there is the great possibility nothing will come out of the noise that the case is generating.
I have been following the case with interest since reports filtered out in the media that six US Marines who took part in joint US-RP maneuvers last month raped a 22-year old Filipino woman. If I remember it correctly, this is the first rape incident since the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) was put in place during the Ramos administration.
What I find unfortunate is that nothing seems to have changed much with the manner with which we treat incidents involving our American “brothers.” Go back to the history of Philippine-American relations and you will realize that while time and the faces of the protagonists in the drama have changed, attitudes have remained constant.
Consider the Subic incident. What was apparent in the early stages was the attempt of Arroyo administration officials to downplay the crime in the mistaken notion that it might strain US-RP relations. Soon enough, some Pinoys acted more like spokespersons of the Americans even to the extent of putting down the victim herself.
From there everything became predictable. The driver of the van where the rape took place changed his testimony from one adverse to the suspects to one more favorable to their case---a sign that green bucks may have started flowing in. This has reduced the case to a guessing game: will the victim succumb to the pressure and back off?
Of course, majority of the Filipinos are demanding that justice be served to the victim and the criminals, whether they are soldiers and Americans or not, be made to pay for what they did. Then there is the hope that despite the long list of cases against American servicemen that didn’t go anywhere this one will finally end up being different.
But I do get pessimistic at times, especially when I see fellow Filipinos, most of them our supposed leaders, not only betray the cause of justice but their own kind as well.
E-MAIL. Reader Rowen V. Seno passed on to me an e-mail about a supposedly pornographic movie, “Corpus Christi” or the “Body of Christ.” The film reportedly portrays Jesus and his disciples as homosexuals.
“It is a revolting anti-religious joke,” the e-mail said. “But we can make a difference…Together we may be able to ban this movie from America.”
(khanwens@yahoo.com / 0927-2055064)
(November 18, 2005 issue)
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