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Thursday, November 17, 2005
Oledan: Closure
By Radzini Oledan
Slice Of Life
IT IS high time for the nation to collectively take responsibility on the direction of its political and economic situation. At the rate things are going on, we only have ourselves to blame with the cycle of inequity in the country.
By refusing to question things and to take a stand on matters, which affect us all, we allow the very few to dominate and shape things in our political landscape.
The citizens have every right to raise fury on the claim of Malacañang that the "Hello Garci" scandal was a closed book. The basics in democratic governance dictate that the power lies on the people and not on the political leaders and their machinery at Malacañang.
The public can opt to question the premise and contexts of politicians whose main agenda is to stay in power. The current political situation and position of leaders who are supposed to protect and represent the interest of the people should be questioned. There are no ifs and buts.
The attitude of "I cheated, so what?" or "I lied, so what?" is an alarming trend in the political and cultural scene. It is in fact, a form of bullying, which seeks to mold everyone to the stream of the dominant thought.
By forcing people to accept the version of truth where everything is alright, that poverty can be reduced if only the "lazy people" work hard enough to put food into their table and that our national leaders have unquestioned credibility to ask for unity, we are relegating the fact that thousands of ordinary workers are doing their best to make good in what they do and are most probably making their night into day just to make both ends meet.
Malacañang can rant as long as it wants. At least, it can be assured of high media mileage in everything it does. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) can ask President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resolve the lingering doubts about her legitimacy but it could be as much as asking the powerful Catholic Church to stop being a part of corruption by declining any donation from crooked politicians or PAGCOR for that matter. Or it could be a case of asking a thief to send himself to jail.
There will be no proper closure to the scandal unless our national leaders face head-on the accusations levied against them. Closure is also unlikely unless authorities stop coddling former Comelec head Virgilio Garcillano and let him answer the questions on the wiretapping.
There will be no closure until Malacañang explains his sudden disappearance. It can rest assured that the issue will just resurface.
Indeed, the Garci scandal can be used for theorizing and other academic activities. But more than confining the issue to academic discussion, such should be thoroughly discussed publicly. Enough of the recurring insult to the ordinary people they have had enough.
Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. said it best. Closing the issue now "without satisfactory explanation" is not closure at all but suppression.
There can be no closure on an injustice.
Peace can only be achieved when ordinary people are treated as equals, not as supplicants; as partners, not as subjects and as seekers of a just and peaceful solution, not as a defeated group grateful for whatever scraps thrown their way.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (November 17, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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