WHILE we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Consolation, September 4, a political squabble happened in the walls of the Senate. Arresting officers were there to get Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for his amnesty order was revoked by the President. It is the office of President who grants amnesty to those who were found guilty and ask for consideration to be given amnesty for the crime committed.
In simple logic, only those who have been found guilty and those who have applied for this privilege shall be granted one. It is alleged that Trillanes and companions were granted such without application and without a resolution of the case. In short, it was granted with the establishment of guilt and without them asking.
Today, most major newspapers in the country carry the banner in support of Trillanes and his companions. They gave free media mileage to the people behind the whole play. Now, the people, who are potential senatorial candidates for the 2019 elections are coming out and giving statements in support to the Oakwood mutineers. This is now the start of the whole political arena setting in the country. A good opposition senatorial candidate displayed all the documents from the court telling the whole nation that they have been dismissed by several courts. Other senatoriables are now also surfacing and giving their “questionable wisdom” regarding the issue.
Now, my comical mind tells me that this is just a part of the whole drama of the country. The producers of the play are now joyfully jumping up and down for they are the ones who would profit from all of these. Directors of the play are also enjoying for the actors are following every step they want them to do. The actors and actresses are paid by people’s money. We, the audience, are the end-consumers and we are the ones who will be losers in the whole game. We watch a play that has no relevance and no meaning at all.
Here is the meat of the matter. Whether Trillanes is telling the truth or Duterte knows what they are doing, it does not matter to us. We are now faced by economic crises brought about by the uncontrolled world market and the Train Law going haywire. The lack of food supply in our food chain is slowly entering the households. The failure in the promise of the President to end the drug trade in the country is very evident. The insults of China to our national sovereignty has never been addressed well. Still, many more pressing issues are slowly eating us up. Yet, we still have time to waste and discuss political issues that will never bring any food on our table or income to our families.
As Filipinos, we cannot get out of the political web. We cast fire on the decaying wood so that there is something to discuss. We like to play with words and ideas but we do not face the reality in our homes. We discuss others but we fail to discuss the real inflation we are experiencing.
This administration is so successful in smoke screening the realities around us. With the cooperation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her chihuahuas, they will be successful in distorting the realities. So, we have to be very careful about the issues we are going to waste our time with.