IT TAKES a tough guy to implement something in this country. What was supposed to be an action in one of the cities in the country, the clearing and cleaning operations of the environment have become a nationwide thing. We thank those young leaders who had initiated this move.
The Philippine President borrowed the innovative ideas of these young leaders and threw the hat in the arena. He called on all the local chief executives to clear the sidewalks of informal settlers and vendors. But, he also reminded them to look for alternative incomes for the displaced. A stern warning came out that if they cannot pull out the structures, then they are the ones to be pulled out. So, the pyramid effect was thrown by many chieftains to their local chiefs. The burden now lies on the barangay chieftains to clear their areas of illegal structures.
This has been done in the past but the order was inconsistent. It was enforced in the early stages of one’s political regime and forgotten towards the end. I wish that this move now will be everlasting. I wish that the clearing and cleaning operations will be for good and not just for a show.
It seems that Bacolod is now becoming clearer and cleaner. One could see that there are voluntary demolitions of structures and there seems to have no strong opposition as to this. No shouts for violation of human rights and no shouts of disagreement. No rallies and mass protest against the move. If there are then it might be too silent. Congratulations.
As I was going along the pages of the dailies, it struck me that the protests are no longer done in developing and underdeveloped countries but it has now upgraded itself. Protests are now done in developed and super-developed nations. What does this mean? Are we now preparing for a bigger conflict?
Look at Hong Kong. The people are against any laws passed and imposed by Mainland China to them. Their local leaders cannot do anything but to just simply deploy anti-riot police to guard the nation’s interests. The protests have continued for weeks. If this does not end, the economy will fall and who wins? We do not know. Will this be the end of the once shopping paradise of well-off Filipinos?
Take the case of South Korea and Japan, these two have brewing tension as to trade and economy. The feeling is mutual that they are both doing something monkey businesses in their trade relations. South Korea is clamoring that Japan changes its import-export policies and hitting the goods coming from South Korea. Japan also says the same thing. Who is right between them? Who will be humble enough and accept the fault? If none, where is this leading to?
War and conflict will not lead us anywhere. It will just destroy us all. In the past, the table, the pen, and the paper are the arbiters of conflicts. Any paper signed by gentlemen will hold binding and true. Today, no matter how many papers are signed by “gentle giants”, it could be questioned by the dwarfs or if not the fairies. The Law is often tested and not followed. Law will only be a law once it is used to persecute or prosecute someone, lest it remains as antiquated pages in the compilations of legislations. No one understood well the meaning of impeachment until one Philippine President had to be tried of that process. He was the second president to be ousted. I hope the young people remember him.
So, when can we become once again gentlemen with honor? We need to clear and clean ourselves well. We need to solve conflicts as what real gentlemen do.
St. Ezekiel Moreno, pray for us.