IT SEEMS not so long ago, when life was normal, and everyone was free to do what they chose to do. What a difference a virus and three weeks make. Today, everyone is confined to their homes, for fear of contracting the unknown. In a world that has long ago conquered the obstacles of landing a man on the moon, dealing with a tiny virus is something it has not managed to do, so far.
Malevolent and dangerous though this virus seems to be, it has somehow brought to light some positives, as difficult as it might be to believe given the overwhelming sense of insecurity that seems to be blanketing the entire world.
As industries, transport networks and businesses have closed down, it has brought a sudden drop in carbon emissions. Compared with this time last year, levels of pollution in New York have reduced by nearly 50 percent because of measures to contain the virus....in China, emissions fell 25 percent at the start of the year... satellite images show nitrogen dioxide emissions fading away over northern Italy...a similar story is playing out in Spain and the UK.” (Marthe Henriques, BBC Future, March 27, 2020).
We were aware, without a doubt, that one of our gravest existential problems as a specie is our inability to look after the environment for future generations. This crisis, if only for a brief moment in time, has shown us that it is not an impossible act.
We have also seen how, in recent days, young and promising leaders like Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto have risen to the occasion, leading relief efforts for their local government units despite the failings and inadequacies of the National Government.
But we have also seen the bad effects of this crisis, something we should not really have had to be bothered with.
In a perplexing and quite frankly nonsensical turn of events, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) summoned the young Pasig mayor, for supposedly violating quarantine laws, even when the supposed violations were committed before the law was enforced. Whether this was calculated to impress the powers-that-be, or just for lack of something else better to do, the move was roundly slapped down by other agencies of government like the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice. And just to prove that blood is thicker than water, even pro-administration Sen. Tito Sotto joined in the condemnation chorus.
And what about the really bad? In other words, the ugly side of things. Well, we did have a lot of that too.
In a bizarre and rather comical fashion – and one that can only be interpreted as a desperate and pathetic move to brownnose his way into the good graces of his masters – Manuelito Luna of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (Pacc) called on the NBI (the very same body that wanted to investigate the good mayor of Pasig for non-existent transgressions) to investigate Vice President Leni Robredo for “competing” with the Philippine government, in her efforts to raise funds for badly needed medical supplies to our heroic medical workers.
Something as stupid as this was only bound to be met with derision, and derision it was, even by the administration’s own officials. His very own Pacc disowned his statements, and he had to wiggle out of it like a dog with his tail between his legs, lamely asserting that it was “his own personal opinion as a taxpayer.”
And this last one, if true, has to take the cake.
“The image that was widely circulated showed a box labeled ‘400 pieces of surgical mask’ and addressed to a hospital in Bacoor City, Cavite. The label also showed the following words: ‘From Senator Bong Go thru Lucio Tan Group of Companies and PMFTC Inc.’”
In a move that has to be “epal” at its finest if it is proven true, a senator of the republic has allegedly affixed his name to donations from a private donor, even suggesting that the donation came “from” him, and was only “thru” (facilitated by) the donor. To be fair, the senator has denied that the labelling was his own doing, so we have to give his disclaimer the benefit of the doubt. Time will tell who is telling the truth in this case.
This pandemic too shall pass away, but hopefully the lessons learned will stay with us for a long time to come.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.