“My fault, my bad; I am the culprit”. A Latin prayer of confession in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church; an admission of guilt. No meaningful resolution, new year or not, without mea culpa.
A group of Boholano politicians were discussing about corruption in our province. The more knowledgeable and philosophical among them had this to say: “Just what is our role, what is our responsibility?Is it within our power?What are the things that we can act and not act upon and if ever there are things that need to be acted upon, what should be the basis whether this is already enough for us to act or not?These are the points that, among others, need to be considered. No question about that if we talk about corruption, everybody does not want corruption. Mao na’y giingon nga og maghisgot pud ta og corruption, forgive me to say it nga mao na’y giingon nga there is something wrong in the entire system as far as Philippine politics is concerned. If we talk about corruption, let us not be hypocrites. Ug di manghatag og inangayan, kinahanglan mohatag, what is that? So, actually, ogimong tan-awon, the problem really is not just “Ivan”, the problem is more than “Ivan”. We’re talking about the entire set-up here as far as our Philippine political set-up is concerned. Pero mao lagi na nga, if I may say my piece, kanus-a man gyud ni mausab ning mga butanga? Ngano man lagi sa ubang mga nasud, the First World countries, nganong di manka kadungog nga naa nang mga butanga nga og mag piniliay kinahanglan may inangayan? Nganong dinhi di man pwede? Well, again, it all goes back to the basic thing – socio-economic condition, tungod sa kalisud sa katawhan, mapugos. Kay kung naapa’y saktong kita ang atong mga katawhan, di ta ma-vulnerable. Why? Because kung unsa’y ihatag, they can just earn that easily. So, mao lagi na nga as far as putting a stop and instituting reforms, this is everybody’s aspiration and it would need the help of everybody. Ang ato lang nga let’s just be true to it nga wata’y hidden agenda along the way. Nga tinuoray gyud, nga kawsa nga gusto ta maghimo og reporma ning atong nasud. Mao na’y giingon nga di man ta santos aning tanan. Mao na’y giingon nga kitang tanan somehow, one way or the other, naata’y giingon nato nga mga kalapasan. So anyway, mao na’y giingon nga we recognize the initiative and their effort nga maka himo ta og mga kausaban pero in the process, atong panlimbasugan ug atong paningkamotan nga along the way, atong ipahiluna sa husto nga mga pamaagi ba nga maona’y giingon nga based on facts, based on clear information as to sources. Unya sama sa giingon sa atong mga kaubanan, mayo unta nga naa gyuy klarong mobarug para naa gayu’y kabasehan”.
In short, mea culpa is needed. Since politicians gave money to buy votes and voters accepted money to sell their votes, all are at fault and have to admit mistakes. If we allow this system to continue, there will be no genuine change. Corruption will continue.
Today’s most ferocious critics of President Duterte are the Filipino Communists. But it seemed obvious that they helped Duterte win in 2016. In fact, at the start of this administration, they were “rewarded” with four or five Cabinet positions. Now, Duterte and the Communists no longer love each other. The question is, have the Communists done their mea culpa?
We personally know only of at least two persons who admitted to us that they regretted having voted for Duterte. One is the sultry singer Bituin Escalante, and the other is a member of a popular Boholano mayor’s staff whose name we could not divulge without permission.
When Erap Estrada was ousted in 2001, many activists were at EDSA II. But when it turned out that GMA became very unpopular, at least 10 of her Cabinet members resigned. But did they do a mea culpa? That is doubtful. We know only of one political leader who was honest enough to admit that she made a mistake in helping to oust Estrada, Cory Aquino. She went to Erap and personally apologized. Very courageous and candid.
Someone called Inyong Alagad to say that he loves this particular national politician because he is against oligarchs. The sad fact is, it is fake news; and the caller does not know that he is a victim of fake news. In the first place, what is an oligarch? Does it not refer also to a Chinese businessman from Mindanao who went on a buying spree of many companies since the beginning of this administration? We don’t know.
That is the saddest thing that is happening to our country. Many, perhaps millions, will not be making a mea culpa. They will not admit their mistakes, their blind obedience, because they have not realized that they made a mistake in the first place. Or, too much pride to swallow?
Another example, there is this couple who used to fiercely attack Governor Yap in the 2019 elections. Now, they are already working for the governor. Did they do a mea culpa? Did they tell the public, or at least their friends, that they made a mistake in attacking Yap in the last elections? We wonder.
The bottomline is, we are all somehow at fault; and if we do not each do a mea culpa, there will be no meaningful change in 2021, not even in 2022. Here’s to an enlightening new year, everyone!