Who will guard the guardians themselves?

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s a new week and we are 35 days away to the Calbayog City Fiesta. So finally PGMA and Obama have met. I’ll reserve my comments about the visit (both favorable and acerbic) for my next column.

I thought I was not going to mention anything about the SONA aside from the fashion show that precedes it (oops, me and my mouth!). Last week I mentioned about the SONA being the bitchiest speech (thanks to the description by Rina Jimenez David); and yes that I looked at is as a you’ve-been-castigating-me-for-so-long-it’s-time-that-I-get-back-on-you kind of thing.

And it occurred to me, Tita Cory, Manong Eddie and Erap all delivered their SONAs and all of them received cheers and jeers, praise and flak. I guess all leaders had to live with one reality (a bitter one should I say?) that criticisms go hand in hand with the perks and the pomp and circumstance of power. And comments of all forms flooded in on the last SONA. That the speech was well-crafted all right, but form cannot hide the facts. Many expected to see or hear something like tita Cory’s “thank you and paalam”. Alas they were frustrated. And more speculations abound on the President extending her stay in power. And then a secretary came to the defense of his chief saying that the state of Arroyo is not the state of the nation. Well, Mr. Secretary, it’s not that I don’t like PGMA, it’s just that the President is not a private citizen, at least until her term ends next year.

So, has any Philippine President ever delivered a SONA with the real state of the nation? Let me answer that with a line from Cheche Lazaro: The state of the nation will always depend on who is telling the story.

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And today’s title? It stemmed from the recent spree of shooting incidents in Calbayog (details of victims and suspects I have featured in my column last Friday). As many Calbayognons must have known by now (at least those who still go to church on Sundays) that these incidents were the subject of the homilies of some priests. One castigated the PNP for doing nothing; another calling for the people to speak for the truth; another reminding us of the justice system and that we are bound by the rule of law and not of men; and another calling on the officials to put in place cameras and stuff to catch the criminals. Yup, many Sundays now.

The Pastoral Statement (I hope I’m using the correct term) has been read. The security cluster has met and put in place measures to help minimize crime. The regional PNP has sent it’s men to man checkpoints in the city. And yes, one gets to see police patrol the streets of Calbayog. I hope these actions will stay and not just for ningas cogon.

Needless to say, these measures were put in place after noise was made condemning the series of killings. Thanks to the guardians of our faith, the guardians of our morals, the guardians of our souls.

I hope I am correct in saying that it is not only in Calbayog where you hear or see people being killed by any means there is. And yes, notice that you don’t hear any report about killing through stabbing or hacking, yup thanks to the proliferation of loose firearms. Now that is another story. Yes, and it is not an exclusive problem of Calbayog.

Time and again have we proclaimed with pride that we are the only Catholic country in the Far East. The simplistic in me says that a Catholic believes in God. A person who believes in God, is God-fearing, ergo, he considers the gift of life the most precious gift there is. When the killings start, we questioned the police, we questioned the officials. It is correct as it is our right to do that. On the other hand, those actions - of killing - are not in line with the morals or the teaching given to us as children of God. For the sake of argument, let us put aside the police and the officials, because they are doing nothing, or they do tool little too late - as the usual accusations go.

Why is it that these killings are going on? Money? Morals? Or simply to tell the world that God is nowhere to be found so let us not be afraid of Him? A far cry from what I remember getting from my Sunday school that God is everywhere. God is watching us, so went a line from a song. In a way it sums up the lessons I got from my catechism class many summers ago. What happened to our morals? What happened to our basic belief or at least fear in God? What happened to our catechism telling us to respect life? So, to whom do we turn to in matters or actions aimed at instilling moral values, or at least the re-orientation of/on values, belief in God, care for precious life, fear of God? And yes, let’s include love for our fellowmen. I’ll try to ask the PNP and the city officials.

Many times in the recent past, news reports told us of the debate about population control. And along with the ballooning population is the rise in criminality. As to the former, some clergy members (not from Calbayog, let me assure you) were quoted in some national daily saying that they failed to catechize the faithful. As to the latter, can we say the same line? Making babies is certainly a safer choice - an enjoyable one at that - compared to killing people.

There is one thing that I remember most about Cory Aquino. Focus was given on values re-orientation early on her presidency. In my own simplistic mindset, I believe that one side of the issue boils down to the values we hold dear and that of the people in society and that of our own families.

Speak for the truth, fine. But you don’t speak, much less argue, with people who have no fear for God, do you?

In Thailand, when things go wrong, the King speaks, and all his subjects listen. At home, when things get shaky, the guardians speak, and (I think) the people (still) listen, especially if they do it at the pulpit, at the moment when we still have to receive our communion and the blessing that concludes the mass. Now, who speaks to the guardians when the world they are in get shaky? Who will guard the guardians themselves?

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Local news. The City Nutrition Council concluded the 2009 Nutrition Month celebration by offering various health and nutrition services at the Julio Cardinal Rosales Plaza.

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Late last month, the LGU thru the City Veterinary Services Office and the City Agriculture Office spearheaded the Characterization of Rural Enterprise Development (RED) Project Partners and Focus Group Discussion with Stakeholders.

The activity was held at the conference Hall of the Old Barracks Building. The RED project under the auspices of Department of Agriculture RFU 8, and of which Calbayog City is a part is aimed at providing business opportunities to rural farm households by transforming goat raising from a subsistence type of farm activity to viable goat-based rural enterprise.

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Wedding Bells. Congratulations and Best Wishes to John Nuñez (of Brgy. Trinidad) and Pong Dolera (of Sta. Margarita). They got married last Saturday. Fr. Jun Jungco, ofm presided over the wedding mass at the St. James the Great Parish Church in Sta. Margarita. Reception was held at the Cardinal Rosales Hall of the Centennial Pastoral Center.

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The CKC – Jose Gomez Orchestra will have a post-fiesta Concert in Calbayog City. This will be held on September 9, 2009 at the Frs. David and Leopold Auditorium in Christ the King College

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Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!