On people & politics

I was watching the morning news on TV while getting ready for work. I could not help but get misty-eyed when I saw the people devoted to a former leader converge at the airport awaiting his return. And to top it off, to hear that the first thing this former leader will do when he arrives is to hug his wife and children. It’s very touching, a very moving human story. This person is still a human being, a person with a heart. But that is just looking at one side, I guess, of the many sides to the story, especially in politics and business, where big bucks are at the center of all motives. Looking at the people’s faces as they await their beloved, albeit deposed, leader, wearing t-shirts and holding placards declaring their love and loyalty, one wonders at what makes them drawn to him. I mean, will they get even a single penny to be devoted to him, to remain loyal to him, to spend nearly a day to wait for him? How much have they spent or have lost by going to the airport to meet him? They come from different places and from different walks of life. Some are the haves and some are the have nots. On TV, it seems that there is calmness in the midst of excitement! It still remains to be seen if his coming will reunite the country and will restore the silently slowing economy. We hope nothing untoward will happen now.

I could not help comparing it with the situation in my own country. Now the heat is on, not only because summer is coming, but because of the political situation (as always)! There are calls for the lady leader to resign due to corruption allegations and other irregularities, and with some strong evidences to boot. People are going out into the streets and there are reports of the possibility of a People Power 3. Is it the 3rd one already? Or 4th? See? I've lost count, and it has not reached even 10 yet. And we are still chanting the same story? Resign! Enough! Sobra na, tama na! (It’s getting too much, we have enough of it already)! So what have we learned during the first couple of people power uprisings? We are indeed able to remove two presidents and can we remove another one now through this means? Maybe it needs a different power to remove her! What can be done to better our country? We have lots of laws but are we even following them? Moreover, are the authorities even implementing them? It seems that they themselves are violating the very laws that they created. They think they are beyond the law and that only the general public should obey them. They expect the madlang tao (common people) who are breaking back and bones to bring food to the table to follow all the laws to the letter. But for these so-called “democratically chosen” officials, they live in the lap of luxury and enjoy life to the excess, at the expense of the public. Some say that people are now tired to converge again at EDSA to remove another president, as she might be replaced by another one wearing the same coat, but with a different color. But I know that we are a resilient and resourceful people. There has to be a way!