A Different Slant

Current Events

A different slant:
By Mell Ditangco

Are the freedoms that we enjoy today in the Philippines worth the anarchy it begets?

I am very well aware that a system is only as good as its constituency and the people that represent them.

Our problem is systemic with one core issue; the populous is enabling the corrupt practices in Philippine society may it be in government, organized religion, academia, etc.. The components of a society such as government, academia, religion, etc. must function with order; this can be done by creating rules and its consistent implementation. In the Philippines today we have the law of the land and religious commandments to give us guidance in implementing order in our society. I don’t think the problem lies in the lack of guidance; rather it’s all about the populous’ lack of compliance and government’s lack of enforcement of the laws of the land. As a result, anarchy has replaced the order that we so need to enact economic progress.

In short, it would seem that the freedoms that we so cherish are the very poison that is plunging this nation more and more into chaos.

Would you rather be ruled by one evil person or a bunch of evil people that keep on fighting against each other to the point of insanity?

Today, many Filipinos believe that there is really nobody capable of leading this nation out of its pitiful state. Let us assume that this is true, so again I ask, would you rather be led by one evil person (my personal choice Bayani Fernando) or a bunch of crazies such as Lacson, Honansan, Reyes, Arroyo, Sotto, De Castro, etc. pulling and tugging at each other, while rogue cops coddle criminals and terrorists, resulting in an unstable environment, which is exacerbated by capital flight.

Let me temper my stance a little bit; perhaps we need an authoritarian government in the interim to restore order and to “re-socialize” the populous ; perhaps we can phase in more freedoms when the Filipinos’ moral fiber has been restored so to make sure that we behave appropriately as constituents and representatives of the people.

All I have now is hope and a longing for our very own Lee Kwan Yew.