Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Tentacles of Evil

Work and struggle and never accept an evil that you can change.”
-
Andre Gide

So what has our nation become after more than 100 years since the Philippine declaration of independence? Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini and all our heroes for sure are turning in their graves as the nation is plunged deeper unto this pit of corruption and greed.

What has our nation become after almost a quarter century since the first EDSA people power? The spirit of EDSA, our dreams of social justice, is now drowned into the abyss of inequity and elite politics.

It seems that whatever good that is left is overpowered by the powerful stench of mafia-style governance. Our nation has been marinated for so long in this concentrated pulp of sleaze such that as time passes, the flavors of greed and corruption seeps deeper and deeper into its matter. Now, it seems that this concentrate has fully invaded the very core of our nation’s culture, spirit, and consciousness.

What is apparent is that the tentacles of evil have now reached all corners of our society. It is so entrenched that even those who are well-meaning are even blinded by the real issues.

Take for example those who would rather turn a blind eye on the substantive issues and say “Well, let the opposition prove the accusations against Arroyo in an impeachment case or a legal proceeding. Let the rule of law prevail.”

The assumption here of course is that Gloria Arroyo will submit to the “rule of law”. Could a government operating like a mafia submit to the rule of law? We have seen several times already how Gloria Arroyo manipulated our laws to suit her and her cronies. We have seen how Arroyo breached the spirit of our laws just to push her family’s agenda. Now what “rule of law” are we talking about here?

Further what this rule-of-law argument is saying is that removing Arroyo from MalacaƱang through another people power is a violation of our laws and constitution. The presidency, as all public offices, is a public trust. Now, is the exercise of the people of its sovereign power to withdraw this trust and oust a corrupt and fake president outside the scope of its political rights?!

Or take also the example of those who will simply tolerate Arroyo and defend her by saying “Well, all of them are the same anyway. Let any one who is clean cast the first stone.”

The problem with that premise is that it is okay for their beloved Arroyo to steal since all of these trapo (traditional politicians) are thieves anyway. I don’t know how in heaven’s name could one accept such kind of reasoning.

We should stand up now not for the benefit of the other thief, but for the sake of our nation’s future, for the sake of our children. We should stand up now not because we want to install another trapo, but to push for a social justice agenda that will benefit the poor and the marginalized, our nation as a whole.

This is I think one of the lowest period in Philippine history. A point where the nation is still divided in condemning corruption in its grandest scale. A point where we don’t even tremble in indignation as we are faced with one big blatant attempt to defraud the nation.

(Send your comments and reactions to: for text messages to 0919-348-6337 and for e-mails to ianseruelo@yahoo.com.)

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Censored Article

The article I wrote entitled "Big Flaws in Fr. Celis Arguments" (see previous post) was censored by my editor. It did not saw print nor was it published in its online edition.

We had an exchange of e-mails but in gist, here is what he said "my point is we don't have to refute the personal views of others to bring our message across.. i think fr.boy's pronouncements was his personal view and not as a member of the task force.. i did not say that you have violated journalism ethics, it's just my judgement not to print your article trying to refute specifically the pro-coal arguments of fr. boy.. indi bala entitled man siya to have his own perception about the issue?"

Here are different excerpts from my several emails to him:

"If you read my article it was a respectful opinion. it was not attacking Fr. Celis as a person. The article attacks the argument, not Fr. Celis. I dont have any below the belt attack on the persona of Fr. Celis. He had his views known by using the media, it is just anybody's right to give a different opinion. He is entitled to his opinion but as a columnist, i am also entitled to how i view the issue. "

"What is wrong with a columnist reacting to an article from other paper or sources? And what is wrong if a columnist wants to react to another specific person's viewpoint?

"Fr. Celis is part of the Task Force created by Trenas to evaluate the proposed coal plant. So his statements and public pronouncements of endorsing the coal plant has political implications. Moreso what is wrong with refuting a personal opinion? Like when one refutes or supports another columnist's personal opinion, there is nothing wrong with it. If one of our readers reacts to or refutes my personal opinion, then it is also ok. What is important is we do it in a manner that focuses on the issues and principles."

"As a writer yourself you should know how it will feel to have your piece of writing censored. And when the government suppresses our freedom to express or the independence of the media we are all in one side fighting against it."

Despite all those however he said it was his editorial judgement. So what can i do?

Monday, February 04, 2008

Big Flaws in Fr. Celis’ Pro-Coal Arguments (# 1)

A small rock holds back a great wave.
- The Odyssey by Homer

Corruption in government and in Philippine society happen everyday. This culture of corruption envelopes the whole system as if it is a malignant tumor. The main beneficiaries of this sick system are big time corrupt politicians who regularly rake in millions of pesos in kickbacks from multi-million projects.

Now, why will you scold the lowly barangay captain from pocketing one thousand pesos intended for a barangay project? In proportion, a thousand pesos is an insignificant “candlelight” in the hellfire of muliti-million kickbacks.

The management of solid wastes is a global concern. These wastes pollute the earth’s water, air and land resources in such disturbing rate. Industrialized countries such as the US are the leading generators of solid waste as they churn out millions of tons of solid waste per day such as tin cans, tires, plastics, styrofoam and bottles that end up in land fills and don’t get recycled.

So why will you scold Juan who tossed his garbage over the bridge and into the river? In proportion, a bagful of garbage is an insignificant “candlelight” in the hellfire of millions of tons of solid wastes.

Fraud is rampant every time we hold our elections. Vote rigging seems to be a given, an accepted feature in our electoral exercise. Wholesale cheating is done by “operators” the likes of Garci and also with the aid of military officers. Thousands if not millions of votes get padded up to the trapo (traditional politician) with the highest bid.

Now why will you scold the one flying voter who cheated by voting twice thereby adding just one fraudulent vote? In proportion, one vote is like an insignificant “candlelight” in the hellfire of millions of fraudulent votes.

The examples I have given above utilize the same argument Fr. Espiridion Celis is using in support for the proposed construction of a coal plant in Iloilo City.

"China definitely will open two coal-fired power plants every week for the next three and half years. It is like opening a very, very big oven for global warming. Will you scold Iloilo for lighting a candle because it will heat the world? I don't think we are proportion here. There are 24 coal-fired power plants in the Philippines, why Iloilo should have not one? I do not understand," he was quoted by the local media.

Celis also added, “I'm sure that Iloilo will not contribute one-twentieth of China's (emission)”.

We human beings are supposed to be stewards of the planet we live in – a planet, which in Christian teaching, is god’s creation. So priests I suppose would be in the front line of these efforts. I also suppose that religious leaders would have higher standards than say an economist or a capitalist or a politician when it comes to the protection of mother earth.

It is simply hard to believe that a church leader will say that it is okay to pollute a little and not mind the bigger global picture. It is hard to believe that a spiritual leader will say something that is tantamount to declaring that small actions do not affect the bigger world.

Asserting that the act of putting up one more coal plant could not possibly factor materially to the planet’s pollution and contribute to global warming is exactly the kind of mindset that is worsening a lot of the world’s ills.

Simply go back to my earlier examples on corruption, solid waste problem and electoral fraud. One thousand pesos, one bagful of garbage and one fraudulent vote are certainly not in proportion to the totality of the respective problem. But can we really dismiss them as insignificant?

Corollary to this, history has proven that small actions have caused both uplifting and devastating impacts to the world.

If Mahatma Gandhi has the same mindset as articulated by Fr. Celis, then the struggle for India’s independence could have been longer and violent. Apartheid in South Africa would not have been abolished sooner if Nelson Mandela did not believe in small actions.

The end of the horrible racial segregation in the US could not have been expedited if Rosa Parks gave her bus seat up to a white person, thereby giving no spark for Martin Luther King to initiate small protest demonstrations.

Our own Andres Bonifacio could not have inspired a revolution if he did not believe that his small band of katipuneros could one day defeat the mighty Spanish military.

On the opposite side, Adolf Hitler could not have brought mayhem to the whole world if he was stopped initiating his small propaganda about his superior race that placed him on the leadership of his nation.

Now, if the quote attributed to Fr. Celis came from the prospective investor or their paid consultants, I would understand as many of them think only of the benefits to their bank accounts with little consideration to the impact to the environment and society as a whole.

Coming from a priest however makes it different as you anticipate a more insightful opinion, a profound reasoning, a moral stand. Obviously, with all due respect to the parish priest of Mandurriao, I think he has not realized the true meaning of the dictum: “think globally, act locally.”

(Send your comments and reactions to: for text messages to 0919-348-6337; for e-mails to ianseruelo@gmail.com.)