Change of attitude

One of the pestering problems that our country is experiencing up to now is the continuing disunity and discord among our people. This problem must be addressed right away in order to pave the way toward a more significant improvement in the lives of Filipinos and for a more peaceful and progressive country. The irony here however is that Tatay Digong’s admirers and die-hard supporters are the very ones who are always picking up a fight against those who may have different opinions and beliefs because of a mindset that they are the only ones who are right and who believe that their opinions should already be accepted as incontrovertible “truths.” So the change that is urgently needed in our country now is the change in attitudes. And the first thing that we should do in this regard is to always bear in mind that “Every person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his duties, act with justice, give everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith” (Article 19, Civil Code).

To put an end to these useless bickering, we should join our hands together in promoting the common good and the best interest of our country and the Filipino people. For this purpose, “Tatay” Digong himself, as “father” of the nation according to his admirers and supporters, should lead the way and show us how to foster unity. In fact he has already started to show signs of this much needed change in attitude when he recently invited to dinner Vice President Leni Robredo who is affiliated with the opposing political party. He likewise urged his allies in Congress not to pursue anymore the impeachment complaint for alleged betrayal of public trust committed by the Vice President when she allowed the airing of a video tape on Extrajudicial Killings in an international forum. Apparently Tatay Digong realized that VP Leni has not committed any betrayal of public trust but was just exercising her right to speak out on some issues affecting our country now.

These are really some encouraging steps toward fostering unity in our country which is the best and the only way for Tatay Digong, or any other President for that matter, to succeed in the performance of their job.

But it may also help a lot in uniting our people if we could do away with negativism on our perceptions of some events and circumstances. A good example here is harboring the thought that a certain group called “Dilawan” is supposedly plotting to destabilize “Tatay Digong’s administration. If we consider and look at the present state of the nation, with “Tatay Digong” firmly entrenched in his seat at Malacanang as the “best President our country ever had,” according to his admirers, said destabilization plot is obviously just a product of their imagination. And assuming such a plot really exists, it is definitely doomed to fail simply because “Tatay Digong” is doing his job well as his supporters themselves claim. Hence for the sake of unity, they should perish this thought in their minds.

Another suggestion that will eliminate discord and dissension in our land is to keep cool and avoid reacting rashly and arrogantly. What comes to mind right away in this connection is the reaction of PNP Chief “Bato” dela Rosa on the discovery of a secret jail in the heart of Tondo where police hid drug suspects. Those police officers from the Tondo, Manila Police Station’s anti drug unit have already been relieved for detaining 12 men and women in a secret jail hidden behind a cabinet. But even then, PNP Chief “Bato dela Rosa still defended them. Before doing so, he should have determined first that the maintenance of such jail violates our Constitution, the basic law of the land which provides that “Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado” or other similar forms of detention are prohibited” (Section 12 (2) Article III). Clearly therefore, our PNP Chief has no legal basis in defending the police officers who maintained the secret jail and his reaction in this connection has sown more discord.

Then perhaps it will also be for the good of the country if Tatay Digong himself will keep an open mind and dialogue with others who may have different points of view on certain issues. Foremost in this regard is the ruling of the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidating China’s claims and junking its “nine dash line” entitlement over the entire South China Sea.  This ruling was not raised during the last ASEAN summit hosted by our country because Tatay Digong said there is no point to compel China to comply with said ruling. In fact in the Chairman’s Statement for the 30th ASEAN Summit did not mention at all this ruling and China’s island building activities in the area that also affects, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

For not taking up said arbitral ruling and other South China Sea issues at the summit, the Philippines has in effect missed the golden opportunity to assert its prerogative as Chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to former UN Ambassador Lauro Baja, Jr. Senator Panfilo Lacson likewise disputed Tatay Digong’s claim that it would be fruitless to raise the arbitral ruling against China at the ASEAN Summit because said dispute cannot be resolved militarily. Lacson however pointed out that “over time countries subject to adverse decisions of international tribunal almost always eventually give up and comply with the ruling due to international pressure” Indeed our stand in this issue may be interpreted by China as allowing them to further explore and use our territorial seas.    

Fortunately, Tatay Digong still has plenty of time to adopt the necessary changes for the good of our country. He must simply be open to listen and dialogue with others in all honesty and good faith.

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