Are Filipinos really that patriotic? Hmmm

The Philippine Star carried a report printed in the front page yesterday that Filipinos are the 7th most patriotic in the world. The most patriotic people in the world are the Americans. This survey was conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago on 34 countries. I have to doff my hat to the Star editors for getting this story, but unfortunately, we have no idea whether NORC surveyed those Filipinos who are living in the United States or Pinoys who are living here?

I suspect that this survey was conducted to Pinoys living in the US because most of the Pinoys I know who are there always express their love for the home country while most of the Filipinos who are still living here has only one major game plan - to get a US visa or the Green Card to work in the USA. Proof of this are the long lines you see every working day at the US Embassy in Roxas Blvd. There is no question that Pinoys want to live the American dream for the simple reason that we can never hope to achieve this dream here at home. So this brings us to the question: Are we really that patriotic? Hmmm… let me think… Nope, I don't think so!

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No doubt there are still too many of our clergy that are too politically inclined rather than spiritual for their own good. That was reflected through the action of Bishop Deogracias Iñiquez of Caloocan City who apparently filed an impeachment complaint against Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA). While he says that he was doing this as a member of the Citizen's Movement for Nationalist Economy (CMNE) a relatively unknown group, this bishop, whether he likes it or not, carries the name of the Catholic Church into this political fray.

While we do not stop the clergy from participating in political debates, it must be said that they must never lose sight of their true purpose, which is to save souls, not try to evict a reigning President in what is obviously a partisan political exercise because only the opposition is actively seeking the ouster of the President by hook or by crook or by clergy if you will!

Of course, you can always put to question the dictum of the separation of church and state but I would rather go to the question whether Bishop Iñiquez has already forgotten his true mission in life, which is to take care of his flock? The problem with this nation is, we've become too political for our own good. Politics no doubt is the way of life of a politician, but a priest?

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Did I read a few days back that self-exiled leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Jose Maria "Joma" Sison insisted that peace talks between the Philippine government and the CPP were still ongoing despite the call by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for an all-out war against the Communists? I don't know whom Joma is talking with the Philippine government. Perhaps he has already become senile and is talking to himself because as far as we know the peace talks have been stalled.

Now it seems that with our scrapping of the Death Penalty, we might get an unexpected bonus with the possibility of Joma Sison being extradited back here at home. Apparently one of the reasons why European governments like the Dutch refuse to extradite political refugees is their fear that sending them to their home country might end up with a conviction and into death row. With the Philippines' removal of the Death Penalty, the Dutch government might just reconsider sending Joma home, hopefully very soon.

Meanwhile, there is an interesting report showing that in the first half of the year 2006 some 104 soldiers died in the hands of the New People's Army (NPA) while only 87 Communist rebels were killed for this year. These figures no doubt show how lopsided the numbers are in favor of the NPA simply because we are not fighting a frontal war with clearly defined battle zones. We are fighting terrorists, akin to the terrorists that have continued to plague the US soldiers in Iraq where they have the advantage of the surprise and the terrain.

Again, let me point out that these casualty figures are only for the first half of this year, when Pres. Arroyo have not yet issued her call for an all-out war against the Communists. It would be interesting to see what would be the figures for the rest of the year 2006. But whatever those figures will be at the end of the year already 187 Filipinos have died fighting this endless war that Joma and his ilk can stop if they really want real peace. Joma dreams about continue peace talks but the ball really is in his court and all he needs to do to stop the killing is make that unilateral decision!

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