Let’s dwell on the more vital issues

This past week we were once again treated to the media circus that is Philippine politics. As usual, the shenanigans of the Senate hogged all the headlines, and stories that were given primetime importance by reputable broadcasters and radio personalities were once again focused on Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada. It was as if there was absolutely nothing else going on in the country. We already know all about the heroic antics of Ang Panday or Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. and his escapades in the local cinema. We’ve all heard the horrific music video and seen the many media stunts he’s pulled all claiming his innocence. I just can’t help but feel that enough is definitely enough.

We all knew that if any form of justice were going to be served, he would have to go to prison. What I found unbelievable was that he was so vehemently and adamantly speaking of his being wrongfully accused that he even mentioned he wanted to run for President in 2016 just to be vindicated by the voters. It’s so hilarious that it almost makes one want to throw up. Who does he think he is? It’s not like it was five or ten years ago. These days even if people want to forget – they won’t. They have social media to thank for that and I truly have to believe that when the next presidential election rolls around, people aren’t going to be as flippant when it comes to voting for our nation’s leaders.

So despite all the fanfare and craziness, Senator Bong Revilla is in jail and we are once again in the news all over the world for imprisoning the very officials we elected to lead us. If it weren’t so deplorable it would be laughable. And if making a ruckus while going to jail was not enough, Senator Revilla is continuing on making a fuss inside his cell with the help of his wife Lani Mercado. He is having a hard time because it is so hot or because he has migraines. It’s ridiculous! Try living below the poverty line Mr. Senator, like the very people you are alleged to have stolen from and you’ll see what real suffering is like.

I’m glad to hear that the prison authorities have reportedly denied his request for an air cooler. It’s ludicrous to think he should be given such VIP preference while in prison. After all, another story I’ve read shows that his detention cell is even more spacious than many of the homes that our hardworking countrymen live in. It is even bigger than some condominiums people own and work hard to pay for. Who is he kidding? He complained after just a night in jail speaking of rats and roaches when so many of our poor countrymen have to deal with these problems on a regular basis. Doesn’t he know that so many other inmates co-exist in a space that is far smaller and much worse? Eighty prisoners occupy a room meant for 30-40 and some of them committed crimes far less grave than stealing millions of taxpayers’ money.

It’s crazy when you think about it. I’m just waiting for the time when Senator Revilla will play the sick card. How long before we see him in a wheelchair or with a neck brace needing to be transferred to the hospital? Isn’t this, after all, the next step when it comes to politicians and powerful people in jail?

I’m glad that Senator Miriam Santiago, who has recently declined a prestigious post as a judge in the International Court of Justice in Hague due to health reasons, is saying what everyone is thinking. She cried foul last week following the reports of all the VIP treatment that certain prisoners were getting in jail, what with extravagant accommodations and rules bent in their favor. I may not be a big supporter of the lady senator, who still carries a majority of the vote count, but on this issue I am fully behind her because she does not shy away from saying the truth. As she said “how can there be justice in the correctional system when we have a double standard between rich and poor inmates?”

Truer words were never spoken. The punishment should fit the crime and people – rich or poor – should be made to know that if they break the law they will be treated as equals under the power of the law. No more fake “prisons” with huge spaces and non-stop visits from fans. It’s time we make a change. I’m sure many people are behind Senator Santiago as well and have really had enough of this mockery of justice. I guess we’ll have to see how this plays out and hope for the best. Is it too much to hope that just this once, we’ll finally do what’s right?

I know I have had enough of this farce in our political landscape. While I don’t think we should let our vigilance down, I do think that we should also shift out focus on more important news. One of the important pieces of information that I have been coming across in the papers, is the warning signal made by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) at a summit sponsored by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) last week.

According to seismologists, Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces may be isolated due to collapsed roads and buildings if a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the National Capital Region. If this were to happen, the Yolanda storm and tidal wave would look like a rain shower in comparison. It’s not impossible for this to happen because we are living along a fault line (Marikina fault), which could easily divide the metropolis and isolate us from one another if catastrophe occurred.

This is a very scary prediction, which should be given our full attention. Freak weather like this is no longer something that seems impossible and weather is getting stranger and stranger by the day. Climate change has affected the way the world works and we’ve seen seasons shift and super storms ravage countries all over the world. It’s something we can’t ignore any more. If this earthquake doesn’t hit in our lifetime it may hit after we are gone, and shouldn’t we try to put better contingencies in place for our children and our children’s children?

It reminds me of the deadly earthquake and fire that ravaged San Francisco in 1912. I’m sure that today, they are far more adequately prepared for an earthquake disaster because of the lessons they learned from the quake that hit due to the San Andres fault line. I truly hope we don’t have to wait for disaster to strike to learn our lesson. It has been the way we’ve learned before, but hopefully this time we can be different.

Preparing for future calamities now needs to be a joint effort between our public and private offices. Even Phivolcs and the UN appealed to the private sector to help them prepare. After all, 90% of the businesses all over the world are privately owned and the private sector is a majority stakeholder in making sure their business is resilient to disasters brought about by climate change and ready to help those in need in case of any emergency. Let’s all be more careful and not waste this time to properly prepare.