By Giles A. Herbosa
This is a most challenging & trying times for us all.
Basing my observations from the events that are
unfolding, it is very easy to see much hypocrisy,
exploitation, pride, haughtiness, people saying “for
the sake of truth & love of country”, lies,
dishonesty from the so-called leaders of the nation,
from the opposition, the leftists, the rightists,
alike; are all hungry & greedy to grab power.
From the recent anti-GMA rally held in Makati, I
personally saw & experienced the sentiments of these
“masses” that attended the rally. Not unlike rallies
in the past, I would say that 80% of those who were
there, were paid to attend, to the tune of
Php300/person. And if you’re a leader you were paid
slightly higher. Personalities like the mayors of
Makati & San Juan, Alcuaz, etc. were there to lead.
They were saying that “ang buong sambayanan ay
dumadaing at hinihiling ang resignasyon ni GMA”. Yet
the truth is how many people were there? 10,000?
20,000 maybe. I can honestly say that these people
were gathered (or in Tagalog, hinakot) from the
depressed areas of San Juan, Makati and wherever
there’ll be people willing to be paid Php300.00 just
to join. I pitied these people, young teens, old
women, people who barely know the true issues, were
there. Not for the issues, but for the money they’ll
get after the rally is over. For them, I guess it’s
just business. Money for food on the table. A lot of
“sound bites” were aired. Trapos (traditional
politicians) were also there. Those who want to ride
the controversy. Those willing to exploit the
marginalized were there. Plainly in Tagalog,
pareparehong naggagamitan. A very sorry state.
“Who is not with sin amongst you let him cast the
first stone?” said Christ in the Bible, when a woman
was caught in the act of adultery. I surmise that if
he said that line right now, he would have been rained
by so much stones by these “truth loving” Filipinos. I
cannot forget the words of Manuel L. Quezon, “I would
rather see a nation run like hell by Filipinos, than
ran like heaven by Americans” And sadly, that’s what
we are having right now. No wonder the US embassy is
jampacked with visa applications! Quezon should have
seen the fulfillment of his prophetical words.
I voted for GMA because I thought that she was the
best qualified person for the Presidency. My
background many years ago was in Personnel & after
having reviewed her experience, educational
background. & political savvy, to my mind, she was the
one fitted for the job. So I voted for her. I knew she
was human, & so I prayed to God that she would be
guided with wisdom, almost always. She initially
assumed the Presidency after a bloodless revolution.
It was a tumultuous event. God knew her frailties as
God knows ours. But God allows mistakes to occur, even
with us, so that from our mistakes, we could learn.
Mrs. Arroyo made an unprecedented move, she went on TV
to ask forgiveness. To me, it was a big gamble. She’s
not naïve to think that all these noises will
disappear if she says “I’m sorry.” But let’s just take
it at face value. Was she sincere? I REALLY DON’T
KNOW. But let God judge her, for God will, in His own
time.
Then a few days later, Mrs. Poe appeared. She said she
cannot accept her sorry. Again, a lot of sound bites
were aired. “Simulan mo, tatapusin ko.” Stole the
presidency not once, but twice. Once maybe, twice, a
definite no. Mrs. Poe said she can’t forgive Mrs.
Arroyo. Let us remember that Fernando Poe was already
taken out of the equation, by God. His spirit is now
with his Creator. If the Almighty can forgive, who
are we to say that we can’t? Judge not, that we may
not be judged.
Why write this letter to you? Because I believe that
no man or woman can extricate us from the rut we’re
in. Corruption is not only in government, it has
permeated even the private sector! It has quietly
slipped into our own culture, into our own character.
That’s why also there’s so much hypocrisy. The
healing must start in the hearts & minds of every
Filipino. Enough of this mud-slinging. Let
clear-headedness (or sobriety, if you want) rule the
day.
Let us fast & pray for our beloved country! Let us
also pray for our own selves that we may discern what
is good & upright. Let’s not be hypocrites, because we
are also guilty of the same faults we accuse the
government of. Let’s show the world that by turning to
God & praying with heartfelt prayers, with much
passion & love for peace & sobriety, we can again be
the first nation on this planet to show that God’s way
works. Often we pride ourselves to be the only
Christian nation in Asia. We are supposed to show that
Christian light to our Asian brothers. But because of
so much mud slinging, it has blurred our vision. Our
being the only Catholic country in this part of the
world has definite purpose. God in His infinite wisdom
gave this country hundreds of years ago, the Christmas
story & made us accept the Christian faith. I believe
that we were supposed to spread it to our neighbours,
thru our good example. But have we fulfilled that
mission?
LET US FAST! (It’s not fattening!)
LET US PRAY WITH OUR HEARTS, not with many words but
in the privacy of our own rooms & let us pour our
supplications before the Creator that He may lead us
to the right path. Let us not pray to be seen by men,
but let God see us even when we pray secretly. There
should be no vindictiveness in our hearts, but let us
ask God what is His Will. Vox Populi, vox Dei – is a
big lie. Not always. For God’s ways are higher than
our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.
I am only one individual who wants to do something for
the sake of our country. I do not have the power nor
the resources to affect the political climate of the
country. As the saying goes, I am just a small voice.
But I do know that the effectual prayer of a man
avails much. If you think that this message is worth
your while please pass it on to your friends. Together
in the spirit of unity as one people seeking the will
of Almighty God, we can be a force that can move
mountains with the help from above. Please pray & fast
if you believe that God is the only one who can help
us. Don’t just pass it. And don’t worry if you don’t
pass it, there will be no 10 years of bad luck & such.
Rather, we have to walk the talk.
Thank you very much for the time you spent in reading
this.
Giles A. Herbosa
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