by Rev. Dr. Mariano C. Apilado
The conduct of the debates in the Senate which have gotten to the level of the acrimonious, with the honorable Senators using gutter language is indicative of the level of the character and uncouth language that lawmakers of the “upper” house of Philippine legislature.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s remark that whatever the individual senators said and would say about the matter, the case about Senator Villar’s involvement in the C-S 5 is only a matter of numbers.
Whatever happened to truth? Whatever happened to decency? Whatever happened to dignity of legislators? All these now are only a case or a matter of numbers? Does this mean that our senators have descended to this level of senate conduct and individual behavior?
Could this mean that Filipino citizens could no longer expect a more responsible behavior among senators? There is one word for this type of behavior and conduct – pride, individual pride among members of the Philippine Senate and corporate pride in the senate chamber.
God helps the Philippines! God helps Filipinos!
For PRIDE could really be an acronym of a peoples’ character more insidious than what may be seen outside.
P is for Poverty, meaning the poverty of material provision;
R is for Rejection of the spiritual foundation of people and the nation;
I is for Ignorance and indifference to morality, giving rise to distorted values;
D is for Disease, dis-abilities and other disadvantages that people suffer from;
E is for the Evil of corrupt and insensitive leaders.
What our people need is to overcome PRIDE and work for the attainment of PEACE, which can be the acronym of a more desirable behavior with more desirable traits.
I suggest that PEACE is an alternative to a more desirable future for our country and people.
P could stand for Planting love and understanding in the human heart;
E could stand for Education in moral and spiritual values for people development;
A could stand for Assistance to the poor to overcome poverty;
C could stand for Care of the sick, the dis-abled and the differently-abled;
E could stand for Equipping leaders to eradicate corruption, greed and selfishness.
I call upon all readers to stand and work for the transformation of our society from the character of PRIDE to that of PEACE.
Then we could recover as a people and be guided by truth. Then we could recover and be guided by decency. Then decency and dignity could be restored among senators and in the honorable upper house of senate. Then the case of moral conduct and ethical behavior of senators may be decided not by numbers, but by the decency and dignity of honorable men and women in the senate.
