by Fr. Pete Montallana(June21, 2022)
“Natalo o nanalo” – what is important now is how to uplift the Filipinos belonging to Class E and D – the big majority of the people who live in hunger and depravity burdened with the P13 Trillion debt.
Sri Lanka, where I was a missionary, is now in deep financial crisis; Pakistan is in turmoil; there are predictions of more developing countries will be facing instability.
How will the present administration fulfill its avowed P20/a kilo rice in a world still recovering in the midst of the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
We need to be united but with sincere efforts to restore the credibility of the COMELEC and its Smartmatic computers that churned super fast result compounded by massive vote buying.
Is democracy still a reality or has it been made obsolete by the manipulative technological advances? Whatever, we have to move on and our Faith has to face the challenge.
The social action arm of the bishops has articulated a strategy: “principled collaboration” on areas that benefit the people.
Will the present administration – to bolster its credibility – come out with legal safeguards to prevent the ordinary people from being bombarded with untruths?
A systematic annihilation of the monster of “vote buying” has to be institutionalized to prevent government from falling into the hands of the highest bidder.
“Peracracia” not “Democracia” is what we have in the Pilippines with a past president even justifying that: “vote buying” is part of our culture. I strongly disagree with this rationalization. I still believe that the Flipino is basically honest and “makatao”. It is embedded in the lives of our katutubo and the simple provinciano and has been re-inforced by the four centuries of exposure to the teachings of Jesus.
Yes, deep inside the Filipino can distinguish what is right or wrong but unfortunately perhaps we have been been demonized by mesmerizing social media
Finally, will the present administration fully respect the dignity of the human person by ensuring that the genuine will of the people surface in the upcoming coming barangay election this coming December 2022 or, as in the past, will it also utilize its political power to solidify its future?
“Nanalo o natalo” God wants that all his creatures enjoy the benefits of the Philippine Archipelago – not only those who have amassed wealth and power by hook or by crook. May this God empower us, believers, to be undounted despite crucifixion to attain that overwhelming power of the Resurrection. Let us start laying down the solid foundation of a democratized Philippines making vote buying and deceptive labelling events of the past. We move on for the poor wait for us – nanalo o natalo. We are one Big Force to reckon with because LOVE promised to be with us till the end of time.
(Fr. Pete Montallana is the Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples’ Apostolate of the Diocese of Infanta)
