It is a
pity that many of what appeared to be good people in this country including
some so-called honorable members of the legislature are acting like small
children by choosing to pick up on small and fleeting issues rather than those
that make this country a better place to live in. Often they make a
mountain out of a molehill. What if a member of the MILF, which is a
revolutionary organization, uses a nom de guerre, in signing documents with the
Philippine government? Is that a big fuss that can cause so much hitch in the
minds of so many people especially lawmakers who are supposed to be serious and
responsible?
By the way,
what can they get if the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be rendered
non-binding because of the legal challenge and eventually declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court? They do not want to admit it but
the consequence of their “grandstanding”, if they succeed, would be risky and
dangerous. The MILF will not renegotiate the Framework Agreement (FAB) and the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) anymore.
Gone are
the days of the great minds in the Senate, like Senators Arturo Tolentino,
Jovito Salonga, Teofisto Guingona, and Claro M. Recto. People listened intently
when they debated on issues. But today, except for some few brilliant minds in
the Senate, the proceedings are very dull and disinteresting. More disgusting
is that in the Senate today there are two senators who are brothers and another
two a brother and sister, and they are coming from Metropolitan Manila.
However, the late President Ferdinand
Marcos, who also used “Maharlika” as his nom de guerre during his alleged
guerrilla life in World War II, was perhaps the brightest among these
contemporary leaders, but he used his near “genius mind” in evil ways. (We are
watching where his only son and namesake, Senator Bongbong Marcos, is bringing
himself to. But this early, he has been accused, rightly or wrongly, of faking
his résumé stating that he earned an undergraduate degree from Oxford University
and a Master Degree in Business Administration from Wharton School .
However, both schools denied the claim.
American
diplomat and reformer Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “Great minds discuss ideas;
average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Now see what is
being talked about in the media and in the halls of Congress; they are all
practically about people and trivial matters. What can this gossiping bring to
this country, nothing except intrigues and ill-feelings! If this is the gauge
in evaluating the quality of contemporary Filipino leaders, then the result is
not outstanding.
The Mamasapano incident is indeed tragic. No one has a contrary view. In fact, it continues to threaten the survival of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress. But if we keep on harping and harping on the same issue, again and again, like a circus, and forget the bigger and more pressing issue of the day, like the BBL, then this country is heading for trouble.
The Mamasapano incident is indeed tragic. No one has a contrary view. In fact, it continues to threaten the survival of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress. But if we keep on harping and harping on the same issue, again and again, like a circus, and forget the bigger and more pressing issue of the day, like the BBL, then this country is heading for trouble.