A letter to all Filipinos

Someone sent me this e-mail. Its a nice read.
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Here's a wonderful letter to all the
Filipinos written by a brave woman. She wants to do her bit in these
trying times of our nation.

Please pass to as many persons if you see her article worth reproducing
via email.

God bless

Fr Francis Gustilo, SDB

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To all Filipinos Everywhere:

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were
caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn't true. It is one
thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and
murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich,
educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior?
And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught
and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time
thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it
get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the
latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not
men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too
bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each other, call
each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of
committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is
so comical and apalling that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It is
entertainment at its worst!

I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and
looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut
around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe
from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like
"Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President".
Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws,
enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do!
These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation - Robin Hoodlum
and his band of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed
of the rich."

It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind
of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the
world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what
kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such
creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country
and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me
wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they
are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and
liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience.
Heaven forbid!

I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that
pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my
earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have
complained time and again because our government could not provide
enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads,
poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services,
poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world
countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything
more.

And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents
pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who
accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia
ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile
inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and
Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could
ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his own "pag bad ka,
lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in
kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And
it's all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz
could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few
remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in
other countries?

And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry
president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a
rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new meaning when
PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's financial deals.
And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around
the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.

They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are
no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like me feel
anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to
share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and
helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won't make a
stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile.
After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and
my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it.

But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to
let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to
issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it
known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for
the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with
scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left
who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out
ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they
have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I
refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I
call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I
could for it.

Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to
battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of
good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can
offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray,
too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer
sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him
of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all,
they cannot be more powerful than God!

I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can.
Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material
comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there
are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time
with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty,
fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion - right from the sandbox till
they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at
work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining
examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults
who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.

I call on educators and teachers - we always underestimate the power of
your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of
what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their
country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain
real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men
and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what
they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians
have sunk us into. The youth is our future - and it would be largely
because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the
seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen,
justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.

I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to
look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth
be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities
you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your
idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your
elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you
can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use
technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text
meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight
moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become
parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray
that your children will do better than you did.

Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this
country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater.. We
are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will
think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel
in your chosen field. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants,
computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are
called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record
that can speak for itself.

For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many
who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you
to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the
Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe
ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.

__________________________

"Because he's the hero that Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now, and so we'll hunt him, because he can take it, because he's not a hero, he's a silent guardian, a watchful