On the Desecration of Intramuros

Photo taken from: http://ivanhenares.blogspot.com/

It pains me to read about the desecration being inflicted on Intramuros, one of the last symbols of our Spanish past. A sports complex is being built by Philippine Tourism Authority just several feet away from the famed walls (Costing P25 million, the project touches the outside walls of the Fort Santiago Shrine which has the Rizal Shrine within it), thus defacing a historical monument and possibly endangering the shrine’s structure…- excerpts from news report from manilatimes.net). It is a sad addition to the numerous desecrations that has been done in the past wherein old buildings worthy of being preserved were demolished to give way to malls and high-rise buildings. When will our officials ever learn?

Here in Rome, subway routes were diverted from the original plan so as to avoid some ancient ruins or artifacts that were discovered hundreds of feet below the ground from being destroyed in the course of excavation work to construct tunnels. In our school, the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (ANGELICUM), a building's underground electrical wiring system has to be diverted several meters away so as not to destroy an old structure which the diggers have discovered. The Italian government prohibits the building of any structure that would affect such artifacts. Hence, in Italy (and I am sure that the same is done in other countries), even the things that are underground and are not visible are protected from being desecrated. In the Philippines, the Intramuros is very much visible, yet our government does not seem to take care and protect it.

Stop the Killings!!!

I kept my mouth shut and my keyboards at a halt when the issue about the political killings in the Philippines was first brought out in the news in the early part of 2006. At that time, I thought that the killings were not politically motivated and could have been the result of personal grudges and other cases. But with the rate it has been going on with impunity until now (even after the Melo Commission and the UN human rights body gave their respective reports), the latest of which is a witness in the UN human rights probe, I am now convinced that the killings were politically motivated. It has a chilling effect on me as I reminisce my childhood during martial law- the stage at our basketball court in San Pablo, Isabela (North Luzon) is turned into a makeshift morgue for victims of "salvaging"€. There was even a time when corpses were brought in that spot continuously for several consecutive weeks. Most of them were not identified and no relatives were there to claim their remains. For sure, they were part of the "desapericados"€ of martial law- brought into a rural town like ours where they were eventually killed so no one can identify them. It is happening again. The killings that happened 30 years ago is happening again! The government should do something. Its inability to stop the killings validates the accusation that it has condoned such.

GO, Team Unity, ASO and Joker

Election fever has started in the Philippines. As usual it is a showcase of politics of personalities rather than issues.

GO- This acronym stands for Genuine Opposition. They are composed of Estrada Loyalists and some former Anti-Estrada politicians who become opportunists leaning on Estrada’s perceived popularity among the "masa". They think that they are like the great opposition senators of old as they chose to be proclaimed at the Plaza Miranda and they will only debate with the administration candidates if it will be in Plaza Miranda. But, with the way they jockeyed for position in a photo op with Estrada, they have shown that they are all opportunists, not worthy of being compared to the great senators: Salonga, Manglapus and Aquino, etc. of old.

Team Unity- I still wonder what unity does this team connote aside from letting three former Estrada allies to run in its fold?

ASO- This acronym stands for Angara, Sotto and Oreta, all former allies of Estrada. A jingle depicting them as ASO (dogs) has been airing in the airwaves for weeks now. It is a sad sign of the kind of campaign which politicians employ until now- mud-slinging and character assassination. I just hope that if ever these senators alluded to as ASO will win, they will not resort to vengeance but really become ASO- Astute, Servant-Leaders, and Outstanding lawmakers.

Joker Arroyo- I was delighted in hearing his pod cast interview at the inquirer.net. He is the personification of wisdom in politics. He is cerebral yet not proud; he goes bluntly to the point yet not arrogant. He is one of the vanishing species in Philippine politics.