Xenophobia

Butch Bagabuyo

“Fear always springs from ignorance.” – Emerson, The American Scholar

MY dictionary defines xenophobia as a fear of anything foreign or strange even as on the extreme. It defines the word as an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers. However, for a long time now, I have consistently adopted the view that xenophobia simply means unreasonable fear or hatred of the unknown. And the unprecedented filing of an intervention case early this month by former US Senator Mike Gravel (Senator 1969-1981) before our Supreme Court asking to void the so-called Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) in the midst of the holding of the Apec in our country bolstered my continuing belief that our government is really a puppet of the US.

Here’s my take:

The ongoing Apec is nothing but a showroom–a display of the beauties even as the real battle rages behind the stage. So, the belated filing of the intervention case before our Supreme Court, the US is sending an unmistakable signal to China that we are her puppet, and because of our strategic location, the US remains the only superpower of the world. Yet China will do her best to use her economic influence among the participating countries, and thus, attempt to prove to the world that China is now the superpower second only to none.

But what about the Edca?

By the filing of an intervention case before our Supreme Court by a Democrat, the US is actually disarming China. The US is giving a clear signal that the next US President (presumably a Democrat) will not be hegemonic but rather a pacifist, especially in Asia. Ergo, with this unprecedented intervention by a former senator of the US who is a registered Democrat before our Supreme Court coupled with the 14 Philippine senators who have manifested their right to be a party to any treaty (and clearly the Edca is definitely a treaty), China will be forced to declare open to navigation the disputed areas. When this happens, “everybody happy,” as the saying goes. But our poor country will remain a puppet of the US forever.

Bear in mind that PNoy’s ascendancy to the presidency came right after a US ambassador came to our country to congratulate Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III as President of the Philippines. But at that time, the official tabulation of the 2010 presidential, vice presidential and senatorial elections were not yet complete. Further, there was the raging controversy on the unauthorized removal by the Comelec of four vital security measures of the PCOS machines which former Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. defined the PCOS as “President Cory’s Only Son.” But with the American hegemony not a sound was heard against the bullying by the superpower. Ergo, our poor country remains the puppet forever of the US.

To my humble reading of the latest development, the intervention case filed by an American Democrat is not unlike the unlawful proclamation of President PNoy by the US amidst the PCOS machines controversy.

Now, I can only hope and pray that the teeming millions of the poor from Mindanao and elsewhere in our country should start looking seriously  into the newly but unexpected  introduction by the most maligned Comelec of the so-called OMR machines for the May 9, 2016 national elections.

This early, a good many cynics define the OMR as “Operation Mar Roxas” to augment the PCOS machines. And considering that despite the use of enormous government funds and personnel, PNoy’s Liberal Party has succeeded only in bringing into the open their presidential candidate’s sore lack of charisma and appeal to the common man coupled with his utter lack of executive ability to see the real score. I strongly suggest to our young IT experts to start pronto dissecting the 96,000 or so OMR machines. Can you just imagine if the OMR can make magic? But if this, God forbid, happens, I dare say that because of the continued, glaring and blatant rape of our God-given resources and the unmitigated bullying to no end, Mindanaoans, with “Super Digong” Duterte, shall declare independence from Imperial Manila, and install the Independent Federal Republic of Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan-Tawi-Tawi, and instantenously put our one and only Mindanao among the top of Asian countries if not, the world.

Undoubtedly, our biggest single problem is that Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is not interested in the presidency, his family is against it, he is aging and has done more than enough without any taint of corruption. Our consolation, however, is his unblemished record shows he cannot stand oppression especially against those who have less in life coupled with his own belief that the presidency is providential. This being so, I humbly suggest that we should all fall on our knees and pray for God’s intervention.

For rain in the midst of the impending El Nino, we pray the Oratio Imperata.

In order to ensure that our man runs for the President, could our prayer be Pater Noster?

And shout out loud: Duterte pa more.

Tsada, di ba?