‘Disiplina ang kailangan’

Netnet Camomot .

FORMER President Ferdinand Marcos had a mantra: “Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan.” And it still rings true today, provided the Pinoy is able to separate that line from Marcos’ alleged grafting and corrupting.

Imelda’s “the true, the good, and the beautiful” comes to mind, too.

But their mantras can easily drown amidst painful memories of the ’70s’ martial law, the conjugal dictatorship, Imelda Marcos’ 3,000 pairs of shoes, jewelry and painting collections, the rallies at Mendiola, Ninoy Aquino’s assassination, People Power, etc.

Memories that have been revived again now that 6,500 martial law victims will receive $13.75 million or $1,500 each per a settlement agreement in January 2019. The money is part of the $32-million sale of four paintings that used to be owned by Imelda.

The victims’ lawyers, Robert Swift, Rodrigo Domingo and Ruben Fruto said, “The litigation is the first human rights class action in world history. Class members are Filipinos who were tortured, summarily executed or disappeared during the martial law years.”

Decades from now, will the families of extrajudicial-killing victims also make history if ever they’ll become members of the second human rights class action? Abangan.

I guess the Pinoy’s love for the teleserye has expanded to his reality, making him addicted to drama—Marcoses versus Aquinos, DDS versus Dilawan, Cagayan de Oro “mayorable” Pompee La Viña versus Mayor Oscar Moreno. Popcorn, anyone?

DDS, by the way, used to mean Davao Death Squad. It has since morphed into Die-hard Duterte Supporters.

There’s no television set in my room, so, I don’t watch TV. I’m not familiar with any teleserye, and with political campaign TV ads. Thus, when “senatoriable” Serge Osmena alleged that in 2016 “the goddamned Comelec cheated me” and added that he “went down to number 11 from number six… because they sold eight seats at P50 million each,” this evoked a Realization 101 from me: Osmena didn’t win in 2016? He’s not an incumbent senator? And he’s running this year? Haha! Clueless moi.

If ever I decide to deactivate my Facebook account, my news sources will be reduced to newspapers and Google. And I’m actually looking forward to that, my eyes glazing over as the madlang pehpohl talk about who the next Darna will be. Ho-hum.

And the new Darna may have to cover her thighs if she’s filming some scenes in Caloocan City where short shorts are banned per the Caloocan City Dress Code in Public Places which includes a provision that people “must be properly and decently attired while moving about in public places within the city.” It also defines short shorts as “trousers covering less than one-fourth of the lower torso and legs.” But Caloocan police chief Senior Supt. Restituto Arcangel clarified that the ban is for people who go shirtless while in public places.

The city ordinance is old. It was enacted 12 years ago, in 2007. Why this delayed reaction? So, the madlang pehpohl will forget about Caloocan’s EJK victims? Hmmm. Could be a bad case of wagging the dog.

The EJKs do not seem to scare off drug dealers and users, though. On April Fools’ Day, 3.3 kilos of cocaine were found in Ma. Clara Bedico’s luggage while she was waiting for her flight to Thailand at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The P30-million worth of drugs were hidden inside five imported children’s books.

What’s next? Drugs hidden in a baby rattle? You know, items that one would least expect to contain drugs. Bibles, anyone?

The Catholic Church is dealing with enough challenges already, so, spare the Bible, please.

Challenges such as American Catholic priest Kenneth Bernard Pius Hendricks, 77, who’s accused of molesting more than 50 victims, most of them altar boys, the youngest of whom were seven years old when they were abused. Que horror!

Catholic priests and nuns have a vow of celibacy. Hendricks did not only break that vow but sexually abused young boys while breaking that vow. Juice colored!

And Hendricks is not the only priest with a case like this. But other cases involving priests and even bishops may not always be about children, e.g., Bishop Franco Mulakkal of India has been accused of raping a nun. Yes, a nun. For two years. Gasp!

Either celibacy is a problem or these priests are in dire need of psychiatric help.

Grafting and corrupting politicians, however, are in dire need of worthy replacements. So, before voting on May 13, be like Santa Claus: “He’s making a list / He’s checking it twice / He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.”