‘Pa-believers’, ‘unbelievers’

Nora Soriño . 

ILIGAN City — “I think, miga there are now two classes of people here in this city,” my friend Gemma said as she went busy with my hands.

She’s a salon owner and doesn’t have to fiddle with fingers to do some manicuring as she has plenty of “tigs.”’ But when I come  over to her salon, she does it herself as she wants to talk politics with me. And anyway, my nails at that time ran the risk of being chased by nail cutters and nail files.

I looked her in the eye and before I could say anything, she continued: “The ‘pa-believers’ and the ‘unbelievers!’”

“How’s that?” I asked, astounded.

“Yes, have you heard the latest news? That there’s a clash between the Army and the NPA in some hinterland barangays in this city. Per report some 270 families fled their homes in a hinterland barangay of this city after government forces figured in a series of clashes against the New People’s Army. Supposedly.”

“Why supposedly?” a stunned me asked innocently.

“That’s from the government side of reporting, from the city government.”

“And some people don’t believe it? As in fake news?” I asked.

“Yes,” Gemma said, “the unbelievers say that’s a hoax.”

“Ha!” I exclaimed in disbelief

“That’s why I say  there are two kinds of people now, the ‘pa-believers’ and the ‘unbelievers.’ It is understood who the ‘pa-believers’ are.”

‘Curious terms, your own terms I say and suppose. Why are they doing that, the ‘pa-believers’ you say?”

“To justify getting money for ‘gira’ funds” as in  intelligence fund or peace and order fund. The unbelievers say so. They might be right.”

“That’s absurd,” I said. “And where do you stand between the two?” I asked.

Gemma thought for a moment and said: “I don’t know. I am neutral.”

“Ha ha. Don’t be neutral,” I said. laughing a little. “Neutral means middle and when you stay at the middle of the road, sooner or later you get run over by some car. You know during World War II when Roosevelt, Churchill and Eisenhowern had some conference to strategize how to win the war against the Axis, they conferred by the roadside not in the middle. They did not do it in some room where there would be aircons and plenty of food.”

“Ha ha ha. That’s it.” She smiled a little too as she said commenting why WW2 was dragged into the picture and I said it was a thought which crossed through me as we spoke of war. Even if this type of war was… But my friend cut through my line of thought. “The unbelievers who are on the other side of the political fence like Congressman Siao, Dodong Alemania and Sammy Huertas say how can that be. With mayor Regencia calling his favorite employee  Jun Bacus about what is happening from Barangay Mainit as he said  he was there when there’s no cell phone signal at that place?”

And then I remembered too somebody calling over some radio station saying that Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz had told the mayor to take care of the “war” while he, Vera Cruz takes care of the “processing” of the funds, saying the episode is a “gira me.” Even as some supporters too in the opposite side of the political fence said that some residents in said barangays were pulled out from their houses so that they would “evacuate.”

“And why were there no reported casualties, if there really was a war?” Gemma said forcefully over my thoughts.

“They should have done their ‘play’ seamlessly,” Gemma said.

“Oh, that dialogue comes from the  camp opposing the city officials. I heard it myself.”

“Ah, so you’re very familiar with the dialogues!”  She exclaimed. And we both laughed. But really, things like that were no laughing matter.