Bad signs are getting clear of a blurred prospect for the that elusive justice. With the son of the despot at the helm of power, all efforts are towards glossing over our country’s history. This is the reality of a mind-boggling plot that had caught every Filipino a hapless captive of fakery outlined in a fallacious tale that we all fell submissive to.
It was at the height of national saga uncovering the truth behind the finger that pulled the trigger as the graft-laden governance involving the most popularly elected president that the victim descended to the tarmac well escorted by minions in police uniform. That the international airport was well guarded by the despot’s police and military in a show to secure the place and fence-off the people from witnessing what would be labelled as the murder of the century.
The ire of the people that was ignited by that murder resulted into days of mourning where people bravely endured long queues just to take a glimpse of the victim, one of the recognized opposition leaders who could have one of the proverbial presidential timbers that could have served the country but never had. The hope was doused by a bullet that pierced from the back of his head that exited through his chin.
A grand coverup followed, blurring the truth surrounding the murder. The investigations that were staged under the direction of the despot were clearly aimed at keeping the identity of the mastermind. The outcome of the investigations upended at the level of the officers and men that were in command during that homecoming of the acknowledged nemesis of the fatal day. All clamors to unmask the mastermind were dismissed outright as unworthy of attention from the powers that be.
Many observers had openly warned that the tyrant in the making would never succumb to public demand of seeking truth and justice behind the murder. That tyrant was eventually deposed through a peaceful people power revolution that was ignited by the supreme sacrifice of Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. which we fondly call by his famous nickname “Ninoy”. That stalwart opposition leader stood for his principles in fighting Mr. Marcos’ martial law.
He never gave up to the evils of that despotic rule and fought his good fight to regain our freedom, liberty and democracy. That murder of the century we commemorate today, exactly a quarter of a century from that treacherous gunfire on that fateful midday of August 21, 1983. It has been two scores today.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com
What public servants?
Some supposedly “public servants” running some government agencies are not at all “servants” but act as lords that must be given due respect and worshipful regard. You dare not disturb them in their comfort zone or provoke them to anger or else they will lose their temper and flare up in frantic rage.
They might not say it, but some of them would show it in their actions—they demand much respect, obedience, and reverence, almost to the point of having them worshipped like they are some kind of gods. You can’t request them, beg them, or ask for humanitarian considerations because they don’t grant these. Those who transact with them must follow what they say, period. Otherwise, they must clear out.
These people do not care if their clients find them too inconsiderate. They just hold their heads high, accepting no reasons, justifications, or appeals. They take no pity on people despite the latter’s pathetic situations. They just cite rules and claim to impose these strictly, but in reality, they are just being inconsiderate for they can exercise discretion in making decisions.
Take for example the taking of Transcript of Records from a Registrar’s Office. Let’s say the owner of the document who applied for the same cannot claim it personally during its release due to certain responsibilities to attend to. So he sends his sibling to travel from their far-away place all the way to Tacloban, bearing only his notarized letter of authorization.
But upon reaching the office, the document is withheld as the owner’s valid ID is still required. The sibling contacts his brother via his cellphone, so the document owner sends the picture of his valid ID through the messenger. But still, the office employees do not release the document. The half-day travel (one way) and all the expenses incurred are wasted just because these public servants must be obeyed, their arrogant policies followed.
What’s despicable is that the more that the clients suffer, the stricter they become. They take pleasure in people’s agonies. They are heartless, inconsiderate, and numb to other people’s misfortunes. What they deem important is the respect and esteem that people give them, which elevate them to high levels.
No, they are far from being servants of the people. Instead, they are bosses and superiors, if not gods and goddesses. How high-minded they are, acting with much superiority, abusive, and arrogant. They think great of themselves while looking down on others. Even if they can already give what’s being asked of them, they keep delaying it so people would keep chasing them, hence their importance. They are hard to get, so to speak. You have to bow down before them before you can avail of their services.
Is that the kind of public servant we deserve to have? Is that how they should behave and deal with people? Are they the people to whose salaries our taxes go? Are they really public servants, or servants of the devil?