Thursday, October 1, 2009

Ondoy's Three Hoarse men (err and woman)


The Book of Revelations, revered throughout the ages as one of the most important books of the bible, is full of imagery and symbols. One of its most popular symbols, the three Horsemen, was used by the Biblical writer John, as God's messengers of doom.

If the early Christians and Jews have their horsemen, here, in the Philippines, we have our own version, consistent of course with the Pinoy penchant for duplicating whatever is good (and even the bad, i.e., government) from foreign religio-cultural perspectives.

I'm talking about our three "hoarse" men. They are Manila Congressman "and preacher extraordinaire", the irrepressible Benny Abante of the sixth district of Manila. Following him in his red chariot is Pampanga Congressman, Mikey " The Facebook Donkey" Arroyo (red symbolizing the color of the wine he bought from Rustan's supermarket last Sunday). And of course, who would ever forget Jackie " The once Jacque" Bermejo.

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our three hoarse men, those who blame us for the catastrophe that is Typhoon Ondoy.

First that God sent was Jacque (or Jackie). She wrote in her socnets how God decided to punish us for our transgressions, that we, the people of Metro Manila and other provinces, deserve God's wrath.

I don't know when or where Jackie met God, but I'll not question if she really met The Creator and that the Almighty told her a secret no one already knows. What is important--Jackie berated us for the catalysmic event that killed more than 300 people, displaced 2 or even 3 million people and destroyed billions of pesos worth of property.

She was followed by Mikey, who, in his signature "Nero"-tic style, bought wine when all of us were asking for water. Like Bermejo, Mikey bemoaned some people's views against him, and even proposed that Facebook in the Philippines be regulated.

Probably Mikey thought that Facebook is some sort of a Congress that he can manipulate to dismiss impeachment complaints, or pay to railroad investigations or even goad its members to pass a defective con-ass.

And, it is as if by some cue (probably from "god"--small "g"), "Dr", "Preacher" Benny Abante came, with a bible in his hand, and echoed what Bermejo said. Abante blamed the people for sinning against God, and told us that we deserved to be punished.

Abante might have thought of his constituents in the sixth district of Manila who suffered, like all others, from the devastating onslaught of muddy Pasig river water with trash and mud. Abante knows that people would blame him for not doing anything to help them, so he then got his bible, turned to page so and so in the Book of Revelations, and blamed the people for their sins against God.

Abante's statement was a classic diversionary tactic, meant to beguile the innocent and convert the intelligent and turn them into bumbling, stupid, believers of the Lie.

Benny Abante wants the people to believe that his principal, the Great Madame Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is blameless from all of these. Since he already partook of those great meals, Abante forgot that Mrs. Arroyo spent P 800 million of our monies to pay for those expensive trips abroad, leaving us with nothing to spend in times of calamities.

Abante blamed the people for those anti-flood pumps installed by the MMDA which failed to function. Abante blamed us for PAGASA not having those Dopler weather detection devices because government spent its budget elsewhere.

Abante blamed the people for not believing in government, that this government did not err in that ZTE-NBN deal, nor committed grave thievery in that Fertilizer fund scam.

Abante probably even thought that those people who filed an impeachment complaint against Ombusman Merceditas Gutierrez were big-time sinners because he found nothing wrong with Gutierrez doing nothing in her office but sit it all out until the Day of Perdition (June 30, 2010) comes. Nothing wrong with not filing a case against the First Gentleman in that Jose Pidal thing. Nothing wrong with staying her hand against corruption cases committed by big-time Malacanang operators. And it is absolutely angelic of her not signing the "death" warrants of certain government officials who got billions from noddles, books, roads and bridges and even anti-flood devices.

For Abante, it is the people's fault that they did not support government initiatives of carving out huge mining concessions in Tanay and other parts of Rizal. Abante might have thought that the people is to blame for not supporting government's charter change initiative, seeing it as a sin for not giving agreement with their plan of transforming the entire Philippines into a real estate bonanza.

Jesus Christ once told some Pharisees and Sadducees even ordinary Jews in his time that " He who does not sin should cast the first stone." In those times, not one threw a stone against that woman whom they accused of being a prostitute. For in those times, even Jews who crucified the Christ, still bear some sense of delicadeza in them, even though they were not conquered by the Spaniards.

Our three "hoarse" men, especially those two gentlemen from Pampanga and Manila, already threw those stones. They are God's anointed, the sinless, blameless angels who reminded us of our sins.

I was reminded of an appeal by government yesterday about people throwing big rocks and stones whenever government trucks pass them by. These trucks bear those pan de sals and softdrinks that Malacanang thinks would satisfy the thirst and hunger of the people.

Was yesterday's stone-throwing incident of the people, a portent of things to come, a sign from the judicious God that this is really the time to throw stones at the real prostitute of the elite?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you very much for reading my blog. You inspired me. But if you intend to put your name "anonymous", better not comment at all. Thanks!