To rally or not to rally

I currently find myself loitering in Makati, the place to be where all the actions happen, and would again about to happen.

I didn't go to my alleged 'work' today. Hold your assumptions. I did not file for leave to attend the 4 pm Makati rally to oust PGMA. I did it for many reasons. One of which is to fix some 'top secret' requirements in Makati. Second was to meet an old friend from school for lunch. And third, to find a hotspot to blog and kick off my weekend. Okay, I was exaggerating at the third reason, but I did have plans of attending the rally at 4 pm with my socialist friend Rosella.

According to my eavesdropping report, military cues and media vans are already positioned at the four courners of Paseo De Roxas-Ayala intersection as I type. People are talking about it, like a required topic of conversation or like an opening segment. People are expected to know that something reminiscent of the Manila Penn Standoff might just happen. But the tone is really apathetic. The majority's primary concern summing it up, would be heavy traffic...traffic...traffic. After all, the rally would kick off just an hour before majority day shift ends.

I actually have mixed feelings about what's been happening in this country lately. I'm excited because of the expose developments. I'm frustrated and sad because of another muddle, we publicly and globally, got ourselves into. Yet I'm tired and beinging to be numb by the periodic political events that always seem unpleasant.

In six months time, we're on the roll again. Backed up by currently being in the information industry, I was made fully aware of the Lozada expose and continous presentation of evidence of corruption against the government. To tell you the truth it's sickening already. We know the government has been corrupt, but to put it into figures, like millions of dollars and the multitude of nasty systems lacking of basic integrity just really make everything frustrating. We have not even fully recovered from the countless regime wounds, and now we're at it again. It's a like wound that doesn't fail to heal as it's always being poked until the person is numb of pain. In this case, we are numb already.

One perspective may derive that activities and systems, done in the heat of corruption were fairly mediocre actually. Our cases fail in comparison to the mind-boggling CSI cases and FBI cases other countries face, but how come we can't even get through the simple Airport scene, where Lozada was allegedly abducted. Just take in consideration this particular issue. We've got the tools. We've got surveillance. (Wow, I'm impressed we have them actually) We have log books, which automatically crosses out the verbal testimonies of officials, which they have publicly and efficiently demonstrated. Simple truths about simple process backed by simple proofs, cannot even be verified. We are drowned by too many versions and interpretations on different sides. Who's telling what?!

Apparently, we are good at confusing ourselves. We have also mastered the art of finger-pointing and representing truths in different versions. It's sad that we put fantasy and creativity to foul use. Anything to get off the hook as they say. We have been creative in making simple series of events more complicated that it's becoming tiring to sew pieces together to trace back the truth.

According to an ambush interview, well more of like an ambush plea captured on TV actually, Romulo Neri, one of the major players of this conundrum, was being hounded by people to tell the truth. Mr. Neri, gracious, intelligent and physically harmless as he looks, politely respected the people's plea, but firmly said that all truths will be said in the proper time, and there's more to the truth than we already think. Well, I would applaud his serenity and respect for individuals, I'd give him that. But I'm really not sure if I want to prolong this conundrum anytime sooner. Or wait, this will just gradually and automatically die down, in say 2 years or so. Let it die the natural death, and by the time we are hit with another political crisis, this might be a perfect footage for all networks to use, sort of like an MTV. We'll end up scratching our heads and say "What was the truth in the first place?" And sigh.."We never learn." Why can't information and truth be so difficult in this country!

And now we've come down to this Makati rally. There's a truth to the fact that people are tired or rally. We've done it so many times, that I often see it as an immediate bandage to the problem. The president is powerfully corrupt (who is not by the way?), so immediately go to the streets force her to resign. Seriously, doing it three times already, nay, doing it exactly twice, and attempting once, and now this...i think it's not cute anymore. It just tells that there's something wrong in the whole system. There's something wrong with the people in the government. Maybe there's already something wrong with us. What a shocker, sarcastically speaking of course.

When will we ever learn that doing business is not efficiently done through 'lagays' or bribery. It may sound more convenient, but where's the integrity there? Isn't integrity valued anymore? I think this should be given proper consideration in the foundation years of any person. IT really helps. WE've tried everything, haven't we? Why not dedicate a specific subject or course to properly embed values that we would really rely on and use when we're adults. Now, just look at us, people being pulled down to death threats with forms of media and public harassments.

I respect those people who are present or have initiated the rally. It's their own way of venting out and expressing their distaste to the government. Believe me, I'm also not in favor of the corruption and atrocities. But something weighs down on me to be practical and to wait. I'd rather listen, research and be updated on the developments of the hearing than go to the streets. I'd rather write blogs, write letters and inspire people more to value integrity, than going to the streets. I'd rather be informed and empowered. Maybe that's just my way of venting out.

We all have our ways of expression, and passive or not, we do not like this government anymore. Maybe being a nationalist not necessarily be limited in the streets. Being a nationalist should be empowered through information, values and genuine love for the country. That love should be able to usher and initiate solutions that would cure the core, and not just do the band-aid them.

I want the truth. And I want to make the change at the right time, the right way. I want to personally understand what we need and influence people to do their part. Being a supreme nation, a year of absent forms of political instability, is possible. IT is probable if we only give value to integrity, and we only live for the truth. Otherwise it would be damn complicated, damn tiring, damn hopeless, and find ourselves converging on the streets again.