FINDING GOOD OUT OF BAD

Often referred to US, EU and the UN, the rhetoric of President Rodrigo Duterte in several occasions drew negative feedback from both local and international community.  Seems encouraged from earning criticism from one rhetoric after another, the President uttered even more negative pronouncements against those who are criticising his administration’s crime against war and extra judicial killings.  Raising his middle finger, calling in particular “son of a whore” and hypocrite, telling "go to hell" to those international critics.  All these are tantamount to losing our foreign relationship, jeopardize the Filipino overseas workers and harm our economic opportunity.

Cursing is not good and if it is coming from someone holding the highest position in the land, it is unbecoming for a respected, elected and entrusted person for the position.  In many occasions, the President categorically said that he doesn’t want US.  Accordingly, he is saying the American, as long as here in the Philippines, peace will not achieve.  Again, his anti-American comments he unleashed regarding the human rights violations and another about the joint military exercise of USA and Philippines.  In a speech, another rhetoric was made when he dared the US, EU and UN to withdraw their aid to the Philippines.  Adding that if they think it is high time for them to withdraw their assistance, they can go ahead.  They can go away and bring their money to somewhere else.   He is saying, Philippines will not beg for it, Philippines is not mendicants and Philippines will survive as a nation.  Philippines will never compromise its dignity as a Filipino.  All of these successive tirades are expected to attract different reactions from both pros and cons.

Amidst of the hates and unfavourable reactions, I want to try to find the positive side of all these negative feedback coming from all sides of stories.  So I thought why don’t we, maybe we Filipinos, should take these turn of events (especially the casting out of US and EU) as good opportunity for us to prove ourselves to make the best out of what we can to become independent as one nation?  Why don’t we take these as challenge that we can stand on our own.  Maybe it serves as a wake-up call to all Filipinos to disown the personal interests, political party, and take time to unite for the sake of our country.  Maybe it is about time for corrupt government officials to finally start anew as honest public servants for the sake of the real Change.  May all these things serve as starting point to use, cultivate, empower and enrich our available resources, enhance our skills and ourselves into a better Filipino to prove that we can really survive.  Good or bad they are experience to keep, lessons to learn.

I think I am sharing the same intuition and presumption with the President the reason to believe that we can do it on our own.  Why am I saying this is because when the world’s strongest typhoon Yolanda hit our country and the monetary aides from international community flooded us, the people of Tacloban seemed not really benefited from these generous and abundant aides.  We heard from the grapevine that international donations were looted, politicised and mishandled.   If that is the case, it shows that the present condition that we are seeing now in Tacloban is the fruit of the government’s funds and Filipinos’ volunteerism called bayanihan, that meaning to say even without the billion aides of our neighbouring countries, the Philippines can still make it through our own government resources and we will really survive.

I am not supporting the renouncement of alliance or diplomatic relationship, glorifying arrogance and tirades, and disregarding effort to become independent but what I am trying to point here is the positive side that we can still get out of these controversies.  When the President wanted to stop the joined military exercise per se of Philippines and US in the country, it was not the joined force that the President stops but the American alliance to slam the door on the West and make opportunity with China and Russia.  And I am not in favour of this because we do not need to make enemies to make new friends and no one in this earth can be alone.  As I have said amidst of this chaos, I am still trying to be positive and look the brighter side.