From Under This Hat: A hey day

By KATHLEEN T. OKUBO

In covering the search for missing activist James Balao it has been noted by other newsmen that the intelligence(t) men of Camp Dangwa and Camp Allen have never been so busy. They mused about them having a hey day pretending to be newsmen. Considering that some of our newsmen are known buddies of this network.

In the first audience of the Balao family, CPA and CHRA at Camp Dangwa with the honorable general and his command, there seemed to be more photographers in uniform than there were participants to the meeting. Such an affront to the sensibilities of the civilians for Camp Dangwa to take so many pictures of their visitors (not their officers) at close range, and unlike the gracious but impoverished press photographers they did not even offer to give copies of their photographs. How can it be denied that they looked upon these civilians searching for their kin and colleague as adversaries even if they keep denying it in the press releases.

At the first hearing of the petition for the writ of amparo because of his arrogant and brash mannerism one photographer was easily distinguished not to be civilian in a crowd of some 50 strangers and a few press photographers by a non-media person. He was later followed to Camp Dangwa.

How will people believe that the uniformed men are really protecting the civilian population if they are looked upon and treated like …scum? It may not necessarily be articulated in plain language but the ugliness of spite is transmitted under the glance, the aura, the posturing, etc. like a ghost raising the hairs behind the neck sowing fear or disdain. An exorcist might mistakenly be called whenever an officer comes by.

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It is all Souls day.

All Saints day has not displayed as much candles and flowers as it used to. Even our offerings to our ancestors are now so limited by the real and present economic crisis. Flower vendors and farmers alike shake their heads and talk of losses when usually this time of the year was always a traditional blessing.

The continued fall of our economy is very real and how we wish our government was really true to its promises to make this nation “great again” or “a strong republic”. If the making of the nation great again brought martial law and then the people power, what could the strong republic also bring?

To strengthen the economy, the department of trade and industry encourages us to buy Filipino products, while our schools, departments of labor and foreign affairs continue to focus on sending out (export) Filipino workers abroad. Then enter into international agreements to buy (import) without tariff foreign produce to kill the market for our own local produce. Finance and economic wizz in government say selling our only resources (land, labor, forest, water, energy, etc) to foreign companies is the answer to our woes as they allow the repatriation of their profits without local advantage.

On the other hand, officers and members of government are caught red handed with large amounts of public funds or ‘unexplained wealth’.

If that is making the nation great again or building a strong republic, I wonder where is it that they are building it. Or are we sure they said the nation or republic was the Philippines? Some hey day they’re having.#