Fat cats on a hot plate

Nothing beats hard work to keep your mind from the distractions of politics and corruption. Out here in the Dagupan-Calasiao area of the province of Panga-sinan, I am awed and inspired how regular folks just keep on doing what they do best: work hard.

Very little time seems to be spent watching the news or listening to the commentaries and interviews that generally pre-occupy people in Metro Manila. In fact after traveling to Bacolod and Pangasinan, I can’t help thinking that only the Metro folks actually seem to be absorbed with every political event or expose.

What struck me about the folks here in Pangasinan is how they engage in every form of commerce. There is nothing too big or too small for them. As long as a decent and legal opportunity presents itself, they engage it and see it through. The deal can be as small as selling a few coconuts, buying and selling vehicles or real estate projects that require millions, these people jump right in with very little fanfare or hoopla.

In fact the only time some businessmen actually ventured to talk about controversies was at a meeting of local Rotarians where the name of Jocjoc Bolante cropped up because he too is a member of the Rotary club. A senior Rotarian reminded his fellow members that at one point Jocjoc Bolante had aspired to be an International leader or president of the Rotary.

That of course was the only high point on Bolante because other guys started to recall how Bolante (allegedly) personally distributed money during the election campaign in Pangasinan. For the Rotarians who claim to have seen Bolante in action, the common comment was that he seemed to be excessively ambitious and had no qualms of being seen and known as the bag man or Santa Claus during the last Presidential election and he now has to live with the consequence of his actions.

When I asked if they would condemn him for his alleged involvement in the Fertilizer scam, the crowd became still. I guess that explains why the meeting was not formally called to order and why I was no longer called to do my part as the impromptu “Guest Speaker” (joke, joke, joke). Actually, people just got carried away with the Bolante angle until half the crowd realized the lateness of the hour.

The guys I was with that evening are not unique in terms of their hesitation to act or to take a position on such sensitive issues. Many people, organizations and even some churches talk and teach integrity, righteousness, etc but when it comes time to confront a member or stand up on an issue, many Pinoys often choose to stand down, be blind, mute or deaf on an issue. We may be one of the most opinionated people on earth, but that is because it does not require us to stand out and risk our necks.

Bolante will have his day like all others, but even before such problematic or ethical situation arises, I believe that people should be clear about their views, their rules and their position. If we are to teach or promote certain views, rules or lifestyles, it must follow that we all know the consequences when people choose to do otherwise and we must be certain of acting on the matter.

A lot of civic organizations have great difficulty dealing with “troublesome” or scandalous members because they prefer the camaraderie, the Status Quo rather than stand up and say: we have house rules and if you can’t respect them then get out! The one thing that many groups can’t seem to do is to speak out against a member’s behavior, their sin, or their indiscretion.

It may be a university, a fraternity, a church, or clubs like the Rotarians or Lions etc. Not many are out there taking a stand on certain issues of national concern, not just the case of Jocjoc Bolante. Folks just seem to prefer not to rock the boat or “politicize” matters.

Unfortunately, when you choose to live with the devil you know, you eventually realize that you’re also in a living hell. To sit in silence often encourages people to continue in their error or allows them to persist and take advantage of our reluctance or our cowardice to stand up against what we know is wrong.

Sometimes it doesn’t have to be as controversial as the Fertilizer scam. It could be as small an issue as the practice of blindly allowing “suspects” or actual criminals to check in at a hospital simply because “they say” they’re sick or ill and their personal physicians are more than happy to chirp in unison.

While nothing criminal or controversial has yet happened in the many instances of alternative detention as engineered by Physicians, it is only a matter of time before such suspicious if not conspiratorial acts of obstructing the law will one day blow up in the face of the medical profession and the hospitals that are party to giving refuge to people who otherwise should be in jail or in a real detention facility.

This excess privilege of the rich is one clear example of how the rich legislators and officers of the law turn a blind eye or manipulate things because the person involved has a higher status in society. To add insult to injury, this practice makes a mockery of the competence of “government physicians” who are just as good if not more experienced.

As it stands, Senate President Manny Villar should initiate a historical study of cases where hospitals give refuge to people who should be in detention and if necessary conduct an investigation on the matter and should legislate a process that can prevent the abuse and manipulation by doctors who are only too loyal and too willing to aid and abet a known felon or someone avoiding an appearance in Congress.

 As for the rest of us mere mortals, perhaps it is high time to express our indignation by telling our personal physicians and our friends not to patronize hospitals that give shelter to known felons. Imagine if a terrorist was in the next room and a group took him out, would you be willing to be collateral damage?