A 16-year-old speaks out

Catherine Rollan is a high school senior at School of the Holy Spirit-Quezon City. Scanning the social horizon at a tender age of 16, she fears for her future. Catherine speaks for Generation Y that feels let down by today’s leaders. Her reaction to my piece Monday, “Don’t trust the top to start cleanup”:

“As a child I was filled with hope for the future. I believed that in my country anything is possible. I believed in the goodness of the Filipino. I defended the President and allies. I stood against opposition supporters, telling them that allegations against the administration were lies. That optimism has turned into anxiety and doubt.

“Your article fuelled my rage against government. What happened to exposés of the ZTE, Northrail and fertilizer scams? All these came and went as if nothing bad happened. Was Arroyo’s “war versus corruption” an empty promise during her SONA? I need answers.

“And what have we Filipinos done? Everyone complains of price spikes and corruption, but we don’t see anyone doing anything about it. What happened to the patriotism of the EDSA Revolution? Our democracy should address the majority’s need. But do we even comprehend that the authority we grant, we can remove if necessary?

“I wonder what God thinks of this predominantly Catholic land with its Catholic leaders behaving in the most un-Catholic of ways. Should we be wiped out like Sodom and Gomorrah? Little folk strive to get through the day, while leaders plot to rob those they should serve. To think, they are sworn into office by the Bible and go to church on Sundays. If this is what it means to be Catholic and Filipino, I am ashamed to be both.

“Congress is moving to extend the President’s term. When I first heard the news, I wanted to scream. Hasn’t she had enough traveling and spending for two terms? What will it take for her to step down?

“By society’s standards I am still young. At 16 I should be worrying about grades, boys, and the occasional teenage rebellion — and yet I worry about my future. I asked Dad if he favored impeaching Arroyo. He told me what many feel: that she has only a few years left in office and nobody can replace her, so just wait it out. Honestly, I’d rather have a Mao Zedong or a Fidel Castro to rule us. At least they did something they believed in the best interest of their people.

“In two years I will be voting. Through all the false promises of the candidates, the hidden agendas and post-election protests, I ask: does voting even matter?

“But it does. In spite of our leaders’ wrongs, I cling to a spark of idealism and nationalism. I still love my country.”

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Shh, don’t look now, but isn’t that RP’s most prominent political clan we see flying to Hong Kong for a long weekend? Almost a hundred of them ­­— siblings, cousins, children, aides and nannies — are booked in several hotels in the island for Dec. 5 to 8. Among them are at least three congressmen and four Malacañang appointees. Guess who’s footing the bill.

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Five soldiers were killed and two wounded in ambush by communist guerrillas in Surigao Wednesday. Before that, a policewoman was killed and four colleagues wounded in similar ambush in Negros. And before that a Special Forces lieutenant was captured after New People’s Army rebels wiped out his squad in firefight in Compostela. And in the same province before that, the NPAs took a machinegun and three assault rifles from three slain and two wounded soldiers. Rebels killed and maimed more soldiers and policemen earlier this year in Luzon and Visayas. At least twice they sprung free imprisoned comrades.

Is the army losing to insurgents?

It would seem so, since the best the army can do by way of retaliation is to summarily execute, abduct and torture unarmed militants.

The NPA is gaining military parity. Guerrillas may not possess tanks, attack helicopters or dive-bombers, but they have better morale and tactics. How else would they rout supposedly trained soldiers, especially Special Forces?

By contrast government troops are demoralized. People expect them to lay down lives for the “democratic system.” But they see that system rotting under a corrupt government. Like civilians, they are fed up with the Congress pork barrel, Malacañang kickbacks and judiciary bribery. They see political families perpetuated in office, elections continually rigged, and generals positioned by patronage instead of performance. Yet they do not have enough station hospitals or modern warfare gadgets or battle support.

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