EDITORIAL - Men on motorbikes

First it was pro-life advocate Rene Josef Bullecer who singled out Koreans as regular patrons of the controversial massage styles called “lingam” and “yoni” in which the genitals of men (in the case of the former) and of women (in the case of the latter) are given the works.

 The remark not only elicited a swift denial by honorary South Korean consul Augusto Go, it also rankled the burgeoning Korean community in Cebu. To their credit, however, the Koreans have chosen to take the slur, if not in stride, then at least in silence.

 But no sooner had the flap from the irresponsible Bullecer statement died down than now comes yet another, er, “complicated” statement, this time from city councilor Nida Cabrera, said in the course of her desire to have so-called “informal lenders” taxed by the BIR.

 Actually, there is merit in Cabrera’s proposal. But she should have looked at the larger picture, like taxing the entire informal lending sector, instead of telescoping her sights to single out the Indians, whom she specifically described as “men on motorbikes.”

 While singling out the Indians may not constitute a slur in the same way that it did in the case of the Bullecer statement against Koreans, still, by specifically identifying them, Cabrera may have ensured the death of her proposal for being a selective piece of legislation.

 The law, of which taxation is one form, must apply to all. But Cabrera has just given her proposal a face, that of an Indian, a man on a motorcycle. She has profiled him. Profiling raised hell in Arizona, and will do so anywhere where equal application of the law is respected.

 Even if Cabrera modifies the language of her proposal, the cat is already out of the bag. She has already manifested her intent, which is to tax the Indian moneylenders. Forewarned, the Indians can now throw every legal barrier in her path to avoid being singled out by law.

 Ironically, these two careless statements bring to sharp focus how Filipinos deal with such sensitive issues. Filipinos are onion-skinned and easily squirm at perceived slurs committed by others but are not as hot in exercising restraint and respect for the sensibilities of others.