A Christmas message for all

Christmas Day is this Sunday, so I guess I have to write my Christmas message today. Turn on your TV sets or read the front pages of our newspapers and you will see a sudden shift from last week’s daily fare of ugly politics that the Aquino regime seem to have embarked in the altar of reforms. But many of us do not see any reforms, especially in the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. What we see is nothing but ugly politics were power mad politicians want total control of our political system, which is no different from the dark old days of Martial Rule.

What is even uglier is the stark reality that the rah-rah boys of the Aquino regime do not even see the danger ahead of Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III having the Judiciary kneel before him. I am reminded of the beginnings of Martial Law, which started with the fake ambush of then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. Yes, during the EDSA Revolt, he made his mea culpa admitting that the prelude to Martial Law was staged.

That the impeachment complaint filed against Chief Justice Corona passed in the House of Representatives without any debate tells you that all these things are also staged. The past months, all the news emanating from Metro Manila was about the arrest of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the impeachment of the Chief Justice. We do not see any reforms in these issues. Real reforms can only be had through charter changes.

With Christmas Day just a couple of days away, allow me to share a Christmas message that I wish Pres. PNoy should also read. My message comes from scripture in Matt 7:3, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” There is also a saying, which goes, “When you point an accusing finger at someone please take note that three of your fingers are pointing back to you!”

Many of us probably think that God is nonchalant at what our political leaders are doing … or worse, some even say that God doesn’t exist anymore. But I assure you, God doesn’t only exist, he is angry with us especially our politicians who use their power to get back at their political enemies and call it reforms. God is angry and I believe that Typhoon Sendong was allowed to happen in Northern Mindanao, which is not a traditional path for typhoons, in order for our politicians to refocus themselves on the more important issues that affect our people.

Pres. PNoy signed an all-out log ban … then forgot it. He did not know that in that part of the country, the rule of law doesn’t exist. A President’s Executive Order is not given any serious thought. Hence the illegal logging continues and if Typhoon Sendong didn’t wash out all those logs, we would never know or see how rampant illegal logging in Northern Mindanao is. Let’s hope for this Christmas, Pres. PNoy will refocus and run after those illegal loggers rather than his political enemies.

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Last Monday morning, our group called “The Sons of David” held its celebration of the Holy Mass at the Community Scouts along Carlock St. Basak, Mambaling in order to spread Christmas cheer to those who have less in life. Indeed, the Community Scouts Center, which is a project of the City of Cebu and the Task Force Street Children with the Cebu Rotary Club (Mother), is a place where abandoned or street children can have a halfway house and be given a chance to succeed in life.

Our good friend, Earl Kokseng convinced the group that we should celebrate Christmas there. But when he was asked to speak, he pointed to me instead. In my short talk, I asked the children if they entertained the thought that perhaps it was better if their parents who abandoned them should have aborted them in the first place. I could see the heads of the kids shaking their heads with a big no. This proves to you that even in the lowest ebb of their life, when they could not find the love of their parents, they still found that life was worth living for.          

The Gospel reading last Sunday was about the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist to his mother Elizabeth who was considered barren. In ancient times, a barren woman meant that she was not given a blessing or may even be cursed by God because one of the greatest blessings that God bestows upon a person is the gift of children. This is especially true to families in the farm as a child means an additional farm hand.

But how the world has changed today. Children are no longer considered a blessing, but a burden. Hence, we have a President who, during the election campaign, vowed to reduce the burden of Filipino parents by introducing the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill so there will be lesser children in this country. Of course PNoy doesn’t realize that with lesser children, we just may have lesser blessings from God. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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