‘Abilify’ a much needed medicine

Given how early it is in the political or politicized season, I have not taken many of the speeches seriously. But after a couple of weeks I have to say that things have taken a turn for the worse. Candidates are actually beginning to believe the fantasy they weave, some have fallen into one pit after another and many have resorted to almost “primitive and superstitious behavior” that we Filipinos should start paying closer attention to because in the end the people always pay the price for the mistakes of their leaders and those we look up to.

When I use the word primitive and superstitious, I mean exactly that.

If God Almighty were to read a charge sheet against many candidates for 2016 it might read something like this:

“You are charged with the sin of ‘Invoking the dead.’

You constantly remind people that they died and that you are related to them and using them to stir pity, sympathy and get yourself elected. But hardly do you ever honor me or invoke my name in a proper manner.

You are guilty of ancestor worship, honoring them to the point of making people worship them for what you claim to be their accomplishments and achievements, making them saints or heroes by endlessly speaking of their sacrifice that was nothing more than becoming politicians or getting even with their enemies in politics or business. But never once did you associate their accomplishments as part of my will and my plan for them and my actions.

“You are guilty of obeying the stars and your opportune calendars and modern day wizards and promoting idolatry instead of calling upon my guidance.

“You are guilty of Idolatry; worshipping your President, your political programs and slogans and attributing to him all the positive accomplishments and good news almost as if he did it all. You offend me by saying that only you and your kind can carry on the ‘good works’ without ever once, daring or boldly declaring, that all the good things that have come to this nation has been by my hand and divine purpose. 

“You are guilty of causing discord and disunity and ungodly conduct among my people. Your lewd and lustful conduct is displayed on the very stage you hail each other as the “Honorable” men and then you excuse your wickedness by blaming the poor and the ignorant as the people responsible for this practice. Who brought this lewdness upon them and in their midst? Was it not your money and your so-called friends?

“You have spent great wealth, millions upon millions of pesos to glorify and promote yourselves when all that money could have been spent to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, minister to widows, orphans and the aged, then you call yourselves ‘Maka-Tao at Maka Diyos.’

“By the same mouth you praise yourselves and by same mouth you curse men and to me you give lip service in the hypocrisy of your opening and closing prayers.”

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Yesterday I came across an “ad” shown on Saturday Night Live about a very special medicine for a very special kind of disease, that is now present both in the United States and in the Philippines. To get a better appreciation Google Saturday Night Live – Abilify in order to see the complete video, but just to tickle you a little here is how the advertisement goes:
Opening scene, a couple are shown strolling and the wife entering frame:

“Mental illness does not run in our family, so I never thought it could happen to someone I love. But then my husband started getting confused; he’d say things that just didn’t make any sense. Things like:

‘And come next November, I Rick Santorium will be President of the United States’…and he believed this. That’s when I knew….he had Dementia.

Scene 2 shifts to another couple:

My husband Mike Huckabee used to be my rock, my partner and then one night last month he got up in the middle of the night and started packing a suitcase. He wasn’t making any sense and was muttering: “Kim’s in jail and I got to go get her out of jail and I’m gonna be in jail and that’s gonna make me President. It seemed that he didn’t even know what year it was or how the world worked.” (“Kim” is the county clerk who went to jail for refusing to issue a marriage license to a gay couple).

Third scene is in a whitewashed Americana kitchen with Miley Cyrus as wife of another Presidential aspirant:

“My husband Jim Gilmore is the love of my life but lately he’s been having these episodes. Husband: “Honey the Gallup polls have me up by 1.2 % in Iowa, White House hear we come!” Wife: Yey, I cannot wait to be First Lady!.... Do you see? He’s…..sick… and he needs help!

Physician endorser:

“Now there’s help for people who think they can be President. Abilify destroys the damaged part of the brain that says I’m going to be President resulting into an almost immediate return to reality. It’s the only Dementia medication prescribed for specific people who think they can be president.

So ask your doctor about Abilify because not just anyone can be President!

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After reading the short piece about occupying the road in Barrio Kapitolyo, Rockwell Primaries responded by saying that the steel barriers were a momentary security installation and was ordered removed ASAP by Mr. Mike Lopez. Rockwell will also clear and fix the non-existent sidewalk surrounding the property for everyone’s benefit.

If there is still time or if they have not thought about it, Rockwell Primaries should have EXTRA public parking space not just for residents, they might want to develop the ground floor into a publicly accessible commercial area for business and not make it into an exclusive community with high walls and no direct benefits to local residents.

Fighting development and commerce is almost a futile war, but if the Lopez group and Rockwell Primaries actually created public/commercial spaces and strategically provided multiple entrance and exits like Capitol Commons has done across Shaw Boulevard, I have no doubts that such a development would improve and compliment places like Barrio Kapitolyo. Hopefully we can all say: Thank God for answered prayers.

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