Advance warnings

While channel surfing the other day, I came across one of those old Filipino movies circa ’70s. The movie was already in the thick of the plot and what I surmised was that a criminal gang had kidnapped a young lady who had been tied up and was surrounded by a pack of lusting would-be rapists. Aside from the bad acting what got my attention was how the rape scene was stretched to the max by taunting the victim and making fun of her like some human sacrifice about to be consumed. I decided it was not something I wanted to see to the end so I continued flipping channels. But that chance encounter made me wonder what government bodies such as the MTRCB are doing to filter or at least minimize the stretch and glorification of rape scenes or themes that was once normal in Philippine cinemas in the ’70s but are now unacceptable especially in the era of the #ME TOO Movement.

Between uncensored brutal violence cloaked as combat sports all the way to rape scene reruns, it seems that the only thing left taboo is partial or full nudity on subscription TV. What is the point of having guardians and gatekeepers if they themselves enjoy or permit the very things we would not want our children to see. If you’re a parent please mind what channels you subscribe and consider what other shows will be accessible to minors. If the channel providers or the MTRCB can’t protect minors, it is now up to us to block and oppose rape reruns and brutal violence!

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Things happen for a reason.

Harry Roque, former presidential spokesperson and senate aspirant recently shared that he had undergone an unscheduled two-stent angioplasty that forced him to back out of the senate race due to the mandatory two-month recovery period. In his interview in the program “The Chiefs” on OneNewsph. Roque detailed the typical symptoms that led to his angiogram and angioplasty. Roque also shared how he was initially angry about having to back out of the race after spending so much time and effort on his candidacy. Then again the alternative could have been worse. He could have died, much like I could have been a pile of ashes spread in our weekend farm in Lipa three weeks ago after a similar incident.

Instead Harry Roque and I are alive by the grace of God. At a time when a number of friends or acquaintances have been shot dead in public, died of cancer or are undergoing twice a week dialysis treatments, I have seriously spent time reflecting on why some get “saved” while others don’t even know what hit them. If you get hit with cancer chances are you might question God’s goodness and ask; “Why me?” But then we could also get over the anger or pain and say, “Thanks for the heads up.” In time we will all meet our maker, but few are blessed with an “advanced notice” to set our affairs in order, to get right with the Lord or to live a better life and be a better person. As humans, such inconvenient or painful interruptions are violently unwelcomed and resented, but that’s largely because we live life believing: “I am the master of my fate – I am the captain of my soul.” We ignore warning signs, some of my dead friends ignored their doctor’s advice, a friend’s invitation to go to church or join a Bible study group and simply carried on living the life until they prematurely died.

I could have been angry just like Harry because all the money I spent was suppose to go to my daughter’s college fund. But instead, the unfortunate incident and unwelcomed expense was merely the tuition fee required to educate me on my condition, attitude and lifestyle. When I first got out of the hospital, I did not even bother to follow the one week or two-month rest period. I went straight to work the following day. I thought nothing of the procedure simply because I’ve had it twice before. But after speaking with a number of cardiologists, I learned that my body would have a hard time recovering unless I learned to stand down and relax. Thereafter I decided that work, goals, or concerns were not worth dying for. I finally came to terms with the fact that I needed to spend more time enjoying my relationships, my God-given blessings and status and to focus on putting a lot of things in order. More importantly, it led me to give ear and focus more on God’s Word, God’s Work wherever and whenever.

During Harry Roque’s interview with The Chiefs, my colleagues at OneNewsPh were very interested about Roque’s plans and how soon he would be returning into the ring or the political arena. I could feel the tension that Roque was going through, unsure if he would promote and talk more about his happy, healthy lifestyle growing strawberries and mums in Baguio or dive in and talk about what The Chiefs wanted to talk about; politics and lawyering, the two fields that made Harry Roque into what the public knows of him. Ironically, politics and lawyering is old news while growing strawberries and mums and living in Baguio is something so many people can only dream of. Harry Roque’s political aspiration may have been rudely interrupted but it is a blessing in disguise. He got saved, he gets to live, but the question is does he even realize it?

My dad Louie Beltran went into the night at 58. He knew about his medical condition, he hinted or would tell me that he had maybe 10 good years to live. Sadly after he passed away, I had to sort the “stuff ” he left behind. Stuff he never got to use, read, wear or play with. He too had sufficient advance warning but sadly he rolled the dice differently. God placed eternity in our hearts but numbered our days. Please consider this article as one of those “advance warnings”. God bless you.

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