Playing with inferno

I've always been an avid reader of books. From fairy tales to love stories and horror chronicles -I read them all. In my journey as a book worm, I became an aficionado of controversial novelist Dan Brown.

There is something in Brown which unleashes the imagination and logic of every reader. His works such as The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are creative literary works that allow the readers to run along with the character's mind.

Dan Brown's career as a novelist has gone a long way, with a lot of achievements and praises. But on the other end, he is not spared from endless backlashes because of his writings. I pity this great writer who does his craft for a living.

Brown's number one enemy is the Catholic Church because of the controversial information he injects in his novels about the faith. Although the Catholic Church is entitled to express its opinion, I don't think an accomplished writer such as Brown deserves this kind of treatment. Like I said, everybody is entitled to their freedom especially now that we are in the 21st century. Gone are the days of persecution and public punishment because of blasphemy, that is if there was any in Brown's works.

Just recently, Brown released his newest book “Inferno”. As it was just hitting the shelves, critics also started with their Brown bashing. In the book, a character described Manila with an image of “Six-hour traffic jams, suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade, whose workers consisted primarily of young children, many of whom had been sold to pimps by parents who took solace in knowing that at least their children would be fed.” And in the later part, the character said, “I've run through the gates of hell.”

On social media sites, a lot of Filipinos expressed being hurt by this description. It is as if Dan Brown is attacking the Philippines with his horrid description. But on the other end, it has become a means for us to evaluate our country's capital.

I've been to Manila a couple of times and I'm not exactly its number one fan. I cannot stand the traffic and the smog every morning. During those couple of times I was in Manila, I have seen the truth in Brown's words of six-hour traffic jams and suffocating pollution. Imagine traveling the streets of the cities at 2 in the morning still in a traffic jam. That's how horrible it is.

The sex trade could not be denied, too. In a documentary by a local television network, a pimp right in front of the camera showed the public how it was to invite potential customers to her business. College students from the university belt use their body in exchange for money to help them get by their continuing education. And truth be told, it's not only Manila who's in it for sex trade. Our own Cebu has cybersex dens manned by foreigners. Just a month ago, NBI-7 raided a den owned by an Australian National whose workers admitted to the truth of sex in exchange for money.

And that's reality. We have failed to preserve the prestige of Manila as the country's capital. I understand the side of those who want to defend our country's image. But then again, it's the truth.