Today is the Innocents' Day, commemorating the mass extra-judicial killing (worse than the Ampatuan massacre of 58 people), of all male babies in Israel as ordered by King Herod, the mass slaughter of the innocents. He was, of course, targeting the newly-born Messiah, who was rumored to be the King of Kings. Luckily, by God's design, Joseph and Mary were able to escape to the southern part of Israel, cross the Mount Sinai area, and get asylum in Egypt. Today is also a day when tricksters play some cruel and destructive jokes and steal silly things just for fun. But, this is also the opportune time to think of the most despicable criminals, the conscienceless beasts who commit heinous crimes with impunity and with arrogance.
And so, today, let us reflect on the evil that the modern Herods are doing, killing innocent people with impunity, raping young virgins without remorse, murdering unborn children through abortion, bombing cities and communities, and terrorizing hapless residents, and displacing people from their homes. Let us think of the drug lords who amass billions and also amass tremendous powers by manufacturing, selling, and distributing dangerous and prohibited drugs to young and old alike. These scoundrels and scums of human society are destroying communities, and countries. If we do not address this social malady with a sense of urgency and strong will, we will end up becoming a nation of drug addicts who shall become the next set of leaders to run our country to the dogs.
Next to the drug lords, are the illegal recruiters, illegal traffickers of young, innocent girls who are sold to brothels abroad and under the guise of being entertainers, waitresses, or spa therapists. They end up realizing that that they were trafficked in person precisely to become prostitutes. The illegal recruiters bleed victims from hinterlands, entice them to work abroad, promise them high positions and jobs with attractive perks and big salaries, only to end up being sold to modern slave traders who demand from them immoral and illegal services, including sex. And the victims are not just men, but also men. Today, there is a new trend of trafficking young men and women, even children, so that they would be murdered, and their hearts, livers, kidneys, and other vital organs can be sold for hundreds of thousand dollars.
Then, beware of scalawags and rascals who are purveyors of money scams, many of whom are religious leaders who promise hefty returns for investments in pyramid schemes. The hard-earned money of Overseas Filipino Workers, of government and private sector retirees are lost to these terribly despicable pieces of humanity, the estafadors, the manlolokos and the mangingilads; men, women and people of different genders and races. Many of them operate through the social media, using the internet to get your hard-earned savings, and run away with billions, leaving you hopeless, despondent, and angry.
Remember the words of Carmi Martin: And mundo ay isang malaking Quiapo. Naglilipana ang mga manloloko, mandurukot at mga hunghang at pusakal na mga holduppers, pickpockets, and thieves. Today is the time to ponder on them, and think of all the ways how to avoid and/or destroy them.