Willie’s cross

IN JOEY Velasco’s “Mga Munting Simon Sereno,” Jesus Christ sees the pain felt by small children carrying his cross, their innocent eyes showing no sign of reluctance, unlike mature and rational men who complain about their existential angst.

Willie Revillame is that cross. Revillame can forever argue that he only wants to entertain, that he wants to give joy to the poor and that he only wants to help. In the case of Jan-jan, however, he has committed a grave moral wrong—he violated the poor child’s basic humanity.

In a statement, the child’s parents have expressed no disapproval of the kind of abuse inflicted against their child, even pointing out that Jan-jan was simply acting. Jan-jan is a child. Children are not supposed to suffer for the ignorance and irresponsibility of their parents.

We adults have options in terms of the leaders we choose. We have options in terms of the person we are to marry. But a child does not have an option in terms of who becomes his or her parent. In this regard, being a mother or a father is a moral responsibility, an inescapable responsibility. There is only one moral option for a parent—to love their children.

Jan-jan cannot change the biological fact of his existence. But we have a government precisely because it is incumbent upon us to correct, in the best possible way we can, the ills of human life. Where there is inhumanity, laws are meant to change that fact. Thus, if we have enough bright men and women in government, the only option is for the state to intervene and free this child from hell.

A lot has been written about Revillame. As a teacher and a public official, if children ask me who this person is, I will only say one thing about him: garbage.

—RYAN MABOLOC,
ryanmaboloc@gmail.com