Flawed human mirroring God

What a week! Whatever President Duterte had in mind when he tore into the biblical story of Creation and called God “stupid,” the incident has been the most revealing yet of the nature of this president and, more important, of the Filipino people.

A glaring carnival light lit on this powerful office that has evolved in our history largely without effective check-and-balance, short of mass revolt in case it fell into tyrannical hands. It zoomed in on the man now holding this power in all his flawed humanity.

Then the giant searchlight swept over a people challenged to their deepest core. Provoked to voice their true nature beyond political manipulation, many are now giving meaning to a “sovereign people” outgrowing a president, as mirrored on Facebook.

Will Villanueva’s instant reaction: “I will not take President Duterte’s blasphemous remarks sitting down. Instead of a pity party on FB, eleven men and women stepped out of our digital caves and braved the June drizzle to pray the Holy Rosary, like we were in a secluded place, not the middle of a busy city.

“When I waved the Philippine flag beside the statue of Don Chino Roces, it was like I climbed the tallest mountain, claiming conquest of despair, uncertainty, fear.  A simple act of cutting to the bone among all present—tired, dazed and confused by an unworthy president. But for two hours at the feet of one brave countryman, we were one, a nation undefeated.”

Richard Cavorosa recalled a Colorum leader’s words: “God is goodness, God is justice, God is in the people. He’s in the mountains, the forests, the fields, the water. There can only be love and justice when the people, the land and the water are one.”

Inday Espina Varona introduced a Muslim friend thus: “Bakit daw ang OA ng Christians, wala naman angal ang mga Muslim? Eto si Yusuf — ‘Duterte’s attack on God is not only an attack against Catholicism, but an attack on the Almighty Creator worshipped by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the Abrahamic faiths.’”

Gege Sugue telescoped Mr. Duterte. “If it’s true that the child Duterte had been abused by a priest, then I’m truly sad for him. If that explains why he is the way he is, I get it. He has unresolved pain and feels his recourse is to hit back. But the man is in his twilight years. He’s had a long time to process his pain and cast out his demons.

“If he remains bitter and bitterness drives him to be a hateful man and imbalanced leader, then he really has no business being the president of this country… It is wrong for him to use this country as a clinic for his issues.”

Maita Muñoz-Aquino coolly observed, “Before they could even exhaust all excuses, Duterte repeats it AFTER he formed a committee to have a dialogue with the Catholic Church. He said he purposely made those statements to shake things up.

“If he sees that people willingly sacrifice their own FAITH to defend him, imagine how much easier it would be for people to sacrifice all other principles just to support him (human rights, justice, sovereignty and everything else our nation used to consider important). This looks more like a barometer than a smokescreen.”

“I so agree!” said Jozy Acosta-Nisperos. “An attack on a people’s faith is an attack on the core of their humanity. Whatever your faith, this is designed to subdue and oppress the people! He is no longer just degrading personalities, treaties, the law, institutions, our territories. He is attacking and degrading WHO WE ARE.”

Butch Tan has the last word: “God IS stupid! He’s kept faith in mankind for millennia! Thank God he’s not smart like us.”

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Sylvia L. Mayuga is an essayist, sometime columnist, poet, documentary filmmaker and environmentalist. She has three National Book Awards to her name.