Patriotism by ‘unpatriotic’ officials

Raoul Manuel correctly observed that it is difficult to teach law enforcement and rights awareness and patriotism when public officials commit unpatriotic acts that rival the treachery of those bayong-wearing Makapili during the Japanese Occupation.

No less than President Duterte has shown us how to be anti-Filipino as he unabashedly plays the role of vassal of Imperial China with his cowardly, subservient stance on the West Philippine Sea issue. He enthusiastically engages Chinese President Xi Jinping in a dance of surrender so that when Xi takes one step forward, Mr. Duterte takes two steps backward.

In the Senate, there’s Sen. Ronald dela Rosa spewing holier-than-thou statements and finger-pointing at a young activist, conveniently glossing over at least 5,000 victims of extrajudicial killings of the drug war he had led as well as the children caught in the crossfire of police operations because well, as he said, “Shit happens.”

Trusting in the sincerity and idealism of the youth, I humbly urge the National Union of Students of the Philippines to reject the result of a survey showing 80-percent approval of the revival of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, and instead call all student councils to a general assembly and draw up plans to conduct campus-wide simultaneous surveys on the issue.

Let their voices be heard in the halls of Congress and in the consciousness of the Filipinos.

EVELYN SILAY,
evelyndsilay@gmail.com