By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
Rainbow Rumble
My rainbow rumble is not the one hosted by Lucky Manzano. It’s the rainbow rumble in both houses: Congress and the Senate.
The rainbow during our time meant a spectacle in the sky. This represented God’s promise that he will no longer punish the earth with flooding after the deluge in Noah’s time. He commanded Noah to build an ark so they could be spared from the punishment. Noah was also instructed to bring to the ark, two sets of animals, birds and his family. It’s a story that overwhelmed us in our class in Religion during our elementary days.
Where is this rainbow now? In our own country today, we have lost sight of the real rainbow that made us very happy as children. The rainbow now is being captured by the true colors of well-known personalities in the higher echelon of government who, instead of protecting our rights, are the ones who are destroying the very core of our nationalism.
Maryosep, malipay na mi, mga ordinary citizens, nga makakita ug papel nga kuarta sa among pitaka nga adunay hulagway sa nanampuling nga tawo ug sa Davao eagle. Apan luyo sa among kalipay, maghinoktok pud mi nga maghunahuna kung hangtud kanus-a magpabilin ang maong kuarta sa among pitaka labi na gyud karong panahona nga labihan ka mahal ang mga panaliton. Kung magdala ka ug One Thousand Pesos sa merkado, dili ra gyud na kapuno sa imong basket.
And what is the relationship between my rainbow and the Politicians in Congress and the Senate? Well, they are all multi-colored people like the rainbow: nagkalain-lain ang ilang bulok (colors) tungod kay nagkada-iya usab ang ilang mga tuyo, tumong, ug agenda. But unlike the rainbow, their colors point at one direction – trillions, billions of pesos – taken away and still to be taken away from the people’s taxes. Sa akong ihap-ihap dili gyud masulod sa ordinary nga calculator kanang maong mga salapi kay ang sumada niana mo ERROR dayon. Indeed what they are doing is an ERROR against dignity, service, honesty – all because of greed.
They have their mansions, luxury cars, airplanes, high rise buildings. And the flooding in different towns will never affect them because they are also flooded with so much wealth. Dili gyud mahumod ilang tiil kung magbaha kay naghanday-handay man sila sa kanindot sa ilang mga palasyo samtang nag-ila-id sa tumang kapait ang mga yanong Juan ug Juana de la Cruz. Daghang Pilipino ang masakiton, walay gikaon, ug walay panginabuhi-an. And to think that these NEPO babies could pay thousands of pesos for one dinner in restaurants for the elite.
Greed of these people is already insatiable. Unlike the rainbow, their colors are in rumble and ready to crumble. Kita pud nga nagtan-aw sa ilang gipanghimo, makasinati pud ug pag RUMBLE sa atong pagbati. Makapungot, makapanghinuklog, ug makapanlimbawot sa balhibo. And they call themselves “Honorable”!
Television is a cruel medium. It exposes the reality of cruelty and the vicious cycle of oppression of the poor. It also exposes the ignorance, bad behavior of the “mga honorable” who seem to have not taken up the subject in English Grammar, Speaking, Good Manners and Right Conduct, and the Art of Questioning and Listening. BISAN ILANG SINULTIHAN GA RUMBLE.
I have been to street protest rallies in my younger days. But we took extra care in joining a particular group. We never inflicted physical pain; we did not destroy street lights; we did not fight as “riders” for a cause. We owned our crusade. Wala mi magsakay-sakay sa among pakigbisog kay tininu-od ang among pagpakabana. If I were younger today, I will surely join the white group. And let’s bring back the name of the Philippines as the PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS. .
Meanwhile, I’ll sing “Bayan ko”!
