A Day In The Life Of RJ

Step, step, backward. Step, step, forward. And turn. And then you do it over and over until the music ends. That’s essentially how you do the ChaCha – yes, I’m referring to the “dance”. Incidentally, if the peace process in Mindanao would be compared to a dance, I’d have no second thoughts about comparing it to the ChaCha as well. Forward and backward steps that don’t seem to accomplish anything or lead to a highly anticipated “grand act”. When you do the ChaCha, you do a simple repetitive routine — that’s basically it.

We can compare ongoing debates on the peace process to “sitting on a rocking chair. It gives us something to do, but it gets us nowhere.”

Like the all too familiar discussion about peace that just gets murkier and murkier the more that people meddle with the issue. People like myself I guess. Although in my case, I don’t have influence. So I can say that I am only accountable to myself. Sadly, it’s not just me dipping into this and “speaking my mind” or “thinking out loud”. Not that it’s wrong. But if you come to think of it, influence — in a country like ours, is such a big deal. And the more “influential” you are, the more accountable you are to more people. So go easy on the suggestions or the things you make them (your followers) do. Look at the Reproductive Health Bill — it’s not all evil and immoral? But because the Church’s influence is so strong, we still live in that archaic concept of hit-and-miss population targets. We can’t even go beyond the concept of “go forth and multiply”. So now, we are plagued with issues all going back to our uncontrolled population. Now, I’m sure many would disagree with me on this and even call me immoral and all those words branded a heretic. I am a Catholic and I have respect for its doctrines but we must also acknowledge the fact that even in the Church, encyclicals are issued as vital and relevant support to enhance the “magisterium” — the teaching authority of the Church. That said, it means that the Church itself is a dynamic institution — answering to “the needs of the time” but providing that conscience — that little voice that gives clarity and heart, while at the same time, upholding the doctrines “as it applies” to the changing needs of the world. Sounds more like a mission statement, huh? Anyway, let’s not delve into that because I am merely stating an example of the power of influence. Let’s talk about that in another day, shall we?

Going back to the power of influence — what I’m trying to say is this: I am under the impression that the majority of Filipinos — Muslims, Cebuanos, Tagalogs, Lumads, Bicolanos and practically everyone else — the silent majority — as they call it, who are not taking to the streets or guesting in political debate shows or writing/blogging about their take on the highly-debated Bangsamoro Juridical Entity MOA on Ancestral Domain (BJE MOA on AD) – are actually indifferent on the issue. Maybe they’re just uninformed or ill-informed. Well, that may be a hasty generalization right there. But that’s a safe one. Why? Because nobody cared to ask them. And if no one asks this majority, how do we know what they think? We just assume, I guess? We just assume that they couldn’t care less what happens to this BJE MOA? Or in extreme generalizations: We just assume they are inclined to disagree on the provisions of the BJE MOA? How do we know what the silent majority thinks? Does the CBCP represent the silent majority? Does the MILF or the Vice Governor of North Cotabato represent the silent majority? The answer to all of these questions, my friend is “no” — a big resounding “no”. Now, the question is that, are we (the government in particular) genuinely interested to know what they think? Or would we rather not bother to ask because we think they are not “directly” affected? The BJE MOA is obviously, a national issue. Which means that by default, everyone is affected one way or another. It would have been great if we had a national plebiscite solely for this BJE MOA: whether to approve of it or not. But we know that’s too idealistic and impractical as of the moment. That should have been done long ago, since the inception of the peace talks. We can’t turn back time. Oh, how I wish we can. There would be so much we can fix. But we can’t be sentimental about it and hold onto the past issues or be too wary and pessimistic of the future. And that’s because in the middle of this past and future is where we stand now — the present. And this “present” of ours have pressing issues that need “fixing” now. All this arguments on the validity of the Bangsamoro claim of ancestral domain or who the “indegineous” peoples are (the past) or all this talk about the risk of ChaCha and PGMA’s sinister plan to retain and extend power (the future) is ruining our disposition “today” — of our “present”.

It’s like entering  a new relationship with the proverbial “excess baggage” of the previous relationship or being too obsessed with the “future” that we cannot see what’s right under our nose this minute. The problem is here. It is here now. The problem of the past is history — let’s not bring it up like a broken record. The potential problem of the “future” is what it is — “potential”. And as I remember in elementary Physics, “potential energy remains potential unless acted upon” by force or whatever.

So, what am I saying here that has led  me to Physics now? Our actions today with regards to the Mindanao peace process do not create progress. One step forward, one step backward. ChaCha. Once and for all, can we do something that ultimately accomplishes the goal of achieving “true and lasting peace” in Mindanao? Oral arguments on the BJE MOA is set tomorrow, Friday. I hope the Supreme Court lifts the TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) the soonest, so we can move on.

Let’s get up from that “rocking chair” and do something that will actually take us somewhere, shall we? My feet are tired of doing the ChaCha. And oh, may I add — it’s downright boring.

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