This morning while going to work, I heard over the radio that Congressman Nograles is circulating a petition for charter change. Specifically, to amend the constitutional provisions on national patrimony, to allow foreign corporations to own land here in the country.

Then, when I got to the office, I read in the newspaper that a bishop praised two congressmen who said they were withdrawing their support for the reproductive health bill.

My command of the English language deserts me. I simply want to rant in all the native languages I know. This behavior of our so-called lawmakers seems to me what we call "tumatanda ng paurong" or growing old backwards!

The lawmakers are supposed to be protecting the interests of the people who voted them into office. What they are doing instead is protecting their own interests and those of the people in power. Sucking up again. Whatever it takes to keep them where they are and to keep the money pouring in, regardless of what happens to their constituents. Sometimes I even wonder why they bother to keep this semblance of democracy at all, when they act like feudal overlords anyway. You know... like the aristocrats who got their heads chopped off in the French Revolution. Sometimes I even wonder why I ever bothered to vote at all, dammit.

Charter change on national patrimony will allow the foreign corporations to come into this country and buy up our land. I have nothing against foreigners personally, except that they think they're higher than God (while Filipinos often are ashamed of being Filipino), but who has more money, the Pinoys, or the foreign corporations who must have millions and even billions of dollars to be able to invest in an overseas venture? What's there to prevent these foreigners from buying up Filipino land by foul or fair means once the constitutional proscription is removed? Baka mamaya, tayong mga Filipino ay maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan!

It's like a family who owns land, where the eldest son, without caring about how his brothers and sisters might live, sells off the land for his own benefit, leaving his siblings without their inheritance.

Then, this reproductive health thing. I see a lot of neglected children on the streets of Manila, playing tag between the cars stopping for a red light, selling sampaguita or basahan (and getting mad at you if you refuse to buy any), entering jeepneys and wiping the passengers' shoes with rags (and getting them dirty) for coins, or cleaning vehicles' windshields, or just plain begging. And these are the better ones, because others don't even ask. They just grab and run. And we ask, where are their parents? Why are these children like this? Sometimes we see their parents with a baby, also begging. Or making their children beg. Or steal. We get mad at them: "anak kayo ng anak, di ninyo naman kayang buhayin!"

They have many children because no one has taught them any better! If the government at least initiated sex education or taught people about reproductive health and gave them better access to contraceptives, at least, bawas misery di ba?? Do they sincerely expect that these people, especially if they have no regular jobs and would frequently be idle at home, would piously say to themselves "we will not make love today because we might have another child"? They're just all too human. Hindi naman sila santo. Nor are they nuns and priests (who are also human).

Yet when reproductive health or sex education measures come up, what does the church do? Of course, oppose it strongly for being against church teachings. And what do the pious "godly" legislators do? They bow to the will of the church for fear of excommunication (which is not such a big deal today as it was a couple of hundred years ago, because of the number of religions or sects nowadays). When you're responsible for something, you pay for it, right? Cause and effect? Are our legislators or churchmen going to support all those children? The church, maybe-- gives the clergy more opportunities to look good -- more tickets to heaven ba? But even they can't possibly support all those people. The legislators? Hello! Takot lang nila mabawasan pork barrel nila, eh di wala nang campaign funds for next elections! (Non sequitur: no wonder naging mason si Rizal.)

Meanwhile, who suffers? Not they! The legislators will just "take the money and run". The clergy will just raise pious eyes to heaven-- "my child, did we not tell you to control your base instincts?" And the people go on living and suffering and dying.

Pastilan gi-atay man intawon ning mga tawhana. Anhing mga linintian nga dya! Ewan ko kung ano nang nangyayari sa Pilipinas! Hay naku, Philippines!