EXPENSIVE price of rice, electricity, and water. These are just a few of the country’s problems under the Marcos administration.
But it seems that most Filipinos remain blind to their current situation.
According to a political analyst, Professor Anna Malindog-Uy, like the Roman Empire, the Marcos admin uses bread and entertainment to make Filipinos indifferent to poverty.
Malindog-Uy likened the bread to financial aid that the govt is giving away from time to time while she refers the entertainment to the government’s concert events.
These according to Malindog-Uy are the strategies of the Marcos admin to blind the Filipinos from poverty.
“What is equivalent to bread today? Aid. Aid after aid. Distributing aid as if it were endless, as if the nation’s money is infinite. And another equivalent to that, the entertainment, is the concerts. Concert after concert, staged as if, for example, ‘”The Bagong Pilipinas” in Mindanao, there was a concert with all the celebrities, as if entertaining the masses so they won’t realize for a moment, ‘I am actually suffering.’ It’s very much like what happened during the history of the Roman Empire, it is as if there is parallelism happening today. That’s the strategy – to blind, to numb,” stated Professor Anna Malindog-Uy, Political Analyst.
Displaying photos of the first couple while being together or eating at restaurants is also part, according to Malindog-Uy, of the Marcos Admin’s strategy to divert the attention and entertain the hungry Filipinos.
“They will stage shots where they are dating and they will put it on social media as if… It’s entertainment for other people, for Filipinos to say, ‘Oh, how cute, they’re so loving, wow.’ That’s entertainment, but not all Filipinos will not buy that. Most Filipinos with critical thinking minds will not buy that because it’s insensitive. They are very sweet, dining in nice restaurants, fine dining, but we don’t even eat three times a day because we are struggling so much in life,” according to Malindog-Uy.
PNP forces’ excessive attack on KOJC religious compounds, ‘show of power’—analyst
Another issue today, according to Malindog-Uy, is the government’s abuse of its power, such as the excessive use of force by PNP forces in the raid and desecration of various religious compounds of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in Davao City.
She termed the deployment of such a large force by the PNP to raid compounds without a history of unrest to apprehend a Pastor who is not known to be a violent person as “excessive and a projection of power.”
“It’s basically saying, “If you criticize us, if you attack us, this is what will happen to you. Look at what happened to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, beware. That’s the message. Because that is really an overkill,” according to Malindog-Uy.
According to Malindog Uy, all Filipinos should now get involved in what’s happening in the country.
‘Active and responsible citizenship’ advocated by a professor amidst critical issues against the Marcos admin
She further emphasizes the need for active and responsible citizenship, where Filipinos are ready to criticize the wrongdoings of incumbent politicians.
“Everything that happens in whatever the government does will impact all Filipinos. If you don’t get involved even though you know what’s happening, even if you know something bad is happening and you’re not doing anything, you’re still a bystander, nothing will change in your country. Because you’re allowing wrong over right. What I always say is Filipinos should exercise what you call responsible and active citizenship. Active citizenship means you get involved in what’s happening in your country and you’re not afraid if you see something wrong or improper being done by government officials. That is your right and that is your responsibility as a citizen,” she ended.
That’s why she said it’s good and important what Maisug Peace Rally is doing now, where all sectors of society like indigenous people, fishermen, workers, and others are having a voice.
She hopes that there will be Maisug Peace Rally on all parts of the Philippines and in other countries where there are Filipinos.
