PASSIONATE LOVE OF COUNTRY

Everyone is agog about the impeachment at the Senate today. What happens afterwards, not whether the individual will be convicted or not. I am asking what will happen to his soul? I believe in the saying "what you've done today, will come back to you in the next life." I have just seen a Chinese movie about Emperor Liang and Empress Ti. The latter was so insecure about his love as he had many concubines. So she plotted and design acts that would eliminate if not lessen these women's powers over him. She even committed murder. The film was mum why she and the king did not have any child. Instead, the king had a son by a concubine who alerted the king about the internecine struggles inside the kingdom while he was away, fighting wars and expanding the territory.

Towards the middle part of the story, Empress Ti dies and she meets the hell king Yama who sends her to become a python. She suffers so much in hell that she implores the king to make Buddhist monks pray for her soul through repentance rituals. He does, and Buddhist monks line up to pray for her soul. She recovers her original soul and then ascends to heaven.

I like the film because it shows how power can corrupt people, especially those closest to the highest official. So much like what had happened in the past administration. Those underlings who could ask GMA to sign papers and checks ingratiated themselves to her so that she would give them the best perks, knowing that she was at their mercy. They knew that she had wanted to cling to power so much, no matter what the costs -- her reputation, her family's, her status in history, among others.

But they forgot something -- that the people have a memory. I think that is what we can credit the Filipino people. We believe in karma. Even jeepney drivers carry small plates or drawings inside their jeepneys. "Bago ka bumaba na hindi nagbabayad, tandaan mo maka-karma ka rin."

Okay, so this impeachment shall serve as a reminder to every official that they cannot do hanky-panky in government. How else can we stop corruption at the first stage or first attempt so that we would not have to go through such a long and expensive process again?

Vigilance is the key -- but who among the government employees would be vigilant enough to cry "Foul!" instantly? You see Folks, majority of the government offices have altars and some even hold masses every lunchtime. At Mandaluyong City, you have a Church right inside the city government compound, making me wonder why the other religious groups do not put up theirs. By the way, don't we have separation of the church and state? Why favor one?

I think that we should start our campaign among the elementary school children. We must inculcate in their minds that government service is truly a great sacrifice. And that would mean passionate love of country.