By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
Watching how people in Texas came out to deal with the big disaster of flash floods that killed more than a hundred people made me envious. Can we also competently respond to such a disaster? We had one before, the killer quake of 1990.
Watching on YouTube how Texans responded to the killer flashfloods took my breath away. Suddenly the mass media were announcing so many drop off points where people can bring things victims might need. Private groups were out in the open to help in every way they could.
I think we cannot respond the way the Texans did. Better still, can we do better than how we did in 1990?
Frankly, my knowledge is hearsay as I was Metro Manila based in 1990. I know things were bad, and I know we had and still have the humanity to come out in droves to give whatever small things we could to others in need.
What we did not have was the collective honesty in dealing with donations, and the discipline to come out with a regimented or organized response. For we can be too intelligent individually for our own good.
As to donations, I heard, and nothing as of now points to their falsity, was very nice blankets and food came from the States as donations for the earthquake victims. However, when these were distributed, the blankets became locally woven ones which were too far down the line in terms of quality. These were bought from the local “palengke.”
Similarly, there were cans and cans of corned beef, also from the States, but when these were distributed, they suddenly became “Ligo” or “555” sardines. Garapal talaga! These all boil down to dishonesty in public matters. We could not have expected anything more decent considering how our politicians were and still are. They cheat us wide eyed that’s why people try to cheat each other in every way they can. Even in times of disasters.
Yes, what we had been seeing and continue to be seeing among our political leaders were what were passed on, and continues to be passed on, down the line.
Then there is our natural lack of discipline. Will we suddenly become disciplined in times of disaster? I doubt it.
I have read many times of Filipino accounts on how disciplined the Japanese were in times of disasters. If there were things to be distributed, they fell in line or waited their turn. We are the opposite. We would be running over ourselves to take advantage of others. No discipline. The result is often chaos.
Will we be different this time around? I don’t think so. Our politicians, save for one or two, are still the same. For them, the phrase “honest politician” is a big contradiction in terms.
So we cannot help but ask if there will be a call for donations, will what I will give reach intended benificiaries?
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