NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 25 February) — EDSA 1 succeeded in ending the Marcos dictatorship. The change expected to follow it did not happen. The truth that escaped us is that the commitment and participation of everyone is required for it to come.
Indeed, change must start with and come from within us.
We will go nowhere:
- If we continue to tap the services of fixers to get a driver’s license sans examinations, or to quicken its renewal; and to fast track the release of shipments from our ports and in securing clearances and permits for some enterprise;
- If we give pocket money to traffic enforcers to refrain them from delaying us for a violation never found in the book;
- If we give cash gift, outside the Christmas season, to officials of the government to corner a public bidding, and SOP to accelerate the signing of contracts, and facilitate the release of payments for deliveries and services we have rendered;
- If we agree to give the first four to six months of our salary to education officials to secure a teaching job;
- If we connive with government functionaries to reduce or avoid payment of taxes;
- If we break a queue to get ahead of everyone who, like us, needs urgently the same thing at the starting point of the line;
- If we patronize cheaper but smuggled goods;
- If we hoard scarce commodities to the disadvantage of others;
- If we spend more than what we earn;
- If we consume more than what we need;
- If we do not dispose our trash properly and do not care about our environment;
- If we remain indifferent to the plight and struggle of the Lumads and that of our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters;
- If we keep our silence and turn a blind eye to the violation of the fundamental rights of our people by the very authorities who are supposed to protect and secure them; and
- If we are apathetic and uncritical and are cowardly submissive to those who are whimsically destroying our democratic institutions, our cherished traditions and way of life.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental)