On May 5, Day 51 of the community quarantine in the Philippines, a strange news jolted the entire nation and exploded on social media like a ticking time bomb. It was probably a long time coming, but its timing was still off-beat, tone-deaf, and utterly grievous.

In the midst of a global pandemic—while people from all walks of life struggle to find security, peace, and divine reprieve—news came out that the national government has shuttered ABS-CBN, the nation’s biggest media broadcasting network.

It’s not a secret that the company had been in a row with the president and had gained the latter’s sheer displeasure. ABS-CBN had gotten on the president’s bad side because of its alleged unfair reporting. On March 30, 2017, the president took a swipe at ABS-CBN and uttered a veiled threat saying karma will someday catch up with them.

Aside from that, the president also accused the company of swindling when it did not air his 2016 political advertisements and failed to return the money he paid for the ads. In May 2017, he threatened to file multiple syndicated estafa against the company.

Since then, the president constantly breathed out threats against ABS-CBN, saying he will block the renewal of the company’s franchise when it expires in May 2020.

The company’s fate lay at the hands of Congress who has authority to grant congressional franchises to media entities such as ABS-CBN. But administration allies in the House of Representatives refused to tackle the matter.

Hence, the company’s franchise expired, and the National Telecommunications Commission had to issue a cease and desist order.

Why did the government shut down ABS-CBN? Let’s briefly clarify the facts:

Here’s the bottom line: ABS-CBN was shut down not because of any malpractice but simply because Congress chose not to discuss its franchise renewal application.

With so much political pressure from the president, the supermajority in Congress wielded their collective power to heed the words of the president.

The Palace had been constantly washing its hands off the issue, but it doesn’t require rocket science to put two and two together. ABS-CBN’s demise is nothing more than vile political vendetta. The facts don’t lie.

“All this stems from President Rodrigo Duterte’s personal vendetta against the network, whose franchise renewal he pledged to block,” according to a statement by the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP).

Why should we even care at all?

ABS-CBN’S closure is so much more than just the loss of your favorite Kapamilya shows or celebrities. It was a direct attack against your rights as a citizen of this Republic, which are enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

The Constitution, considered as the highest law in the land, protects and promotes the freedom of the people to be informed and to speak up.

“No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

— Article III, Section 4. 1987 Philippine Constitution

A mass communication precept says this: “Information is power, and the redistribution of information is a redistribution of power.”

The power of a democratic society lies in the hands of an informed electorate. Freedom of the press is freedom for all. You have the right to know and the right to speak up, for it is only in knowing and in freely speaking up that you can make informed choices and can participate in the work of nation-building.

Closing the nation’s biggest media network goes against the interest of the Filipino people. It is an attack against one of your basic rights and it took away certain liberties that every citizen of the Republic must enjoy.

Yes, no one is above the law, not even the president himself. And media entities must not be censored, punished, or suppressed at the expense of the people’s right to know.

“The only security of all is in a free press.”
― Thomas Jefferson

The press is a fundamental element in any vibrant democratic society. Without a free press, the people live in darkness and ignorance.

Case in point: China’s attempt to hide the truth about COVID-19 contributed greatly to the spread of the virus all over the world.

You see, without a free press, the people have limited access to vital information that will allow them to protect themselves or to make right choices.

“But ABS-CBN is biased and did nothing but to criticize the government,” they say.

Newsflash: Everyone is biased, including you.

People have biases for their own beliefs, values, and opinions. To eliminate bias from human beings is to take away their humanity. Our biases are part of what makes us humans—human beings who are capable of making our own judgment and decisions based on the information before us.

It’s the journalistic process, not the journalist, who is unbiased. The journalist may have his personal biases regarding politics—which is normal, by the way—but the journalistic process by which he abides ensures objective and unbiased reporting.

That’s what separates journalists from bloggers: Bloggers will freely write whatever they want—free from any regulations and censorship, and free to feed on people’s biases and, sometimes, ignorance. Journalists, on the other hand, are duty-bound to ferret out the truth, to uphold objectivity in reporting, and to sacrifice even their own safety just to deliver the truth to the public.

That’s the thing with journalism: “There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil,” said American writer Walter Lippman.

Journalists need to report the truth even when the truth goes against popular opinion. Journalism is different from propaganda in that journalism exposes the brutal facts, however dark it may be, but propaganda hides within a make-believe reality filled with empty promises and glittering generalities.

Journalists are watchdogs, not lapdogs.

It is the duty of the press to guard against tyranny; to make sure that there is no concentration of power in any of the three co-equal branches of government; and to expose corruption and greed in a bid to protect the common folks.

It is a journalist’s role to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable; to call to account the powers that be; and to expose the evils that lurk in the dark corridors of power.

Just as a dog guards the house against thieves, journalists guard the nation’s coffer against thieves and tyrants. It bows to no one but to the public that it was called to serve.

A lapdog, however, will wag its tails at the sight of food and will be fooled by power and magic tricks. Its master is its belly and the lust of its eyes.

If you think that the press does nothing but to criticize and complain, guess what, you’re actually affirming that they’re doing their job.

Should ABS-CBN be punished for doing its job? Should we punish the policemen for detaining criminals? Should we imprison firefighters for extinguishing fires? Certainly not.

Then why do we crucify the innocent at the behest of an angry mob?

Why do we shoot the messengers for carrying out their task?

Why do we silence and kill journalists for doing what they’re called to do?

“Independence of the media, freedom of the press, freedom of expression and the right of access to information are vital if the media are to be able to perform their watchdog function in a democratic society governed by the rule of law,” said author and philanthropist Oscar Auliq-Ice.

“But ABS-CBN is just one of the many TV stations in the country. Press freedom will not die just because ABS-CBN was ordered to close, right?”

Wrong.

If somebody gets punished for doing something, don’t you think it will not cause fear and hesitation to the others?

It’s called the chilling effect. First, they went after Rappler. Then they went after ABS-CBN. Should we wait on the sidelines to see who’s next?

NUJP couldn’t have worded it any better: “It sends a clear message: What Duterte wants, Duterte gets. And it is clear, with this brazen move to shut down ABS-CBN, that he intends to silence the critical media and intimidate everyone else into submission.”

Violence isn’t just found on the streets among thugs. “The real violence is committed in the writing of history, the records of the legal system, the reporting of news, through the manipulation of social contracts, and the control of information,” said American author Bryant McGill.

We are at a crossroad in history where democracy is under attack by the very people who swore to uphold it. But the saddest part is that these attacks against our democratic institutions are being supported by the selfsame people that these institutions vowed to protect.

Can the press really be silenced?

To think that the voice of the press can be silenced is both foolishness and naiveté.

To the perpetrators of this gag show, you have gravely underestimated the journalists that you attempted to restrain.

Heed the words of Napoleon Bonaparte: “Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.” Indeed, the pen is mightier than the sword

These people have gone through wars, seen death, dodged bullets, and chased storms. They have survived calamities, swam through raging floods, faced the fury of volcanoes, and ate death threats for breakfast. It certainly takes more than political persecution or a mere cease-and-desist order to stop them from doing what they’re called to do.

If journalism is nothing but a mere day job, its enemies will triumph in shuttering its network; journalists will scatter at the sight of their enemies. But journalism is more than just a day job. It’s a vocation. It’s a calling that burns deep in the bones and runs wild in a journalist’s bloodstreams.

You can never silence the press.

The lessons of Martial Law should be enough to rouse the persecutors from their lucid daydream: The mosquito press will eventually triumph over any gargantuan dictator.

The lessons of the Ampatuan Massacre should remind them that the blood of fallen journalists continue to cry out from the grave; they will stop at nothing until their butchers face the music for their evil deeds.

As the nation cries out against this great injustice, the sleeping journalist in me has been roused to join the chorus of condemnation for the sake of our democracy.

Freedom of the press is freedom for all. Defend press freedom at all cost.

Continue reading →

The Murder of Marlou: The Xander Ford Case

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Society killed Marlou.

Yes, Marlou Arizala is dead, and society is responsible for it.

It was in 2015 when the guy first went viral on the Internet, along with his group Hasht5, as their photos and videos circulated the Web. The reason for their sudden fame, however wasn’t because of good publicity. In fact, they were ruthlessly bashed and called many names. One of them stood out from the gang.

Marlou — with his bright red hair, his dark skin, and his face that people would soon exploit on memes and funny posts.

I would admit that at first, I myself also took a swipe at the guy because of his braggadocio and his rather uncommon facial features. But after watching an interview with them a couple of years ago, what I saw Was a young guy with an unrelenting drive to reach for his dreams, and a person who was trying to hide his insecurities by creating a strong facade.

The growing hatred for the guy was the inception of a grand scheme to assassinate the man — his character, his dreams, his ambitions.

Society killed Marlou.

His Facebook posts would always elicit hate comments from people who had nothing better to do. He would be the subject of online ridicules and cursing from people who wished him dead. Yes, others would even go as far as to tell him to just kill himself.

Society eventually succeeded in killing the young man.

Last night, his transformation from Marlou to Xander Ford has finally been unveiled on national TV. And the Internet exploded with posts and tweets about his new identity, garnering mixed reactions from netizens.

Finally, people have something good to say about Marlou, albeit skin-deep and superficial.

The people’s reactions reveal the kind of society we live in. They show that people’s respect for one another is based on how one looks, what he wears, or what his skin color is. Society has forced Marlou to grab the opportunity to change what people hated about him. He was made to believe that his worth and identity will improve greatly if his face and his name would change. Marlou was forced to leave his old self — even if it’s just the face that changed — if that’s the only way to escape the razor sharp criticisms that he has probably grown tired of.

“Matagal ko nang pangarap ‘to, ang maging guwapo,” he would say, which actually reads, “Matagal ko nang pangarap ‘to, ang mahalin at tanggapin ng mga tao.”

Alas, when his new face was finally revealed, some even questioned why he couldn’t be content with what God has given him. I am pretty sure that he was perfectly fine with how he looked, until society turned him into a laughingstock.

We live in a bipolar, double-standard, hypocritical society. And we have permitted this culture of shame and bullying to permeate our collective minds and psyche.

Inside Out Transformation

What Marlou and all of us needed was not cosmetic surgery. What we all need is an inside-out transformation — a change that starts from within.

Beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive, the Bible says; making it an unwise basis for people’s worth and identity.

If only someone had told Marlou that his worth as a person is not based on his outward appearance, but on his inherent value as a human being — created in the likeness and image of his Maker. If only he was told that the opinions of people about him don’t diminish his value as a person; because to the One who sees the heart, he will always be fully pleasing. If only he was told that Somebody thinks he is so valuable that he was actually worth dying for, he would’ve embraced who he really was, and enjoyed his uniqueness as a person.

What Marlou needed wasn’t a name-change in order to change his identity. He needed a rebirth from the ashes. Changing his name from Marlou to Xander Ford will not erase his former identity. What will change his identity is when he exchanges his old life for the new life that Jesus offers. That if anyone is in Him, he is a new creation. The old will pass away, the new will come.

What Marlou and all of us needed is not a face surgery, but a heart transplant — the removal of the wicked, depraved heart and the placing of a new, clean heart.

Let us start spreading this message. Let us overcome society’s lies with the life-changing truth that we are deeply loved and fully pleasing, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made by our perfect Father in Heaven.

The Two Gardens

We have just gone through the Lenten season, I know, but this random thought just hit me today:

Humanity’s greatest downfall and the dawning of humanity’s greatest hope took place in a garden.

Genesis 3 lets us in to the scene of the crime. Just like in any crime movies, the day started out like any other day. It was at the Garden of Eden.

In the middle of the humdrum, the day took a fateful turn. The questions were thrown at the unsuspecting victim — the woman. The lies were spoken; the serpent’s words were too alluring that the woman’s heart was deceived. Soon enough, the man, who was with her, also took part in the crime.

When the flesh of the forbidden fruit touched the flesh of man, the fall of humanity has begun. When their lips touched the forbidden fruit, it was the serpent’s kiss of death on humanity. And when the fruit fell to the ground that fateful day, humanity’s glory fell with it.
As sin entered into the world, it brought with it pain, tears, bloodshed, decay and death.

Fast forward.

In another garden and in another time, we see another man. The setting of the drama is the Garden of Gethsemane.

But it wasn’t like any other night. This man was about to be sentenced to death, and he knew about it. He has seen how it will be like; he took part in making that plan. He knew how painful it will be — the physical pain of the thorns and the nails; the emotional pain of betrayal, false accusation and rejection.

He was about to pay for the crime that was committed at the Garden of Eden. This man was Jesus. 

In this garden, we see him kneeling to the ground, overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, asking the Father if it’s possible for him to be delivered from what was about to transpire (Matthew 26:38). 

But when he said, “let Your will be done,” humanity’s hope was restored. 

At the Garden of Eden, we see Adam’s failure and man’s descent to hell. But at the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus’ love taking over in order to redeem us and provide the way for us to heaven. 

An Open Letter to the LGBT

You are not an animal.

You are the pinnacle of God’s creation — the cherry on the ice cream, the icing on the cake. When God made the animals and the rest of creation, he saw that everything was good. But when He made mankind? Man, He said that it was very good! YOU ARE VERY GOOD!

God didn’t lift a finger when He created the universe. He didn’t move a muscle when He called the animals into existence. But you? He got His hands dirty with mud to craft you; He designed every part of you. He was probably whistling with delight in the cool of the day as He was making you. Take this: YOU have the fingerprint of God!

Not only that! He breathed on your nostrils to give you life.

Imagine: The lips of God touching your nostrils… Gently… Intimately… Lovingly…

When you breathed your first, He was so thrilled He couldn’t help but smile. 

And if that is not enough to blow you away, brace yourself: You are created after God’s own image! You look exactly like Dad. How cool is that?!? 

You are not an animal.

And no, you are not worse than the animals.

You are a creation of God— the loving God who is crazy about you; who longs for you; who watches you from afar, protecting you, making sure you’re safe and good; the loving God who is worried sick about you and is waiting for you to come home every single day.

Society may have reduced your sense of self-worth. Fear of judgment, rejection and condemnation may have forced you into hiding. But you know what? In God, you don’t need to hide. You don’t need to fear rejection. He loves you more than anyone will; He loves you more than you even love yourself. 

Forgive us, Christians, if we may have misrepresented Christ in our words and actions. The Bible is not a book of judgment, but a factual love story of how a holy God loves and redeems a sinful world. Jesus is not a heartless ruler, but a loving Savior. In fact, if Jesus is in our world today, He will choose to hang out with you more than He would hang out with the religious bunch. Jesus loves your company! He loves you so much that He wants to hang out with you for all eternity! He loves us so much that He gave everything, including His life, so that we may be with Him forever!

All of us — whether gay or straight — need the same thing: Love. Sometimes, in our quest to find a truly satisfying love, we do foolish things, we draw from the wrong source, and we invest with the wrong person.

But the love of God will never disappoint. In Jesus, YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED. 

I pray that this love will win you over — the love that is greater than any human love; the only love that lasts forever. I pray that you will find and experience true freedom because of His love — not freedom to be who you want to be, but freedom to be who you are destined to be. I pray that in the end, we will all say, “true love wins!” 

While there are many aspects to the subject surrounding this controversy, the only thing that you need to know and experience right now is the love of God. Let me be God’s instrument to tell you that He loves you, and He wants to be more intimate with you. 

Could you breathe a simple prayer to let God speak to you now?

Vote for LIFE

Better than any serye to date on Philippine TV, the race towards Malacañang in the 2016 elections demands public attention. With much fanfare and unexpected plot twists, the presidential race has gripped the entire nation with a mixture of dread and anticipation.

Political propaganda, news coverages, election surveys, Facebook memes and (sometimes ridiculous) interviews do little in helping us determine who to vote for come election day. I, myself, am still undecided about who will get my precious vote on May 2016, but here are the qualities that I think we all should find in a candidate.

I will vote for someone who supports and embodies LIFE — that’s leadership, integrity, faith and excellence.

Leadership

Everything rises and falls on leadership, says renowned leadership guru John Maxwell. All kinds of reforms — whether political, economic or social — will only end up in the ditches without good leadership.

But leadership is a tricky subject. Having the balls to push for an ideal, win public acceptance, outwit political opponents or, heck, exterminate them from the land of the living don’t necessarily indicate strong leadership. 

A leader is a servant. He who serves best leads best. Service doesn’t mean feigning compassion for the poor, enjoying boodle fights, directing traffic and whatnots in front of a camera. A leader serves by using his power to protect the welfare of the people, promote the common good and defend the weak.

One doesn’t need to look far to validate a person’s leadership. Check how he manages his own family and see their relationship, values and culture at home. If this candidate doesn’t know how to manage and protect his own marriage and household, how will he lead an entire nation?

Moreover, the ultimate mettle of leadership is the person’s ability to lead himself. How does he govern himself in view of existing laws, ethics and moral standards? If a candidate does not pass this acid test, chances are his leadership will crumble in the face of strong pressure or trials. 

Integrity

A person’s ability to lead himself depends largely on his character. In leadership, character is everything. As John Maxwell puts it, leadership is about influence, and a person’s influence is built on his credibility and moral track record. With strong moral leadership, a leader gains the people’s respect and admiration.

What the Philippines needs is a leader who will lead with integrity. Integrity is doing the right things no matter what. It’s about sticking to one’s moral standards. Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Integrity is about being morally consistent, whole, undivided. We’ve already had leaders in the past who may have had brilliant minds, economic acumen or strong political will, yet we remain to be the sick man of Asia.

Why? Because what we need are not just leaders with outstanding intelligence; we need leaders with unmistakable integrity.

Economic progress is not the only problem that we need to focus on. We need to restore the moral standards and values that founded our institutions — love, righteousness and justice.

We don’t need leaders who will clean the streets by striking fear, but leaders who will show us that we as a people know better than embrace barbarity. We need leaders who will not fool us into believing that they can end our economic woes, but leaders who will empower us and inspire us to embrace the future with hope. We don’t just need leaders with political experience, we need leaders with unquestionable character.

Faith

A person’s faith shapes his character. Indeed, faith is the moral compass that guides a person, especially when circumstances demand sound decisions. Faith is the barometer through which a leader leads.

I will not vote for a candidate whose faith is questionable. I want a president who will establish the government on the strong foundation of justice and righteousness. I want a president who will protect the marriage institution and will not push for legislations that seek to undermine it. I will vote for a president who will uphold the value of human lives and will do everything in his power to protect it.

Look at the United States. While it remains to be the strongest superpower on earth, its social institutions are in the brink of collapse in the face of moral degradation. Economic progress is not the end-all-and-be-all of everything.

As CBCP President Socrates Villegas puts it, corruption comes in many shapes and forms. Stealing from the public funds is one of it, but moral corruption spells greater doom. We need a president who is guided by the right moral compass. We need a president who understands that all governments are instituted by God; it is a charge from God, and that he is ultimately accountable to Him. 

Hence, we need a president who will not play god, but will be guided by his fear of God.

Excellence

Knowing that the government is a public trust, and that it is a charge from God, public officials must perform their duties to the highest standard of excellence. This one is the easiest to see; one should only look at the candidates’ track record as a public servant.

                                                                 ***

These qualities will surely narrow down — or complicate — your choices. Perhaps, upon close examination, you may find that none of the candidates pass these qualifications. I just hope that on the day of the polls, we will be guided by the right values and principles in choosing our leaders.

Whoever wins this election, let’s participate in the work of nation-building, pray for the new leaders and bless our nation. 

It may be difficult for now to look for political candidates who embody leadership, integrity, faith and excellence, but I am part of a movement called Every Nation Campus, whose ultimate desire is to raise up the next generation as world-changers and nation-builders.

I’m keeping my knees bent and my fingers crossed. God bless the Philippines.