Alleba Politics

There is a very clear bias in this country.

When a Dutch newspaper intentionally, explicitly, directly and undeniably insulted our Muslim countrymen, the government did nothing to protest. I do not remember even one government official speaking out against it.

But now that the movie “Da Vinci Code” is out, several politicians and government officials have protested against the movie’s showing. The MTRCB even went as far as giving it an R-18 rating even though there was nothing explicitly objectionable in the movie. And the City of Manila has banned it from being shown in their city. They say that the movie insults Christians. Maybe it does but only those Christians who are narrow-minded and whose faith is weak.

Those who oppose to the movie’s theme, in my opinion, are only those whose faith is misguided and not based on knowledge and understanding. If their faith is strong, then a movie can certainly not change anything. In theology class, I was taught that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. A theory that he had a wife and a child is not contrary to that. A real Christian would not be so easily threatened by it. Real faith may be shakened by the movie’s story. But rather than oppose to it or shun it, it should embrace it, investigate it and dig deeper. After all, the foundation for any faith, in my opinion, should be the truth and nothing else.

Beyond and above all those theories, myths and faith, Da Vinci Code is nothing but a work of fiction. No more, no less. It’s up to the reader or viewer to interpret it. And the state, the government, has certainly no right to censor or ban it. It might be well within the limits of the MTRCB’s powers to rate it as R-18, but I think they have been misguided by the controversy surrounding the movie.

There has certainly been much hullabaloo regarding the movie. But there hasn’t been much, if any regarding the insulting Dutch cartoons. Compared to the cartoons, the movie, I think is inconsequential. It is a work of fiction. Meanwhile, the Dutch cartoons were a political and religious attack. Is it because opposing the movie gives much more media mileage? Or is it because our government simply cares more about Christians more than Muslims?

The current favorites among the Pinoy Big Brother Teen Housemates are Kim and Jamilla. Kim is admired mostly for her chinita looks and child-like personality. Meanwhile, Jamilla is idolized because of her sexiness, exotic half-Puerto Rican good looks and her sob story. Even Brenda, the newest teen housemate is being admired by many because of her mestiza good looks. Meanwhile, pure Filipino Clare is being dissed by many because of her dark morena skin and exotic Filipina looks. Many forumers have been gone as far as calling her Yaya Clarides. Allegedly because she’s “ugly” enough to be a yaya/helper/katulong/kasambahay. A lot were even surprised and disappointed that Clare was saved from being evicted.

More than 100 years after the Spanish colonization has ended and more than 50 years after the American regime, apparently a little has changed in our way of thinking. Yes, colonial mentality is alive.

I am not saying that Kim, Jamilla and Brenda are less Filipino or less admirable because they’re not pure Filipino. What I am saying is that Clare does not deserve less admiration, support and RESPECT just because she is pure Filipino.

Davao City Councilor Peter Laviña has raised the alarm over the alleged existence of EO 341 which authorizes the Manila International Airport Authority to “supervise and control all international airports nationwide.”

This EO, if it indeed exists, could greatly hinder Laviña’s campaign for “open skies” in Davao City. This is undeniably another case of Metro Manila controlling what is not theirs to the detriment of the rest of the country.

Hopefully, something can be done to make this EO null and void.