"Too true to be Sacral"
Notes from the presentation made by the UP Repertory company
shown last Frbruary 13, 2017 at UP Fair, Sunken Garden,
University of the Philippines, Diliman
By Letty Guererro
It was early evening when this person went to the University of the Philippines in Diliman for its February fair.
Known for its series of booths, of music and anything that was worth respite for the students and for the community, that fair is also means to invoke sentiments as any other political action, although nowadays been almost replaced by anything that is, commercial.
However, one interesting presentation was a play made by the UP Repertory Company. Based from Genesis 22 in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah, the presentation was given a Filipino twist, this time replacing Abraham with Duterte and Isaac with the common Filipino who's greatly affected by the series of extrajudicial acts particularly those from the "war on drugs". Quite interesting knowing that from every verse Eshei Mesina narrated, to the actions made by its actors and actresses, the presentation somehow tries to reignite UP Fair's militant past as a way of protest.
Everyone did watch though, although expect not all would understand its message, if not ridiculing it knowing that they "came for the well-known bands and not for some militant presentation such as inspired from the Bible and Oplans Tokhang and Kapayapaan." But still, the presentation continued till everyone somehow got its point such as how the system continues to retain the status quo-such as a bloodied one, and be intensified by a leader known for his assholeness.
Ironically, those who supported the administration are Christians. Regardless of their sect affiliated, for sure they've understood the biblical verse as well as the Apostles Creed that professes their faith. But, since they are supporters of an administration sworn to protect the status quo, what more of taking an act that is bloodied, they suddenly forget being Christians if not justify the killing as godly- no matter how many innocents be affect by that carnage.
Otherwise, the presentation may redescribe as blasphemous after using anything but sacral be it the Bible verse or the Apostles Creed, but still that presentation shows how a ruler, being conscienceless if not choosing not to heed his compatriot's insistence not to be killed chose to proceed his own doing, no matter how that compatriot as wrongfully accused if not innocent yet greatly affected by its own surrounding, in pursuit of restoring order. Apologists may nihilistically think of it as a necessary catharsis, with collateral damages be reinterpreted as a cleansing measure if not a means to return to stability even at the expense of a hundred, thousand, or even million lives. Apologists would also think that no matter how numerous deaths or unjust policies being done the presidency still "did something good" be it building a series of infrastructure to promises of an untaxed salaries to the lower-income earners. And the rising costs of goods and services, also from the views of the apologists, is likely to be intepreted as a "call for austerity".
Again, in spite of how apologists reinterpret that action, that the system, via the administration has made it happen that "sacrifice", while the people, sneered by a desire for that brand of "change", has chose to let it commenced. No angel may intervene the tyrant from doing his act, with the tyrant himself admitting that he doesn't care if he gone to hell as long as "his people he serve will live in paradise."