Recalling and still renewing vow of justice
(Or how that incident and its succeeding events
renewed its opposition to the policy
and an asserition of migrant's rights, welfare, and justice)
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| Flor Contemplacion |
20 years ago, an overseas contract worker was sentenced to death in a foreign developed country, died innocent as having an unfair trial, undergone torture, and a late response from the system supposed to take care of its people. That also showed how a country that was behind the façade of so-called progress comes an incompetent reality of having a negligent system, a repressive policy, a hell-like existence that compels its people to work abroad, to be slaves for cash and be remitted and redescribed as a life blood of the economy.
This writer was young at that time, and in every news report regarding that person being heard, shown, or read, may think how come the system who takes pride in its Makati, Ortigas, Alabang, of having its country be called newly industrialised, forcing its people to work abroad, as guest workers, of enduring hell like conditions, of being accused of false accusations, undergo torture, unfair trial and eventual execution in a foreign country. Anyways, despite being young least he was well informed thanks to watching the news and reading the papers.
And for sure nowadays the system tries to "do its best" not to repeat the issue or else be given the finger by those raging against, yet the policy remains in force as if it benefits.
And those events, regardless of describing that fallen as a hero by a negligent system, was worth called bullshit as expected, bullshit in a sense that the system fails to take care of its people, while taking pride in its so-called progress.
Those days meant countless protests, vigils, and even death and bomb threats being overheard through tabloids featuring girls in scantily clad getups of showbiz gossips; of officials that end becoming almost statesmen as they talk about migrant workers and its "rights" from press releases, newspaper articles, and even congressional proceedings trying to revise policies for the sake of "migrant's rights and welfare". And the renewed struggle for migrants to return home, and reclaim the nation for what is worth deserving, of peace, land, bread, and social justice worthy of realisation. Be it from the congress hall or from the streets, just to assert such important call.
And that is different from what the system tries to invoke with. Time and again that neoliberal policy of letting people be end slaves makes that system acting like a slave trader selling slaves due to poverty, and taking pride how its remittances, rather than stimulating production acted as its life blood of the dependent economy. They took pride about these new heroes and heroines working as construction workers, domestic helpers, entertainers, even professionals whom compelled to work abroad for greenbacks, yet again they acted too late in ensuring their welfare, even the late Blas Ople may have admitted that problem, yet still tolerated rather than aborgated that unfair policy.
Again, uphold justice as what asserted 20 years ago. They are proud to be patriots, yet ashamed of a system that was and is tolerating bullshit.