A humiliated nation TABLETS OF STONE Larry Faraon, OP 08/29/2010

A humiliated nation

TABLETS OF STONE

Larry Faraon, OP

08/29/2010
The infamous hostage taking fiasco not only humbled our nation but also humiliated us almost to the grave beyond resurrection.

I was homebound from Singapore when all eyes at the Changi Airport were glued to international news TV focusing on our national embarrassment. Suddenly, I felt like saying I was an Indonesian when other passengers saw me heading for the departure gate assigned to the Philippine Airlines, as one Caucasian guy boisterously commented, “I won’t get there (at PAL plane)…you know, somebody might just get crazy and they start shooting the plane down!”

Obviously by now, our national imagination must have loitered into the realm of the growing global disgust, jeer and contempt even among those countries where Filipinos have been considered friendly and hospitable, such as countries hosting our overseas Filipino workers. But presuming that we have defecated on our own heads and sullied our faces of ignominy and metamorphosed ourselves into dumb and dumber global citizens, we have done our share of apologies, in fact quite profusely enough to the point of self-effacement. I believe that is enough.

Our leadership has avowed no let up and no whitewash in the investigations which the Hong Kong authorities entrusted to us as a last ditch trust. We have paid all the bills. We lost a disillusioned yet be-medaled officer. We have declared a Day of Mourning and put at half-mast our flags. No less than President Noynoy Aquino himself apologized in international television and officially to the bereaved and to the leaders of China and Hong Kong. He has admitted to the national police’s shortcomings and crude unpreparedness in dealing with the hostage-crisis situation, even if he did not openly admit to his failure to be available when Hong Kong’s Donald Tsang was desperately reaching him out to a possible collaboration with the Hong Kong police with ours — the hostages are their nationals anyway. But our contrition is sincere and deep..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100829com5.html