Adjourned!

Stories about pythons (as in yung “SAWA”) lurking some populated residential area make it to primetime news. We hear about them all the time. But this story I’m going to tell you about will never catch the fancy of the big networks. It would not get the 30 seconds it so deserves on primetime news. (And right now I’m actually praying that someone would prove me wrong!)…Kung bakit? Hindi ko alam.

Yesterday was actually like any other day here in congress. I was of course at my cubicle eavesdropping on what our “Honorables” were deliberating. A couple of them rose “on a matter of personal and collective privilege” regarding the flooding down south. They were asking for help—food, medicine etc.

Valid. But what followed was surreal.

Another congressman spoke. In summary, his message was… the reason why these calamities are happening to us is because of the things that are happening at the Senate. He was of course referring to the Senate inquiry on the cancelled ZTE Contract and the personalities involved.

I froze. Okay, so maybe it is cold in our office, pero ibang chill ang na-feel ko. I was asking myself… Did I hear what I just heard? Because something as absurd as that could only be conjured by my morbid EKmagination. When the next congressman spoke, it was confirmed. I was not imagining things. He tried to bring in some sanity to the august chambers of congress. He said that it was not fair to blame the Senate or any other institution for the calamities that we, as a country were experiencing.

In his rage, the first congressman did the unthinkable. He exceeded the foolishness of his first statement. He stood, and with contempt he said, “I move that the session be adjourned!”

You might ask, on account of what? Wala lang. He just really believed that we were being punished for all the wrong that we have done. And if others won’t take his word… well… the session should be adjourned. As if to say, “AYAWAN NA!”

Gusto kong maiyak. To me having this person belong to the roster of legislators who would (supposedly) craft our country’s laws was a bigger tragedy than the floods. The human spirit can endure calamities because of its resilience. But how can we as a nation endure having leaders such as this one?

But we don’t hear about this in the news. I mean, I’m still frozen while I write this entry and I’m not sure if I’m constructing my thoughts properly. But I think that people should know about these events. If only to make them think twice before they cast their votes. Am I helping to elect the right people in the legislature/executive (or wherever)?