A NATION OF HYPOCRITES

First of let’s be clear about myself.  I’m a Filipino.  My parents, though my mother had a quarter of Spanish blood, are both Filipinos.  My siblings are Filipinos, too.  So therefore, you can conclude that our family is a family of Filipinos—no matter how much I speak English in this article.

With that said, have you noticed the title ‘A Nation of Hypocrites’?  Do you know this particular ‘Nation’ I’m referring to?  For those who had a hunch, you’re absolutely correct.  I’m referring about us, Filipinos.

Yes we are hypocrites.  I am a hypocrite.  You are a hypocrite.  Everyone else in our race is a hypocrite.  Why did I say so?  First off, you’re reading my article in English.  Let me tell you again, I’m a Filipino, not an Englishman or American.  Heck, even our Constitution is an evidence of us being hypocrites.  One line even states ‘THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT IS FILIPINO’.  If possible, we would kill others who speak in ‘ridiculous, error-filled grammar’ in English.  Even some universities, which are supposed to cultivate love for the nation, would penalize students who’d speak Filipino, boasting that they’re ‘English-only’ campuses.  Now how’s that for being ‘PROUD TO BE PINOY’?

Oh and not only that, there’s this issue of corruption, which is, if you listen or watch our daily news programs here you would think that this country wouldn’t live if you take it out of its government.  But hey, corruption is not only a culture in our government, it is also OUR culture.  Let me give you an example.  Picture yourself in front of a pedestrian crossing.  Now you see that the pedestrian light is red.  However, the street is clean of vehicles.  Now what do you do?  Your head would turn left and right and, seeing there’s no vehicle in sight, cross the pedestrian crossing even if the light isn’t green.  You justify your action with ‘No one’s watching’ or ‘The road is empty’, so you can go around the rules.  And now you cry ‘DOWN WITH CORRUPTION’.

Another thing is, we Filipinos like being clean.  One proof of that is we always take a bath everyday.  We clean our houses everyday.  We let loose our dogs to dump their wastes on our neighbor’s yard everyday.  We take the wrappers or plastic cups that we used and throw it either outside the jeepney window or in the sidewalk everyday.  Yes, we like being clean, and to hell with the others and the environment.  The important thing is, WE ARE CLEAN.

Watch the news and you would hear the acronym ‘KKK’, which means ‘Kaklase, Kabarilan, Kaibigan’, or to make things short, NEPOTISM.  We say that’s a big evil; we act like we’re so holy we can’t tolerate it.  But is that the truth?  When you go to the cashier to pay the things that you’re going to buy and you see your friend, what would you do?  Isn’t it you would call him or her and tell that person that he or she can go before you, this so-called ‘singit’ mentality?  Or when in other places like in abroad, isn’t it that you’re willing to give preferential treatment to your own ‘KKK’, your ‘Kapitbahay, Kapatid, Kaprobinsya’?  And yet, we shout ‘DOWN WITH NEPOTISM’.

So now, with all those things said, are you still wondering why you shouldn’t be called a hypocrite?  Do you think you have the right to act like that but the people in the government should be shot in the back?  Remember that the government is the product of its people.  And rules are rules, which can’t be broken—to break it (or go around it), look at another person’s wrong conduct, and claim that you’re the most ‘holy’, ‘intelligent’ and ‘clean’ individual in the world is stupid, ridiculous and hypocritical…which most Filipinos like you and me are.

If you’re so religious then you must remember that God’s attitude towards hypocrites is much worse than his stance towards the so-called ‘bad people’.  Funny thing is, we are a ‘proud Catholic nation’…and yet we act like the Pharisees—the very group of individuals Jesus loathed for being hypocrites.