When I started blogging, all I wanted was to have an outlet, a pot where I could throw my thoughts and feelings out about running and anti corruption hoping that it would, in one way or another, inspire others either to keep running or love this country more.
I also mentioned that this blog would be a witness to how running and advocacy coincide in my life. In fact, I’ve had previous posts about this like how I expressed my frustration over the killing of the Freedom of Information bill by the 14th Congress in the 2010 Condura Marathon.
This year, I’m doing another full in the Condura Marathon and again with a baggage.
The plea bargain case with Gen. Garcia involving someone I personally know and an issue very close to me which has become more than just a job has stressed me out more than I thought it would.
I’ve been having mixed feelings about the events that unfolded the past days. There’s disgust and indignation about how corruption has coursed through the veins of many of our institutions that now includes the military. There’s surprise and sadness at how some officials made it sound like all those shenanigans were normal in the guise of being part of the system and that nothing irregular was going on.
I also run out of words to describe my anger against the Office of the Ombudsman for its incompetence or deliberate disregard of common sense to please another corrupt master, and for how it’s mocking the public by maybe thinking that we could be convinced with their excuses and illogical reasoning. I could not believe how they missed a very glaring implication that accepting the plea bargain deal offered by no less than the culprit would not only put the government into a disadvantageous position but also turn our country into a haven for corrupt officials, not to mention that it was illegal as explained by former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo.
There’s also that feeling of affinity and sympathy for Ms. Heidi Mendoza whom I had the chance to work with in several projects. I know that what she’s going through is not easy. It was difficult for her to quit a well paying job without an assurance of where to go next just to let the truth out with the hope that it would set us all free from the tentacles of those greedy men in uniform who took advantage of the power handed to them. Her courage is an inspiration. Her statements of confidence to the majority of Filipinos especially those working in government were moving. I remember her saying that one of the reasons she’s coming out was to tell the world that not all Filipinos are corrupt; that we are a people of principle and honesty.
These feelings haunt me that even if I was not planning to run to give rest to my legs especially my aching plantar, I ran. I needed an outlet and running was there to comfort and help me find rest. Never fails!
That 8k this morning led me to hoping that we’ll finally learn from this. We’ve had many moments that I thought were ground- breaking but were simply set aside and forgotten.
I hope that as a nation this will be enough for all of us to stand up against corruption not only during these grand , sensational moments but even after the dust has settled and we’re back to our routines. There’s everyday for us to respond to these revelations. We’ve our lifetime and countless ways to become better Filipinos.
I hope that we don’t just run away from this call in such a time as this. Let’s stand in front of the pack and get ready to run the race towards building this nation.
The whistle that Ms. Heidi blew was our gun start. The country needs our endurance and determination. I hope to see you at the finish line.
