We repeat history

The Dengvaxia controversy took the nation by storm, only whipped off the front pages by a series of devastating typhoons during the holidays.

Uncertainties remain, worry looms in the hearts of mothers, at least. And they are millions who fear, mothers of children inoculated in haste and those who are disturbed on policies inimical to medical well-being.

In the abbreviated Senate hearing a former health secretary tells of a congressman needling her to buy the vaccines, assuring funds will be there. There are so many debatable assertions, so many loopholes in defensive stories.

Then former President Noynoy Aquino even claims the rushed decision is because of urgency and statistics, that so many are affected. Hence, things zipped through, coincidentally with elections near and the areas of concern namely the votes.

The brouhaha gives me a fresh look at old things, like Congress in the scheme of governance.

Let us revisit the Malolos Congress of the revolutionary government of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.

The Americans were in Manila, the Spaniards still holed in the provinces. Bulacan was chosen being relatively safe to showcase a government with French trimmings on the formalities.

Elections cannot be conducted, given. Thus, Aguinaldo appointed “representatives” of areas they have never been to; Congress dominated by the elite and mestizos.

Really, in the parallel of today’s Party-List where seafarers are represented by a lawyer, LPG gas dealers ruled as “marginal”, etc.

Felipe Buencamino presses Aguinaldo to pass the Constitution or Aguinaldo will suffer from a weak image (similarly, today everyone blabbers about Congress’ independence yet awaits what The President prioritizes).

A paralytic was a stumbling block to the rich and famous: Apolinario Mabini. He was holding approval and insists on his elemental amendment because “no one could be appointed Department Secretary without approval of Congress” in their draft.

Aguinaldo may appoint, Congress may reject. He must look around again for a person acceptable to the “representatives.” Extrapolating, only those willing to play ball with Congress could get appointed.

Because they cannot find fault on Mabini’s expertise and academics, a rumor was floated: his paralysis was from syphilis.

It seems F. Sionil Jose even wrote in his book, Poo, that, allegedly, Mabini admitted to istak, an herbolario from Pangasinan, that his paralysis was due to an “indulgence in his youth.”

With the ugly rumor (or fake news of today), Mabini was edged out of contention as Chief Justice, disgraced.

The era has conservative values, unlike today that AIDS-HIV is a concern of WHO and a priority of the UN Millennium Development goal for which billions are spent.

True, the LGBT is a new community of our times. Department on one’s orientation, it is a liberating consciousness, of Human Rights equality.

Or a Biblical transgression, an affront on ethical values.

Yet, what is sadly constant is that dynamics of our politics.

We follow the golden rule and only those with gold rule. We value family and lineage so power is restricted to bloodlines. The sarcasm may go ad infinitum — reforms may sneak once in a while like EDSA People Power, eh?

Well, the aftermath is one huge disappointment. Just we accept what historian A.J.P. Taylor wrote as quoted by the prolific Ambeth Ocampo: “The point to remember is that history does not repeat itself. We repeat history.”