Rain

And so we remember how welcome rain is after being so long without it. The world was becoming so warm it became almost impossible for us to sleep unless we turned on the air-conditioning. Not that I ever did. Three days of near sleeplessness, and then I told myself: One more night and then I will turn the damn thing on before I go crazy. Forget the increased electric bill and global warming.

And yet, the rain did come. And with it, a sense of triumph, as if to tell myself: I weathered the weather.

Weathering the weather, seems to be the theme now as we go into another the period of uncertainty brought about by what can only seem, for now, a drastic change of leadership. Change does not seem too rosy, for now, at least. But indeed, things might not turn out as bad as we imagined. For now, it seems only comedy; though clearly, comedy of a rather dark kind.

There have been the expected deaths, a spattering of drug dealers dead in our streets. But so far, these have not touched the collective conscience. If indeed, the collective conscience is still alive and well. We have no proof of that also, for now, at least.

The thing with the drug problem, especially the one involving shabu, is that, as we all know, it is a violently dangerous problem. And so, we are disinclined from immediately condemning Mayor-elect Tomas Osmena for putting a price on criminals’ heads. People who deal with shabu are violently dangerous criminals. That much is clear. And so, we can hardly blame the new mayor for buying the loyalty of his police. The rumor had always been that the police were institutionally involved in its sale and production. To be very clear, there is not yet any proof to this rumor. But if I were mayor, I would err on the side of caution. And one must be pragmatic about it: Nothing buys the loyalty of a crook faster than money.

And while one may not blame the mayor for doing something which is patently immoral, one must try at least to understand the situation beyond the simplicity of moralism. Notwithstanding that what the mayor-elect is doing is paying public servants to do their job. In another world, this act would go by another name.

But this world has become “another world” for all of us. At the national level the word was out that the drug dealers have themselves put a price on the head of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. What can one do but to smile, rather sadly? And then ask one’s self: Has the culture current of Mindanao come finally into the national life?

I have a few farmer friends in Mindanao. Mindanao is something like the old American Wild West. If one wants to farm here, one must be well armed.

And as my friend told it, one must announce one’s arms by shooting into the air from time to time. It is a problem of governance, my friend informed.

The police and the army, nay all government, are always too far away. You must fend for yourself. You must be ready to shoot to kill, if the situation calls for it. And your best protection is to tell people how well armed you are. And how ready you are to use your arms.

This situation may as well be realized by all. More important than all this talk about constitutional change in the direction of federalism, we might as well start by including in the constitution the right to bear arms. Such as exemplified by the US of America. Not that all these sit well with me. They don’t. But truth is truth. And it seems the trend now is to speak it without thinking.