Parable
of the duck

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. Grandpa gave him a slingshot to play with as he meandered through the woods. Johnny practiced with all sorts of animals, but somehow he just could not hit any moving target. Discouraged, he headed back for the house and dinner.

When he was approaching the house, he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Out of impulse, he let his slingshot fly onto the duck. The stone hit the duck squarely in the head and killed it. The boy was seized with shock and grief. In a panic, he took the dead duck and hid it in the wood pile, only to notice that his sister Sally was watching. Sally had seen it all, but kept quiet.

After lunch the next day, Grandma called on Sally to "wash the dishes." Whereupon Sally replied, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to do the dishes". Then she whispered to Johnny, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny washed the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go out fishing, but Grandma said, "Sorry, not Sally. I need her to help prepare supper."

Sally just smiled and said, "Well that’s all right, ‘cause Johnny told me he wanted to help prepare supper." Again she whispered to Johnny, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny helped in the kitchen.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally could stand it no longer. He went to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave Johnny a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing by the window, and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Aling Lydia posits the "thought for the day and every day thereafter", thus:

"Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done…and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, stealing, fear, debt, bitterness…) whatever it is, you need to know that God was standing by the window and saw it all. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that he loves you and that you are forgiven.

"He is just wondering how long you will allow the devil to make a slave of you.

"The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, he not only forgives; he forgets. It is by God’s grace and his mercy that we are saved."

***

In ceremonies marking the 22nd anniversary of the first EDSA people power revolt, one of its prime movers, Fidel Valdez Ramos who in 1992 became president of the Republic for the next six years, said:

"Around the world, the Philippines included, there are new tyrannies in the form of self-serving leaders, immoderately greedy autocrats and cliques of corrupt officials that we must still confront."

FVR rued, "it is customary nowadays to denigrate the events at EDSA – perhaps because the greed, the apathy and the corruption we brought down are once again rearing their heads."

There from he continues his speech, delivered in the presence of the woman whose illegitimacy as elected leader he himself proclaimed and supports, "History might call us to come together again – to offer our lives and fortunes on the altar of our civic ideals."

To her face. Before the corps diplomatique. In the presence of the woman who would not speak.

***

The Boss Woman did not bother to speak on that occasion. Instead, the following day, she arranged an interview at DZRH, with veteran broadcaster Joe Taruc as anchor. In that exclusive one-on-one, she confessed that she knew there was something anomalous about the ZTE-DOTC deal on the NBN project, but she decided to go through with the Hainan signing for fear that RP-China relations might get strained.

"I am sorry" redux.

Seven years and two months of lying, cheating and stealing. As clear as clear can possibly be. Should we still put up with these?

Fall she must. Oust Gloria!