It couldn’t be any worse than this. It couldn’t be any desperate than this. And it couldn’t be any unforgivable than this.

Tuesday, the second of December was a “big” day for most Filipinos (that is regardless if they care or even know about it in the first place). The fourth impeachment attempt aimed at Gloria Arroyo which was initially junked at the Justice Committee level, amidst a foreseen unfavorable result, tries very hard, with its last breath, to reverse the first decision. In a jam-packed hall full of administration allies, it would be outright foolish to hope for the best. But of course, knowing how achingly religious and optimistic Filipinos naturally are, opposition representatives rally to fight for what many Filipinos want but are afraid to do — question authority in search for truth and justice. Wow. Sounds like a line from an epic film, huh? I think so too. Only that in the movies, the protagonist always win and the antagonist gets a taste of hell (whatever that is). In real life, though, it’s dreadfully and hopelessly different — the exact opposite, I must say. Here in this country, to tell a lie is to live extravagantly. To tell the truth is to endlessly fear for your life, if not die through an inexplicable circumstance (if you know what I mean).

But, you know. Politics is politics, whichever way you look at it, whichever side of the fence you’re on. It shouldn’t be personal, right? Wrong.

Politics is never “just” politics. Politics IS personal. Why? Because people are involved — real people with real lives and real emotions. If politics is never personal, why would there be “extra-judicial” killings? Why would people be on each other’s throat just because they “politically” disagree? When people ask me why I bother to write posts with “political” under and overtones on a “personal” blog, I say “that’s because politics, to me, IS personal. Always have been. Always will be.” Do you think when one or two public officials slack off while on office, they don’t affect me? or you? or your kids? Do you think when one or two representatives either abstain or vote against conscience on a highly important issue like the impeachment, Cha-Cha or the Reproductive Health Bill, it doesn’t affect you at all? It does, my dear. Maybe you just don’t know it yet. Or worse, you’ve grown exceedingly apathetic or numb to at least tell the difference. But regardless of how you “feel”, the fact remains that it does affect us all, hence, it IS personal.

Of course, as much as I’m passionate about what I believe in, I’m not the type who would gate-crash an ongoing session or troop the streets with my army of friends and lose my voice on an endless megaphone-shouting spree. And I think, you are not that type too. What am I saying here? What I’m driving at is that it is a no-brainer that just because people aren’t talking, writing, parading at the streets or whatever it is that “expressive”, discontented, fed-up and oh-so-pissed citizens do, that doesn’t mean we are all too happy about this government! That doesn’t mean that we don’t care about whether the impeachment kicks-off or not. I guess I speak for quite a number of people when I say that the absence of a direct or even an indirect involvement in this issue is not a due cause for the government to assume that everything’s fine and dandy. Unfortunately, the way the framework of our government is laid-out, our so-called “representatives” in the House, does not really “represent” the sentiments of our countrymen. They represent the sentiments of their parties, political ambitions, political gratitude et cetera et cetera. But never, and I mean never, the general sentiment of the districts they represent. And the impeachment attempt, being a “numbers” game, as in other issues presented in the administration-dominated house, is bound to result in “a series of unfortunate events” — yes, just like the Lemony Snicket book. But unlike the book, this is real life. And remember what I said about what happens in real life?

Case in point: Yesterday, an unfortunate news reached me that the so-called “scholars of the president” went to congress to distribute flowers with the words “junk impeachment now” attached to it. What the hell? Tsk. These are “kids” for God’s sake. I bet they don’t even know what the hell they’re doing there. They probably don’t have the slightest hint of what a terrible rut they got themselves into. Of course, the close-minded Gloria-fanatic would say something like, “of course they do. they’re there to show support to GMA who funds their schooling”. What??? The hell I care if they got the funds from PAGCOR or if she even used her own personal money to pay for their tuition. Anyone who has delicadeza wouldn’t use kids for a politically-motivated agenda! For all I know, they might have been required to go there. And it’s a Tuesday, those kids should be in school, studying and learning how to be good citizens of this country. I say, keep the kids out of this. Is it not enough that you have compromised their future by leaving a legacy of corruption? The kids are the real victims here because it is them who will inherit this country and reap the disgusting results of today’s mistakes. Now, it seems not enough for you. You have the audacity to use the kids for your vested interests and saute them in their own oil. Use your allies in the upper and lower house. Use your allies in the high court. Use all of your luxury-car-driving, jetsetting, golf-addict leeches for all I care, but SPARE THE CHILDREN. Sure, you may be helping them right now, but on what expense? At the expense of surrendering their beliefs, brain-washing them as early as now and showing them first-hand that the world operates on a “you scratch my back, i’ll scratch yours” scheme? Tell you what, if these kids really “love” you for what you do, if they’re really grateful for what you’ve done to them, let them do it voluntarily. I’m sure that will feel a lot better.