Without asking

“BUT BEFORE we rush to pass judgment on our legislators who avail (sic) of the pork barrel, it would be opportune for us citizens to search our souls and ask ‘What have I done to contribute to this?’ 

“In reality, we ordinary citizens partake of the bounty of the ‘discretionary funds’ by asking our government officials to help our personal needs, family concerns, barangay projects or even Church fiestas.

“Let us make it our rule of life when we relate to politicians ‘Walang hihingi!’ Every time we ask our politicians for monetary help, we tempt them to dig into the pork barrel coffers or jueteng chests to accommodate our request.”

Walang hihingi. No asking, begging, soliciting money from politicians as this has made the public “grateful beneficiaries” to the officials’ largesse, sinking them deeper in the mire of political patronage.

So called the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in a pastoral letter to the faithful on the misuse and abuse of the congressional pork barrel. 

Addressed too are the church workers: “We in Church can contribute to the corruption by grabbing a piece of the pie through our solicitation from government officials—from candles to basketball uniforms to bags of cement to government bulldozers. We tempt the public officials to get money from jueteng or the pork barrel in order to accommodate us. Walang hihingi.”

Well articulated – moreso by its incoming president, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates “Soc” Villegas – is the CBCP position. Who, mere mortals as we are, can question, much less quarrel with the good bishops in matters of morals?

The Holy Spirit come, filled their hearts, kindled in them the fire of His love, thus their words veritably assuming ex-cathedra status. To the cerrado Catolico, utmost.

Walang hihingi. And we can only solemnly say, Amen.  

So where will our churchmen get the funds for their never-ending repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction of churches, rectories and chapels? For the parish social action programs, works of charity, upkeep of parochial schools, and the like?

Walang hihingi. Again, we respond, Amen. 

But how can the poorest of the poor eke out the barest of existence without the ready relief from the politician? In a bag of rice, two cans of sardines and two cups of noodles for a brood of five in a hovel under the bridge or in cardboard boxes in some dark streetcorner.  

Walang hihingi. Once more, we answer, Amen.

So what must we do with the tubercular patients, the malnourished children, the sickly mothers, the elderlies ever in ailment – they who, without some enveloped assistance from the congressman, the governor or the mayor, would most surely be deprived of life-lengthening medical care?

Walang hihingi. Amen. Amen. Amen.

So we are reminded of the governorship of the suspended priest Among Ed Panlilio. Of his ready blessing and prayer for anyone asking financial assistance from his office.

Didn’t it come to pass that a constituent brought her nearly blind mother to the governor to seek financial help for her eye operation, costing all of P70,000? “Pangadi da na kayu mu (I will just pray for you),” Panlilio reportedly said and dismissed them with a priestly blessing.

A month after – so the story went – the woman brought back to Panlilio’s office her mother who has fully regained her eyesight.

Daughter: “Manakit ne pung pasibayu y ima ku. (My mother is able to see again).”    Panlilio: “Salamat king Apung Guinu. (Thanks be to God)”

Daughter: “Salamat pu king pangadi yu, tinubud ne pu ning Guinu y Baby Pineda para pakibatan na ing gastus king operasyun nang ima ku (Thanks to your prayer, the Lord sent Baby Pineda to take charge of the surgery of my mother).”

This really happened. The astute Ashley Manabat and persistent Peter Alagos attest to the veracity of the story, having met mother and daughter in the 2010 election campaign.      

Walang hihingi?

What if there is some giving even without any asking? Should there be no taking too?

How would have this stood with the very patron of Archbishop Villegas, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin?

It was Sin that famously said: "If Satan appears to me and gives me money, I will accept the money and spend it all for the poor. It is not the practice of the Church to ask donors where their donations come from. Our duty is to make sure all donations go to the poor. The devil remains . . . my enemy but I will use his resources to feed the poor."

That spoken on Oct. 25, 2000 in his defense of the Catholic Church's acceptance of a total of P181 million in donations from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. since 1998.  

The congressional pork barrel has only been demonized and Archbishop Villegas would not want the faithful and the Church to have anything to do with, else they be tainted with its corruptive influence.

Cardinal Sin would deal with the Satan himself, if only to help the poor.

Walang hihinga. It leaves me breathless.   

(Published in Punto! July 31, 2013. Late posting here)