Mammanday-linteg... agsusubangdan!

SEVERALyears ago, Washington Post called the Philippines as the “only Christian nation in Asia,” but in one of its edition, it also mentioned that our country is a “nation of cheats!” Such statement is an oxymoron: Christian-cheater. While such claim is unfounded, we are not unmindful of the alleged past election frauds and corruptions in government and private sectors antithetical to the identity of being a Christian nation. Intrinsic to this must be the lack of reverence which is defined as the sense of deep respect mixed with wonder, fear, and love to God. Consequently, as long as the Philippines lacks reverence, regardless of being a Christian nation, it will always be plagued by all forms of evil. As Toba Beta, the famous Indonesian economist, said, “Reverence reduces hostility”.

Simply put, to be identified as a Christian nation, it must go beyond mere adage and the key to which is to always live in reverence. God is emphatic of this when He said, “You shall have no other gods before Me and you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Having Him in our mind and heart who has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell helps us escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.

Corollary to this is the story of spouses Ananias and Sapphira in the Scriptures who failed to observe reverence to Him by lying to the Holy Spirit with respect to the disposal of their bounty (Acts 5:1-11). They did not give what is due Him and they both died at once. Their fatal ultimatum from God, however, resulted to an increase in reverence and awe among believers in the land. It was a stern warning to them how fearsome it was to fall in the hand of the Almighty. Such dreadful scenario happens when reverence to our holy God is deficient.

ARASAAS: North Korea ken Amerika...agpinpinnudotdan. Gapu laeng kadi kadagiti partuatda nga armaspanggubat? Wenno iti estilo a pinnasikatan? Tsk tsk...sapay koma apo mayadayokami iti delubyo. Arig dipay nakabangon ti lubong kalpasan ti maikadua a gubat-sangalubongan. Kasla adda manen bumegbeggang a senyales iti nadara a rinnisiris iti masakbayan gapu laeng iti panagpartuat iti armas ken pannakasubok dagitoy. Sapay koma ta di mapasamak ti pagamamkan ti kaadduan. Daytoy ket nainlubongan a tensiyon iti agdama a masapul koma a masebseban. Tensiyon-panginternasyonal daytoy, pards...ngem ammoyo kadi nga adda met mapaspasamak ita a tensiyon pang-nasyonal? Sadino? Gubat sadiay Marawi? Saan laeng a dita, kabsat...uray idiay pagpandayan ti linteg, aggugubatdan. Aniaa?

-o0oAdun ti maum-uma ken mapukpukawanen iti respeto gapu kadagiti mapaspasamak dita pagpandayan ti linteg wenno pakabuklan ti kongreso. Ta apay koma? Maryunes...no sumursurotkayo appomi kadagiti makapalusdoy nga imbestigasyon nga ar-aramidenda (Lower House ken Senado) siyento porsiyento nga adda danagmo, kabsat. Umuna, ti gasgastuenda kadagita agrurutong nga imbestigasyon ket kuwarta dagiti umili. Maikadua, dida met agkaykaysa iti panagimbestiga. Adda pay salawasaw a salawasaw a di na met ammo ti sasawenna. Adda met dagiti agpakalaing a kasla isudan ti kalaingan iti rabaw ti daga ngem ubbaw met dagiti lablabidenna. Addaka dita a porma a porma tapno makita laeng ti sibubukel a pagilian ti rupana ngem awan met bagas ti ibukbukana. Nupay saan met ketdi nga amin. Adda met dagiti mammanday-linteg a saan a porma no di ketdi nabagas ti tunggal ibbatanna a banag. Ngem kuna ti kaadduan nga agobobserba...adu nga oras ti masaysayang dita. Kasano kano a masayang? Saggaysaentayo nga ibuksilan:

-o0oIti laengen pannakaiparang dagiti inimbitaranda a tattao , maim-imbestigaran man wenno witness...adun dagiti agsisimparat a di pagkikinnaawatan. Abutenna iti no mano nga oras ti pannakaipangeg ti tunggal benneg dagiti mammaday-linteg, kontra man wenno saan. Dagiti metten agkalalaing a mammanday-linteg ti agririnupak iti kapanunotan. Nakatumeeng piman dagiti naimbitaran a testigo. Imbes koma a liklikanda ti adu a teknikalidad...saan met ta kasla tren ti LRT a tumaray santo agpugak. Haayna biag. No ababa laeng ti sentronmo nangruna no addaka a siimatang sadiay...amangan ta makaisawangka iti saan a malamot ti takong. Ti nasakit...aggigiddan dagiti im-imbestigaranda a kaskaso. Adda met korkortetayo ditoy pagilian...apay kano ngamin nga isuda ti agimimbestigar? Kuna met dagiti legalista..in aid of legislation kano dagita nga ar-aramidenda. Ngem kasta a kabayag? Saanda met akorte, kuna met dagiti dadduma...dida met makayetnag iti dusa kadagiti maduptalanda a nagbasol. Agirekomendardanto laeng kadagiti maseknan a korte no ania ti rumbeng. Ngem kadagiti nalpasdan nga inimbestigaran...mano ditan ngata ti nalpas ken nayetnagan iti pannusa? Adda kadin nakombiktar? Mano a