Careful, you may be called mema

Mema is a word only millennials could probably explain better.

In the vernacular, mema is short for “May masabi lang.” In English, it’s akin to saying one’s thoughts out for the sake of having something to say.

When spoken to criticize, say the government or any of its policies, it doesn’t speak well of the one who said it as it connotes senseless chatter for the sake of criticizing.

Mema is used to counter any critic who doesn’t have any useful contribution to the betterment of governance. They do it just to be in the limelight or make one look good in the eyes of the readers. In short “pampapogi lang.”

There are many such memas in the bureaucracy. They can either be in the opposition or worse in the administration.

When Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman called on the President to dismantle what he called “military oligarchy” in government, not a few feathers were ruffled, coming as it did on the hot oligarchy issue that ensued following the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN owned by the Lopez family.

Lagman claimed that while President Duterte has targeted the so-called “economic oligarchs,” he has shielded and built up military oligarchs with inordinate patronage.

He said the Duterte administration is dominated by former officers in uniform, seven of which are retired chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces.

Lagman’s claims were immediately shut down by Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesman, pointing out that results, not background, matter most to people.

“The public appreciates the results of good performance by government officials better than their background,” Malaya said.

He explained that there is no “military oligarchy” to dismantle because the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infections Diseases (IATF-EID) is led by civilians like Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, and the vast majority of its members are civilian government officials with no military background.

The NTF, on the other hand, is led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana because he is also the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chair, which is the government’s national response body during disasters and emergencies.

“Secretary Año has been given this task by the President because he delivers, period.

It’s not about his military background but because of his performance. Statements to the contrary are not well-meaning, but are clearly meant to disparage the accomplishments of this administration, including that of Secretary Año,” the DILG spokesman declared.

While Malaya was busy refuting the remarks of Lagman, a fellow official, Interior Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño ironically found himself in hot water for suggesting a shame campaign against COVID-19 patients who refuse to undergo quarantine in government facilities. After drawing massive flak on social media, Diño apologized for having said such remarks,

“They do it just to be in the limelight or make one look good in the eyes of the readers. In short ‘pampapogi lang.’

claiming he was just misquoted.

Commission on Human Rights spokesman Atty. Jacqueline de Guia weighed in on the remarks and reminded government agencies to address the issue as a health problem.

“We must remember that this is a health issue and that the primordial concern of the government at the very onset and up until now is to make sure that the health of the people is protected. Therefore, shaming them (COVID patients) is not at all protecting them nor having their best interest at heart,” Atty. De Guia explained.

The DILG has since distanced itself from Diño’s suggestion, saying it was a personal opinion that does not reflect the official policy of the government.

We don’t know where these public servants are drawing these silly ideas, but in this time of the pandemic, it seems to us that it’s probably worth delving on issues such as, hold your breath, the earth is flat, or the virus was man-made or Erap’s suggestion on how to go to the sun without burning etcetera, etcetera.

Sorry, we just want to be different. But please, don’t call us mema.

“We don’t know where these public servants are drawing these silly ideas.