Teleserye in politics

s an ordinary citizen who religiously pays my A taxes please allow me to equate my thoughts about politics with teleserye. I can’t help but noticed that when election is fast approaching political blockbuster teleserye comes in. All the possible propaganda that the political candidates can do must be seen on mass and social media. I’m just wondering who were the script writers of these politicians especially those who are running for senators. The script writers must be really good so that their candidates will land into the magic twelve slots. These script writers in politics must have a very good plot from introduction to denouement to get the votes of the people.

If we take a look at the advertisements on televisions, radios, and even social media most of the air time for commercials are about our senatorial candidates. Famous singers, actors, people in the market, etc. are endorsing their candidates. Other candidates will even use emotional attack just to get the sympathy of the people. Others let the people search for laws or bills that a certain candidate had authored. Some do their common “tao” ways like riding on tricycles, walking down the streets and talking to the public. There was even one senator who greeted his brother on air trying to discreetly mention two people who are running for certain positions but he avoided mentioning names to avoid electioneering.

It is not only senators who have these kinds of drama just to get the votes of the people. Who could not forget the Binay Saga? From the dark- skinned joke positively accepted by Sen. Nancy Binay that made her famous to the people up to the brouhaha that happened between the Binay siblings in Makati City. It was like again watching a teleserye complete with drama, action and comedy when the two siblings were bickering like children inside the house of God. But you know what, a Binay will still win. No matter what happens blood is still thicker than water so the two will surely kiss and make up after the election. However, because of the squabbling of the Binays, netizens even created memes for them which turned out to be an advantage on their part because they became the talk of the town. Politics is indeed a teleserye where the protagonist and antagonist are present.

We must not also forget the teleserye of the Party List. There are so many party list candidates that I am surprise they even exist. I was stunned when I saw an advertisement of a certain party list whose name was taken from a teleserye that is up to now showing on primetime slot. There are so many party lists that will surely confuse people whom to vote. Try to imagine there are 134 party lists vying for this

2019 elections. And then it will surely be followed with another saga of “dinaya kami” from those who will not be lucky enough to have an office after the elections. Such saga extends to those candidates who believe that they are sure win based on the surveys gathered before the elections and yet lose in the final counting. When they lose, protests will pour in, interviews will be everywhere claiming that there was “dagdag-bawas” operation and so on with infinite reasons. Again, it is like watching a teleserye where the politicians are clamoring for the prime time slots to get the attention of the masses and afterwards aiming for the major awards. All I can say is “abangan ang susunod na kabanata.”*

ast Easter Sunday the Christian World L celebrated the coming back to life of Jesus the Christ, the one who was crucified, died and was buried. But on the third day he rose again from the dead. REALLY?

The Apostles of Jesus claimed that indeed he was risen from the dead. However there were doubters who questioned what they preached.

There were even some who alleged that they have stolen the body of Jesus and hid it away. REALLY?

The following are some arguments that would support their claim that Jesus REALLY came back to life:

Argument #1: if the story was simply imagined or made up by the Apostles, how come they were willing to die for it? Usually, any liar who is threatened will confess the truth when things become serious, more so, when their lives are at stake.

Argument #2: How could the helpless and powerless Apostles steal the body of Jesus when it was heavily guarded by the Roman soldiers? Is it possible for a sheep to defeat a lion? Such sheep is REALLY helpless.

Argument #3: How could a dead person be seen and show the marks of the nails in his hands if he did not REALLY rise from the dead? Coming back to life is a phenomena that has been studied and confirmed to be true.

In my previous article last week, I mentioned about doing a research on the Phenomenology of Near Death Experience. The participants I targeted were those who have been declared Dead on

Arrival (DOA) or declared to be Clinically Death (CD) but after sometime, they came back to life. guess those who have known someone surviving death or who came back to life do not have any difficulty in believing that such phenomenon do happen. Yet, others who are not familiar would usually ask, “REALLY?”. My answer is, “YES, REALLY.” In the words of one NDE survivors, “It is not simply a theory but it is really an experience.”

There REALLY is life after death. We do not simply vanish or disappear when we die. We continue to exist. Like the case of Mr. Raffy Catalan (one of my participants who by the way gave me the permission to share his experience), died. He saw his body lying in the hospital bed and saw himself passing through the wall. When he was on the other side of the wall, he saw his friends gathered and after which he saw himself floating up and passing through the hospital roof and eventually found himself talking to a divine being. Cutting his story short, he shared that he was ask to choose between his own choice or

God’s choice. When he announced that he has chosen God’s choice he was immediately catered back to life and found himself back at the hospital. What REALLY stood up as a confirmation that his was really an experience and not just simply an illusion or hallucination was the fact that while recuperating at the hospital, one of the friends he saw (at the other side of the wall when he died) came to visit him. He asked his friend if he was wearing a particular kind of shirt and was wearing a belt with a buckle shaped like an eagle and that he was wearing a top-sider shoes, his amazed friend replied and said, “Yes I was. How did you know?” Mr. Raffly answered, “Because I was there watching you.” That means he was still alive after dying.

In conclusion, we do not simply believe that there is life after death because of our faith but also we believe or can claim that there is life after death because of the experiences of those who have died “in a little while” but then returned to life. That is why we Christians can proclaim confidently that, indeed, there REALLY life after death!* I is