The fate we choose

AT NO time in Philippine electoral history has the basest in the Filipino character emerged in all its blackness than in this election at hand. Arguably, I must concede.

Even as the breadth of ignorance has always vastly covered the political field, nothing compares to its expanse this time, unreason and illogic the standard rule of exchange from the longest disquisitions to the shortest one-liners. To the inordinate advantage of the brute over the sapient.

Indeed, to paraphrase some philosopher: “By simply going on being absurd, a thing can become godlike; there is but one step from the ridiculous…” to the insane. 

Yes, and there is never a lack, on the contrary always a surfeit, of fanatical fools to behold eminence in tomfoolery. As we see now, they who find hilarity in the hideous, propriety in profanity, righteousness in absolute wrongs.

While vitriol has always formed part of the campaign arsenal, the past has nothing that can approximate the level of toxicity attendant to the current political discourse.

Indeed, the bigotry and hatred of high partisanship this time already abutting on depravity.

What one wished not on one’s worst enemies, is now routinely cast upon anyone differing from one’s choice for the presidency – from murder and mayhem, to rape of the entire family, infant members not excluded. Melai Cantiveros, Renee Julienne Karunungan, you are not alone. I feel you.

Why, rape – in rigor mortis, notwithstanding – has ceased as heinous degeneracy to become no more than a stand-up joke! All protests to its inhumanity dismissed with a condescending “Shut up!” Verily in character with one who has resorted to bluster to get the better off blunder. 

Yes, and what can one make of one who announced to all and sundry that for all he cared, his candidate can kill anyone he deemed an enemy of public order, rape all the women he wanted, even his own wife, and still would not budge from voting for him! 

Ah, to what absurdity have we indeed reduced ourselves!

Even the sacred lessons from the Bible, now no more than fair game to the truth-twister’s spin.

So God did not call the qualified, but rather qualified those whom He called – from the stuttering Moses to the adulterous David, from the cheating Jacob to the womanizing Samson, from the denying Peter to the persecuting Paul. So one imperfect candidate’s hordes now preach in the web.

So shall God too qualify the cursing, womanizing, self-confessed murderer then?

Not so fast, ‘tards. The qualification from God – as the Good Book also holds – comes after the remorse, atonement, recompense and renewal of those He called.

When but a simple apology, much less repentance is inextricable from the one He now supposedly to have called and be still the chosen one, then God could have as easily qualified Beelzebub himself.     

Ah, to what abyss have we sunk!

So how can we then vote, as we should – to quote Baruch Spinoza – with the full “… use in security all (our) endowments, mental and physical, and make free use of (our) reason”?

Alas, we have always pined for the honorable might-have-been.

Woe unto us to soon be ruing the despicable might-not-have-been.

Such is the fate we choose.