Supreme Court Justice Eduardo “EDSA” De Los Santos, as guest of honor on Rizal Day (Dec. 30, 2019), reminded the audience to remember the heroism of Dr. Jose Rizal, his legacy, and the lessons from his two novels Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not, 1887) and El Filibusterismo
(The Subversive or its alternative title, The Reign of Greed, 1891) which were both written in Spanish.
These novels were meant to open the eyes of Filipinos to the reality of the government’s oppression, exposing corruption and brutality, which Rizal identified as a cancer, a reflection of what Filipinos were going on at that time.
Both novels were banned from being read due to the portrayals of the Spanish government’s abuse and corruption.
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These novels, along with Rizal’s involvement in organizations that aimed to address and reform the Spanish system and its issues, eventually led to Rizal’s exile to Dapitan and his eventual execution.
These novels and the execution of Rizal later on indirectly became the inspiration to start the Philippine Revolution.
The speech by SC Justice Delos Santos on Rizal Day was so profound and full of substance that it capsulized the academic subject of “Rizal”, which all Filipinos study in high school and in college.
Did all the students who had to study and pass Rizal as a subject genuinely learn the significance of Dr. Jose Rizal’s legacy? Or did the students just memorize dates, events, or the characters without any analysis of their symbolism?
Justice Delos Santos showed his eloquence as he applied the lessons of Rizal to our present situation, as Filipinos are facing the same cancer again, as the Filipino people and environment have faced the same system, so that the few officials who are honest and sincere are unable to overcome the treacherous workings of the system, and their efforts to help the country often end up in frustration.
And most people agree that some government leaders have made politics an instrument for enriching and perpetuating themselves in power, by seeking to mire ignorant Filipinos in a “bandwagon effect”, fanaticism, and superstition.
What is the main problem with the Philippines today? What is Philippine society’s cancer today? Is it dirty politics by traditional politicians, graft and corruption in government offices, personality-based politics, the low pay of government employees such that they are compelled to earn extra from extortions and sideline-selling to adequately provide for their families, etc.?
As SC Justice Delos Santos explained, Rizal’s writings and martyrdom sparked the hearts of the Filipinos towards a fight for freedom from our foreign oppressors.
Rizal had written in El Filibusterismo through the character of Simon: “Why independence if the slaves today become the tyrants of tomorrow?”
Then, Rizal had expressed cynicism about the wide social and income disparities between a small favored economic and political elite and the rest of the population.
And the failure of the family, our educational system, and political leaders to instill national discipline and love of country.
But ironically, whereas our people’s struggles before were against foreign domination, our modern-day Noli Me Tangere is about the Filipinos’ struggle against fellow Filipinos entrusted with the role to lead and serve the government in elective or appointive capacities.
This is our cancer today: Filipinos acting against their fellow Filipino.
Thank you, Justice EDSA, for reminding us on the lessons from Dr. Jose Rizal.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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