An Unsent Letter to Ms. X

To “Ms. Investigative Journalism” of the Philippines

Before it’s too late, this letter should be read. I would not wait for another incident to erupt.
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Dear Ms X,

I also belong to the field of journalism but I am not like you – big and well known. Even before, you are one of the reasons I am proud of my field because you rise above the rest - in terms of ken and most especially in terms of values. I have long been feeling you are the right person to approach regarding possible coverage of something that is quite rotten and needs to be exposed. I don’t know how long we shall be tolerating this problem that is quite eating up society and yet nothing is happening. Sometimes we try to find ways but we couldn’t get through – just because it’s religion that is involved, they say. Specially, a very influential religion at that.

I disagree, however, that this is just about religion. If religion, then why are people that despicable to get what they want to the detriment of others? If religion, then why do people try to get rid of other people just so they themselves can thrive – with false teachings still? And yet the whole thing is left alone because it’s religion against another religion, they say. Can't we talk about the pool of votes that is between this group and presidential candidates who thrive by scratching each other's back?

I'm wondering where we can find someone who can look deeper than just these clichés. So it’s religion against another religion – but is that really true? What about a fraternity of crooks hiding in the name of religion which is why the other religion is trying it’s best to expose it? It takes one with cogent eyes to peer through this maze of deceptions, and we can say we got lots of proofs to show.

For example, what religion has an NBI director for a member who sends over his legion of men with powerful arms to raid a convention center at 2:00 in the wee hours of the morning just for a libel case? We have videotapes of this event. What religion has a Secretary of Justice for a member who defended their ministers from their charge of killing 5 PUP students? There is a Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA) for this. What religion has fiscals who issue temporary restraining orders (TROs) at lightning speeds for cases of their interest, and fiscals who impishly issue subpoenas on Friday afternoons? What religion is powerful with the Movies and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) that could ban a religious program while favoring the other, and the regional trial court of Quezon City with fiscals that treat people discriminately?

What religion can just call up congressmen to vote yes or no for this or that measure? What religion has a party-list group that has congressmen who can file cases against the president of the land as a strategy to save her neck? And so on.

Ms. X, I don’t know you personally. It’s just that your name seems to embody investigative journalism that I trusted that you will be able to do something. With your keen sense of smell, you may be able to find out more. I am not asking this for myself alone nor for my own group, but for all of us hoping for a new horizon in the Philippines. I know you won’t try to make money out of me before you could do any piece of writing. You have written about envelopmental journalism, right? I don’t care anymore if you are a member of this fraternity-cum-religion because this is what was stopping me before to ask you this. What I have in mind are the many questions for you to find out.

Why do we allow a very influential church to be running our lives? The better question is, why do we allow presidents of the land to honor the wishes of a so-called church that is wreaking havoc the institutions of the land, beginning with justice? All of them did, at least beginning with Marcos who so revered this group as capable of delivering their votes.

Ms. X, this is a sham. If we keep on believing this, our justice system will go the way of the dogs. It is not true, and we are being fooled that they could swing votes. They only have people in the many places, courtesy of their touted strength in numbers – who prepare the news, who influence media, who influence the judges, including the president of the land.

In a way, the modus operandi actually goes like this: Ig stands for church.

Ig surveys for winnable candidates→ Ig tells congregation to vote for Candidates X or else → Ig collects.

How?

a) Ig collects by recommending their members to be installed in the courts, the NBI, law enforcement agencies, other strategic places of power.

b) Ig collects by calling on elected candidates to vote yes or no to certain measures.

c) Ig collects through TROs from the judges they helped to get installed

d) Ig collects… etcetera.

You’ll be able to find out more, Ms.X, if you get interested. I have given you enough information to start on. I hope to read of your write-up in the near future.

Sincerely,
Jane Abao

Postscript: I wrote this letter on November 20, 2005. It was waiting to be sent, but it was not – because of lack of trust in traditional media. So many things have happened since. More and more, the influence of this "church" group has become visible with a secure clutch at the justice system of the Land. I was thinking that the Internet may give this letter a fair chance. If not, fate may tell us where this may lead.