32 is a harrowing number
Thirty two was the number. Take note I use the article "the" to modify number. This is done for the few of us who are less concerned with expository writing. I intend to give some degree of significance to the number. To me, it is not just a number.
While I waited at the Tagbilaran City wharf the other morning for the Cebu-bound fast craft, most of the men, women and children who were probably my co-passengers were discussing the loss of the Philippine basketball team to South Korea just hours earlier. There were good analysts among them who marveled at the simplicity of the Korean game plan while others pointed out the razzle-dazzle play of some Pinoy cagers. But almost all of them could hardly believe our team was buried in points. We lost by 32. In the storied rivalry in basketball between these two countries, we have never lost by such a shocking difference.
Few days ago too, I saw 32 as only "a" number. Despite the absence of any importance to the news that mentioned this figure, let me say that 32 lives were lost. In Bulacan, 32 persons were shot dead by police in one sweeping operation. They were shot allegedly for having started to fire at the lawmen doing covert operations.
President Rodrigo Duterte did not miss the number though. In a speech, he acknowledged that his men were simply following his orders in killing 32 persons. To paraphrase him, he directed his men to maim or kill all drug lords and pushers they encounter in operations. I could see the smirk on his face when he said his policemen felled such a number in one geographical area alone. The justification was, as he usually says every opportunity he has, his unrelenting war against illegal and dangerous drugs.
Let us examine our sense of values using this number 32. Everyone I came in contact with following our basketball team's loss to South Korea felt tremendous emotional hurt. For them it was unacceptable for our players to be buried by 32 unbelievable points and on every Filipino's lips was expressed pain and grief.
On the contrary, only a handful felt disturbed by the sight of the few dead bodies contorted by the impact of spiraling bullets. Not all the corpses of the 32 victims of that single police operation were seen on television. Most were processed and taken away quickly. How come we grieved the loss of our team by 32 points but we did not seem to care that 32 lives were snuffed out by the very men sworn to protect us? The defeat we suffered in the basketball court came even if rules were fairly applied, yet we agonized as one nation. Many, if not most of us, began to question our sports leaders' ability to harness enough competitive skill as if it was a life and death situation.
I am really saddened by our nation's refusal to demonstrate our indignation that 32 men died without due process. We took the say-so of policemen that they were forced to shoot in self-defense. Are we as delighted as the president apparently is to see poor individuals die in the hands of the judge, jury, and executioner that our policemen have become?
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