Hating for hate’s sake

“If you do right no one remembers, if you do wrong no one forgets”

The biggest tsismis or gossip among busy bodies in Barangay Philippines is currently about the Tim Yap birthday party in Baguio City that Mayor Benjamin Magalong attended and is now being digitally stoned for as evidence that in the Philippines rich people and celebrities are under a different category of rules and entitlement. As far as I am concerned, it is evidence of how twisted and unreasonable some people can get if they choose to do so. In their unhappiness, some will “hate for hate’s sake.”

No amount of health protocols or pre-testing or screening for Covid-19 can stop a bunch of haters, self appointed critics or bored keyboard warriors from spewing out venom once they have decided to do so. In spite of the fact that Baguio City has done triage and testing of all incoming guests, in spite of the fact that every hotel especially the Manor hotel does their own screening and health protocols and in spite of the fact that the guests of Tim Yap underwent screening for the event, all that was apparently not enough for some people to let their hair down, take off masks in a private and limited circle. It might surprise you that I am taking the opposite side on the controversy, yes, and I have good reason.

How will we ever get out of quarantines and lockdowns, open hotels and resorts or be able to attend church services if every attempt to do so based on screening and testing is shot down or bashed by armchair critics as an abuse of social status or violation of health protocols? While the critics are talking about masks, the rest of the world is already doing vaccinations and talking about vaccine passports that will allow them to travel, move around freely and unrestrained by masks. While the haters and laptop judges were berating Mayor Magalong and Tim Yap, a number of people I know were sharing their own photos at the beach, on the road or some nice restaurant having a meal. Even the gentleman residing by the Pasig River often removes his mask because anyone entering his palace is tested and retested! I confess that I myself went out last Tuesday for an outdoor dinner reunion of four at a bar inside our village.

What those critics should have done was to ask: How did they do it? What process or rules were observed in order to host such a gathering? That event could have been the successful business model that other event organizers, wedding planners, resort owners could have cited or copied. But instead it will now be the worst excuse for denying other attempts to normalize businesses as well as our lives. The keyboard critics circled on the observable fact that some guests did not wear masks or social distance. True. But the critics did not mention or probably did not even know that guests going into Baguio City, into the Manor hotel and into the “By invitation only” event were screened and tested.

Just for comparison’s sake, why have the keyboard critics and haters not said anything about the highly successful 3 on 3 basketball league bubble managed under Coach E? People converged, players did not socially distance, players did not wear masks inside the court and they PLAYED basketball. No one got sick because they were all tested and quarantined. Why did the haters not scream when the PBA hosted and continues to host their practices and games? Same reasons: First because basketball entertains them and second because such gatherings and events can be done! It is not about entitlement or elitism, as critics are slowly beginning to discover. Tim Yap’s “Birthday party” was just the excuse to draw out his celebrity friends to go to Baguio City. It was not an event for celebrities, it was an event to encourage and convince people that it was safe to go to Baguio City. It’s not the first time; I myself did several TV shows in Baguio City when the Meningococcemia scare happened. We did the same for Davao City when terrorists bombed a wharf and scared tourists away. There are some of us who willingly go out to help counter fear and negativity instead of spew hate.

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Just in case many residents of Barangay Philippines have forgotten, Mayor Benjie Magalong has consistently served our nation with discipline, integrity, even burning relational bridges with mates at the PMA as a matter of principle. He did this during the Mamasapano Massacre inquiries and he bumped heads with other PMAers in the interest of the truth and justice. Instead of being selfish and concentrating on his political future in Baguio City, Mayor Magalong has over extended himself by serving as the contact tracing czar as well. That is why I began this article with the phrase: “If you do right no one remembers, if you do wrong no one forgets.” Before we summarily judge and execute people on social media, it might be a good practice to first review the history and character of a person. After serving with merit in the Philippine National Police and still doing his bit as mayor, is this the thanks he gets from Barangay Philippines? Yes, we all believe we are being vigilant and expressing our opinion. But before we do so we must hold ourselves to the same measure. Remember: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).

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