Too much freedom and human rights; too little discipline

The immortal words of the late Singaporean prime minister, Lee Kuan Hew still haunts me to this day: You, Filipinos, what you really need is more discipline not more human rights. It is a great embarrassment that what hits the nail on its head came from a foreigner. For we called Marcos a dictator, for telling us: “Sa ikauunlad ng Bayan, disiplina ang kailangan.

The Americans spoiled us with too much fixation on human rights. The founding fathers of our nation, men like Quezon, Osmeña and Roxas, copied verbatim the American Bill of Rights, framed by Thomas Jefferson, who was driven by a crooked culture of hating and abhorring authority due to the atrocities they suffered in the hands of English and British monarchs. Thus, we have a constitution that gives too many rights to criminals and none at all for victims of their inhuman acts. Crime suspects, even those caught ''in flagrante'', have tremendous rights, even to be assisted by lawyers paid for by the government. The victims have no constitutional rights because Jefferson forgot that the murdered have rights too, even more than the murderer, the robbed more than the robbers, and the raped more than the rapists.

In this country, people have the freedom to spit, urinate and defecate everywhere and anywhere, spreading viruses and bacteria that bring about pestilence and endemic maladies. Then these irresponsible creatures have the gall of blaming the government for lack of adequate public health facilities. People have the freedom to jaywalk, cross the street anytime and every time, and when they are hit by vehicles, it is the driver who is presumed at fault. The drivers have the freedom to change lanes, cut other vehicles and drive like crazy, endangering lives and property. And when there is horrendous traffic, the people blame the government. When people are reckless, neglectful and lacking in basic respect for traffic rules, the government bears the brunt of blames from an irresponsible citizenry.

The people produce babies beyond their means to support, and then blame the government for inadequate housing, and facilities for education, public health and social welfare. People want to enjoy unrestrained freedom, even to disturb other people, and rely on government to provide their basic needs. People have no sense of responsibility and accountability. They are caught in a culture of entitlement and mendicancy. They want to receive many things without working for them. They do not have initiative, foresight and creativity. They rely on institutions to hand over to them things they should work for and earn themselves. Filipinos do not take responsibility for their own lives. They want God, government and social institutions to deliver goods and services to them for free. [email protected]