Sunday, May 28, 2017

Where is The Divine Light in a Troubled Nation?

Just recently, President Duterte declared martial law in the entire Island of Mindanao, the southern Philippines, due to clashes between government troops and the local terrorist group "Maute," identified as an ISIS-linked group. That was a late evening of May 23rd, this year, when the news brought anxiety and fear among many Filipinos, especially those who remembered the adverse effects of the 1972 martial law imposed by late President Marcos. 

Widespread violence and violation of human rights triggered the memory from the distant past, a horrible fate experienced by our countrymen on this kind of rule where there is an absence of due process in a civil disobedience act.

Every year as we commemorated the People Power revolution in 1986, it flashes back to the kind of life Filipinos have lived under the martial rule; freedom of expression was suppressed, and thousands were victims of cruelty and summary executions under the hands of the military people. 

That was history! And now history repeats itself. This time the cause of the declaration is different. Martial law was imposed due to massive civil disobedience back then. Still, now the declaration is due to the rising power and terrorism of the local terrorist group called "Maute," which is gaining popularity in the country and getting recognized by the international terrorist group -- ISIS, which is known to be behind deadly attacks in major cities in the world. To date, thousands have been killed, including the lives of innocent people; children heavily injured and killed due to conflicts and wars. People get sick and experience post-traumatic stress symptoms that they will perhaps carry on for a lifetime. Their life was totally hell on earth. Some would have wished to die than suffer. 

In times of chaos and war, our government's primary goal is to restore stability, peace, and order by protecting its citizens from harm and adverse effects. It is a tough challenge, and putting it in the hands of our national defenders would make a difference in resolving the conflict. However, isn't it that martial law was declared to protect our people? Or is it a disguise for a hidden ulterior motive? We may never know the truth.

It's been centuries-long of the battle against terrorism in the Southern Philippines, but it hasn't been totally resolved until the present time. Martial law may be extended to a year or declared in the archipelago. However, it will not be the ultimate solution to end this national problem. 

Where is God at these times? Evil forces gain strength when people pray for peace and spread the darkness. Is God an absolute good? Or Is There A Violent God in Our Times? No one is spared, but anyone could be the next victim of this darkness, even those who may bring the light. In moments like these, we need Divine inspiration -- a Divine light to shield us from evil forces in this world. But why does God allow his people to suffer? Despite economic development, the Philippines is a troubled nation, and the invasion of darkness makes us blind.

We have been fighting for different kinds of war; the drug war already killed thousands of suspected drug users, including dealers. It is suitable for the government to protect the good versus the evil; eradicating them all has never been easy. Instead, we co-exist with these evil forces throughout our lifetime. While terrorism can't be trounced, we desperately call for points of Divine light to shower on us and to protect our loved ones and the entire nation. We can't pass on to the next generation of Filipinos the suffering we live in. We can't imagine our offspring blaming us for their inherited problem. 

Looking forward to 2025 or 2030 and beyond, what will be the fate of our nation? How will we live as Filipinos? Will there be a peaceful Philippines in years to come, or are we about to start living in our darkest era?  Let there be light on our people, the defender of our democracy -- our leaders and the chosen ones. Let there be Good Governance Towards A Better Philippinesand indeed we will see the light after the long tunnel of darkness we're going through. I believe that where there is darkness, there is light! There's healing in every pain and injury, and there's a happy ending in eternity as long as we keep fighting, for goodness' sake, while unleashing the Divinity from within.

© 2017 Del Cusay