What is Truth?

Tonight the President of the Republic finally broke the deafening silence that has been the foundation of uncertainty in our nation. She has, at last, given comment regarding the scandalous audio recordings that depict an alarmingly familiar female voice talking to a national pollster about millions of votes in last year’s Presidential elections.

By her own words, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has acknowledged that she “was anxious to protect [her] votes, and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official.” Furthermore, she has given a verdict on herself, when she also admitted that “[she recognizes] that making any such call was a lapse in judgment,” and that she takes “full responsibility for [her] actions and to all those good citizens who may have had their faith shaken by these events.”

The students of UP Manila are prominent examples of those good citizens that the President was referring to. Perhaps most, if not all, did have their faith in the presidency tried by the entire controversy of the wiretapped GMA-Garcillano tapes. In retrospect however, it was the President’s own Press Secretary who threw a lighted match into that pile of dried wood called public disdain, and several greedy partisan groups have been on the ready to fan the resultant flames and add fuel if they must.

It is inaccurate to assume that students of the health sciences are apathetic when it comes to matters like these. On the 23rd of June, the General Assembly of our University Student Council unanimously passed and circulated USC Manila Resolution 0506-003, authorizing the release of a primer that called for a response - that demanded for the truth in the chaotic fray of accusations thrown left and right.

Four days later, the President’s admission to carelessness is the reply that we got.

If not for the delay in legislation of priority measures geared towards healthcare, or for the annual ignorance of the education budget that has led to the miserable but still fighting state that the University of the Philippines is in, the conflict that has been raging in the national political scene has done no good for the Filipino people, and for our country’s youth – the hope of tomorrow.

At times like these, we are left to feel like Pontius Pilate, that Roman Governor of ancient time who asked, “What is truth?” We ask: who are we to believe? Is there an end to this, and what holds for the future? Are we still to believe a President who admits to a possible betrayal of public trust, an impeachable offense?

Credit must be given to Her Excellency however for the courage, albeit delayed, that she had in saying her mea culpa to her people. But for us to heal our land, we should test her own pronouncement: that she takes full responsibility for her actions.

It is time to strengthen the foundation of our fundamental law that has been robbed of its chance to show the wisdom and prudence of its letters and spirit. The President has spoken: she has effectively given the go signal to have her worth tried by fire – not the fire of chaos and disorder, but the fire of a Filipino nation that shall show the world that we are a people of law and order.