Today is a day of irony. While today marks the 113th anniversary of the Malolos constitution when congress voted for the first Philippine constitution that definitively declares the separation of church and state; in the present we have a congress that seems ever more eager to please the Roman Catholic church, a congress that is willing to fight dirty against the very people they are supposed to represent.
Today we have a congress where it is alright for representatives to masticate their merienda ever so glacially in service to the whims of the church.
Today we have a congress that remains servile to the church, choosing to pander to the bishops instead of serving the people they are supposed to represent.
Today we have a congress that does not want to serve the mothers of our country, that does not want to educate the children of our country; a Congress that does not care for the health of our country.
Today we have a congress that has forgotten our nation’s past, the Philippine’s struggle against a church that sees not the earthly suffering and needs of the Filipinos.
113 years ago from today, we had a congress that remembered the injustices perpetrated by the Church. 113 years ago, we had a congress that knew it had to be free of the meddling of the Church in order to serve the Filipino people.
113 years ago from today, the fight to separate the church and state was only beginning.
Today, we have to continue this fight. If our congress today will be a cowardly lot, then the people they represent will have to stand up for the separation of church and state, against the Bishops who would force their way into the lives of every Filipino.
Today, mothers roared against the injustice of a congress perverted against our democratic ideals; today mothers shouted against a congress that cares not for mothers but cared more for their mother church.
Today, will you stand to keep the church out of our government? Today, will you stand against the meddling of the Roman Catholic church?
Image of Malolos congress from Philippine American War
I found it interesting to read this blog because the United States has a similar opinion to Aranal. The United States constitution is followed very precisely and interpreted by the Supreme Court. Rulings always enforce the separation of church and state abruptly because that is what our culture has turned into. I would think that the Philippines would allow more leniency on this topic because religion seems to be a major component of daily life, whereas that same idea has been diminishing in the United States.