Memoirs of an Amnesiac

I never knew my student and I shared the same sentiment as when I had asked the whole class about their definition about politics. The response I got was, "graft and corruption."

I could not anymore undo the students' notion about politics even after I had explained that the real definition of politics is that it is the art of good governance. Like me, my students have seen the grim realities that politics has achieved in this country.

Yet recently, after that seemingly marathon coverage on both TV and radio about his unfateful plane crash on the waters of Masbate, Secretary Jesse Robredo's untimely death came as a huge blow not only to the the people of Naga but also to the nation. Many people came out like mushrooms after a rain, telling everyone how much of a great man he was.

Honestly, I did not even mind him being the DILG Secretary. In fact, I don't know him at all. Way back when I was still in high school, we were told to memorize the members of the Cabinet because our Civics teacher will include it in his exams. Right now, I pay less attention since all the Cabinet members are going to be replaced any way. They will only get to make an impression on me when they get into a major issue or controversy.

Little did I know that he would fill newspaper covers with his great contributions in the field of politics. Lots of people surface, testifying about how he had helped them get through with their lives. Talk about posthumous achievements.

I never really understand how one gets to be appreciated more in death than while still alive. It's probably because we have lost confidence in the kind of politics that is run in this country. Even when one is good but he/she joins politics, he eventually becomes one, like placing one rotten apple among the basketful of healthy ones. Wait for one more week, and the rest becomes rotten, too. It's in the system. Whoever one places there, he eventually becomes part of the system. Or so I thought.

Oh well, at least I proved myself wrong in this case. I sincerely hope there are more like Secretary Robredo just lurking around the hallways and busy government offices. People who are not just in because they supported the incumbent government officers but because they believe something can be done about the system.

So that we can once again recognize their worth, this time, while they still breathe.