The Filipino Pasaway Double Standard

Yesterday's "Mananita" by Anakbayad is really something to think about. It makes anybody ask if those guys that desperate to Get Cremated Quickly. It was one thing to criticize both PNP's Debold Sinas and the organization he's in doesn't condone his actions. Sure, Sinas and those who had a mass gathering and they should be punished for being pasaways. I don't disagree that Mocha Usok's OFW gathering shouldn't be allowed to slide. Granted, Mocha is indeed lacking common sense with what she did.

However, the bad case of double standard concerning pasaways plays itself in two ways. The first double standard goes where law enforcers fail to be a good role model. Sinas' birthday mass gathering of police officers within that area was stupid enough. Authorities need to set their rule by example to make their law enforcement effective. How can they expect that people will follow rules if they don't follow rules? They need to follow rules so people will indeed follow rules. The second double standard is where civilian pasaways demand government accountability but don't want to be accountabile themselves. One can consider the rants of wokes from the University of the Philippines. Consider the whole problem where they say that pasaways aren't to blame for the increase because there are pasaways everywhere around the world. The question is how many pasaways are there in other countries vs. the Philippines. Do they want to give pasaways a free pass? If so they shouldn't hold the government accountable and why didn't they praise Sinas' stupidity? Why didn't they decide to praise Koko Pimentel for being pasaway? They are the reverse of pasaway authorities who want to hold civilians accountable but not themselves.

We can consider the gravity of the offense. I think the people involved with the gatherings of Sinas and Mocha need some time out. Maybe, a week or two of community service without pay. However, we need to consider the higher risk of the Anakbayad "Mananita" yesterday. Consider that while Sinas and Mocha had a small mass gathering - the members of Bayad Muna and other related communist organizations have filled an ENTIRE BLOCK as pictured above. Yup, it's much bigger than the party Sinas held with the police officers. Sinas' apology was half-baked and netizens had the duty to criticize him for that shortcoming. However, criticizing Sinas' birthday party while supporting the mass gathering of activists during community quarantine is self-contradictory. What Sinas and the police officers did was indeed a pasaway move. What makes the gathering at Anakbayad any different? Party responsibly as their flyer says? Really? I don't see that as partying responsibly. Worse, they are putting each other at a huge risk even with facemasks and face shields. Don't they realize that there's a maximum limit in necessary establishments like grocery with how many people can enter? I don't even see social distancing there!

Law enforcers who break the law and civilians who break the law are both lawbreakers. I think the Anti-Terrorism Bill in its revision should also specify charges towards soldiers and policemen who break protocols or set rules to prevent abuses. The same can apply for the Anti-Terrorism Bill where soldiers and policemen who commit acts of terrorism should be dealt with as terrorists. Why demand accountability for one when you don't want to hold yourself accountable first, right?