In the light of the current news (and Public Affairs) in the Philippines, I am not apathetic, but I would just like to say that it's not that simple anymore. After all the political troubles that we have experienced, it is only at this point in our history that we are truly in chaos.

It has been an 'accepted truth' that politicians in the Philippines are corrupt to the core. And all presidents have had their issues and scandals. But why was it only Marcos who was thrown out of the country? Moving closer to the present, why couldn't Erap escape the scrutiny? Yet today, why can't we push GMA out of the seat?

In a parallel situation, a riddle was told to two different age groups: kindergarteners and working adults. 90% of the children got the answer to the riddle while not one single adult answered it, proving that the more one knows about something, the more complicated it seems to get. Similarly, the mindset of the Filipinos are evolving.

A classmate of mine said that the People Power we know is driven mainly by emotions. In an ideal world, the People power means that the whole of the people unite for a certain cause. But this is not the ideal world. What are we really looking at? Does this throng of people really represent the country? 

My boyfriend said he would take the streets when Ateneo did.  I asked him if he was comparing it with the hype of the previous People Power he experienced, and if he felt the nostalgia.  He answered yes.  My point is that we're a very nostalgic race.  We get very attached to certain things, or events, as proven by our popular art and culture.  If that is what's driving us, then I rest my case.

In the previous People power, because of the heightened emotions, things ended rather premature. A professor said he had endured a lot of beatings during that confrontation, but it only resulted to this (the current state of the nation). Did we charge forward only to fall off a cliff? We as a nation, are experiencing more as the years pass. Instead of charging blindly forward, we have learned to think, even a little. 

The University of the Philippines has always been known to be very involved with issues regarding the country. UP has been considered synonymous to activists. There is much noise outside the classroom calling to join in the rally, and someone stands to close the door and shut out the noise. Why are we here, and not out there? Compared to the private universities in Metro Manila, we seem apathetic. But has activism really faded from the UP student's blood? Possibly. But intelligence and criticism remain.

I realize that it is only now that we have really experienced chaos because we are confused. The current kaleidoscope of events has caused us to look into our very cores: our standards of morality. We Filipinos are not used to looking at our own selves and admitting our mistakes. But because of what is happening, we are forced to evaluate our own principles. This is the appropriate situation to say we are rocked to the core. We reluctantly ask "What is it we should really fight for? Up to what faults can we tolerate?"

Presently, Truth is the new slogan. It is so easy, so safe, to say "I am fighting for truth" or "We want the truth". To be fair, I am not bashing any group or person who claims this, but what is it you guys really want? Why choose something so abstract, so absolute? My truth is not yours, and your truth is not mine. So if it is truth we are really looking for, then we can never find it in the government, or the People Power.

Why are we staying in the backstage? Surely not because we're tired. I believe in the Filipino people. We are becoming more critical, and more intelligent. "Tama na, sobra na ." Then what? We have learned from our previous actions that taking to the streets and making a president step down is not the end of our problems. We know more now that what we did then.

I resent that we are called apathetic, when I could be working three times more than you, searching for answers to problems your generation has caused.

Iskolar ng bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban.