Our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, on the eve of his execution on December 30, 1896, wrote the immortal “Mi Ultimo Adios”, a part of which was translated thus:

        “…If upon my grave one day you see appear,
        Amidst the dense grass, a simple humble flower,
        Place it near your lips and my soul you’ll kiss,
        And on my brow may I feel, under the cold tomb,
        The gentle blow of your tenderness,
                the warmth of your breath…”

        Today, Rizal’s greatness, martyrdom and supreme love of country seem to have been forgotten; treated as no more than a mere monument that can be desecrated at will and any time; or occasionally accorded lip-service hardly fitting for a man who helped shape events that have had monumental impact on our nation’s life. “Upon (his) grave”, there has appeared not a “simple humble flower” of respect but more of a “dense grass” of dishonor in the guise of “interpreneurship” or “commercialism”. And “under the cold tomb”, Rizal could not have felt “the gentle blow of (our) tenderness, the warmth of (our) breath” but the blatant display of our greed, arrogance and indifference.

        Sadly, this appears to be the situation in Plaza Rizal and other “hallowed grounds” here in Naga City or elsewhere. And there seems to be no end in sight to the continued desecration of such historic places for as long as our public officials who, instead of seeing to it that these parks are properly spruced up to maintain their serene atmosphere, would see to their transformation into some makeshift commercial hubs whenever they deem it necessary or profitable. And all in the name of what?

        If one had read The Bicol Mail editorial “Pestering Discord” (Sep. 07) right, this is all because of politics. Or, specifically some politicians’ desire to help “small-scale enterpreneurs” (or voters?) and “provide earnings” for(?) the government. Or, it’s the “reprised political tug-of-war between Robredo et al and the Villafuertes” or the “old wound pestering Naga City LGU - Camarines Sur LGU relation”. Ah, politics!

        Dr. Jose P. Rizal and countless other heroes and martyrs must have turned in their graves and, if still alive today, would have lashed out against the bloody ingrates and ignoramuses in our midst.



MANUEL A. COLLAO,
via e-mail

(P.S. Happy Peñafrancia Fiesta to all and one.)