Boyet Fajardo Scandal: Learnings from a Bully

March 27th, 2009 @ Ricky Rivera

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I was wont to write another piece on this Boyet Fajardo scandal simply because I really don’t want to prolong the agony of a fellow brother, Marvin Fernandez and I realized that the more we write about this, the more popular this unknown “jerk” becomes.

Seriously, we are feeding unto his ego when we talk about him. The best that we can do at this point–and i mean this very seriously–is for us to express our galit (anger) by ignoring him. Yes, we need to ignore him. But NOT his actions. Never. There must be justice here eventually.

BUT the most damning and the most hurtful thing especially for a person like him who happens to earn through his brand is simply for people to JUST IGNORE him and never to mention his name. If my readers would allow me to say this, let’s just describe him as ” The UnNamed One“.

The more we mention his name, the more popular he becomes.

Now, what have we learned from this scandal?

1. People are really biased. They form opinions based on their observations more than anything. For example, there are insidious talk about Fajardo’s gender preference as a probable explanation or cause of his actions. That, for me, is below the belt.

This person’s gender preference has nothing to do with his actions. I have many gay friends who are not like him. They are intelligent, articulate, creative and very humble with their accomplishments.

One primary example of such a person is Ricky Reyes. He’s very humble. He’s known everywhere yet nothing damning nor any derogatory reports about him.

Another one is Manny Pangilinan, head honcho of PLDT. He’s gay. Yet, look at how people respect him.

Bad people are bad just because their nature are like that. People say they’re bad because of the way they treated other people. Research says men are more violent than women. So, is domestic violence justified just because men, by nature, according to reseach, are violent-prone?

2. Wealth has nothing to do with manners. Good manners and right conduct are things which we learn from our parents. I have many influential and rich friends who are not arrogant. They don’t use their influence and they obviously don’t think of “poor” people as unequal or bereft of respect.

In fact, the richer one becomes, the more sympathetic you should be to those who are left behind the opportunity totem pole.

3. Filipinos look into the heart, not on the words. That’s the thing about us. This UNnamed One apologized already infront of national television. Yet, we are wont to forgive him because we think he’s insincere.

For me, that’s the most admirable trait about us, Filipinos. We know how to analyze and look into one’s heart. However, closer study would reveal that this trait is both harmful and good.

Good in the sense, that we are’nt easily misled by what we see. Harmful because we are not pychologists or sociologists to know what’s the level of insincerity or sincerity that a person must have for us to accept such an apology.

I remember how Gloria Arroyo apologized for that Garci scandal. Despite those puppy eyes and those kitten looks, everybody thinks she’s guilty. Yet, the anger stopped at that. We, obviously, did’nt go to the extent of demanding justice; unlike in this case, where everybody demanded that this UnNamed One be crucified, jailed, and cussed. Gloria and this UNNAMED ONE both did the same thing—they bullied us around, they used whatever influence they have and they abused whatever trust and popularity. Un equal treatment or view of justice?

4. Filipinos have a fairly judicious side. When we saw the video, we immediately said that there’s injustice here. Probably because many of us identified with the condition of Marvin and we, at one point in our lives, encountered such contemptuous behavior.

The good thing is, Marvin became a rallying point; an obvious representative of the oppressed and as such, merits our collective response. I must say that this scandal should be a learning to everyone that we must act with promptness when we see oppression happening right before our very eyes. That, every bit or semblance of oppression should never be glossed over or pass on simply because the oppressor is mighty, is rich, is influential or claims to be popular.

Filipinos still has a sense of what’s right and what’s terribly wrong; but we need to apply this lesson in every circumstance and in every aspect of our lives.

We must simply act when we are oppressed. We must act to correct a wrong immediately. We must always think that injustice, in all its forms, should be addressed with dispatch.

5. Every Filipino are being bullied. By being angry with this UNNAMED ONE, we proved to the world that we still have the temerity to stand up against bullies. This UNNAMED ONE is definitely a bully. Bullying in school, in the workplace and everywhere SHOULD STOP. And the power to do so rests in the hands of the People.

We are being bullied by this government in the form of economic sabotage. Graft and corruption is a form of sabotage. People in government rob us of our monies and is therefore, sabotaging our economic growth.

We are being bullied by this government by forcing us to pay exorbitant taxes, like VAT. VAT oppresses the poor. We pay more taxes than the rich.

We are being bullied by this government when they try to ram constitutional changes right before our very eyes. People in government want to change how we live and how we view things simply because they want to extend their evil rule in this country.

And lastly, we are being bullied because we wallow in poverty and oppression when they, our public servants, enjoy the trappings of power and wealth. Our inherent right is to live decently. It is our right to enjoy good service since we are all taxpayers. Yet, the reality is we are being bullied into submission and denied our right to good service.

Let us join hands and stop this bullying. Bullies, like this UNNAMED ONE, should be meted with the People’s Justice.

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