Cybercrime, anyone?

Yesterday, on my way to work, I passed by an old man driving -- pedaling his way through the market. It's an ordinary sight in this small city, especially when you pass by Cogon area. But what struck me most was that this man is already reeeaaaally old. Old like my grandma.

Well, almost as old as my grandma- she's already 94. And this man, depsite his old age, is working since the break of dawn, breaking bones for maybe, some coffee and bread. He was sweating, and having difficulty navigating his way driving a passenger half his age-- and this, actually almost made me cry. It was seeing him do so much hard work at his age.

It was a moment that affected me because I was struck by how deeply entrenched poverty is in our country. Yet it's gravity, it's reality is sadly reduced to just statistics by politicians, and worse, by people like me and you.

Cybercrime law was recently passed in this country and I, among so many others, joined the clamor protesting this form of censorship. I understand the key points of this bill, and how it strives to protect us all from the bad and mean things that happen in the net. But to highlight libel and the reiterate the fact that we cannot voice out what we need to say, need to convey for fear of being slapped by the newly trained PNP is quite frankly, similar to an authoritarian society.

And on the very same day this law was passed and enacted, I saw this old man pedaling his way for a living. He doesn't care about the Cybercrime Law or Cybercrime itself. He doesn't have facebook or twitter; or a blog where he can lambast politicians for the state he and majority of our countrymen is in.

He doesn't care who among the elected senators are more "witty" or more "marunong" or even more "sikat". He has bigger problems to carry. We, the working class, have much bigger problems to worry about.

Of which, our senators and the whole populi should try finding ways to resolve.

So what have we been up to?

Honestly, I felt guilty too, I guess, when I saw that old man.

Joking in FB about having a "one new arrest pending" in response to the cybercrime law being passed seemed so petty.

Complaining about the workload that I have is stupid. I should be glad I have a job that doesn't require to break bones from hard, manual labor.

Requesting manang to put coffee on before I wake up so I can wake to the smell of the brew now sounds single-mindedly selfish.

And this man, that old man that I saw, should have the chance to be selfish too.
To be able to rest his bones at the end of the day, without having to worry about tomorrow. (well, we all worry about tomorrow..)
But he should have better benefits: better health care (there is no healthcare for people who do manual labor here in this country!), better purchasing power, safer environment.

These basic rights, these we should have and should be readily available to everyone. These should have been prioritized by our government officials. Our Senators have proven that a bill can be passed and be enacted in a swift motion. It was possible with Cybercrime Law, it should be possible for the RH Bill, Anti-Discrimantion bill, Solo Parent Act, Anti Poverty?

On the positive note of all this cybercrime hoolabaloo, it's the fact that hey, our Senators can write a bill, pass it and make it Law. We can make things happen! We can make laws better than this Cybercrime/Anti-Label campaign.

We can be more than this.

So, cybercrime and poverty. Is it really a tough a choice?