Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales frankly shared her observation on Filipinos’ lack of regard for truthful and honest discussion on issues that affect our country.
In her keynote speech at the Alumni Homecoming of the University of the Philippines College of Law on Friday, Carpio-Morales said today’s generation has entered the so-called “post-truth” era where truth no longer matters.
“What happens then in a post-truth era when truth becomes irrelevant: discussions become irreverent. This is exactly what is happening. Now it is not only truth that has become elusive, even reason has escaped is,” she said.
Morales was also upfront in saying that most people nowadays tend to ignore and forget about the facts about the country’s history, but rather write a new version of it.
“This alarming attitude is appalling to say the least which opens a large portion of society vulnerable to a revisionist-distortionist proclivity,” Morales said.
Reporters then asked the Ombudsman if this means she is against the burial of the late dictator, former President Ferdinand Marcos, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, to which the Ombudsman responded that she was just stating facts.
“I was just echoing what was stated in the newspapers and I was quoting from the decision of the Supreme Court, which says that there was a regime of kleptocracy,” she said.
Trolls making youth ill-informed
Morales also called out trolls, fake news sites in social media and baseless assertions of dubious bloggers that have made young Filipinos vulnerable and ill-informed about what transpired in history during the Martial Law.
“Facebook has become a searing battleground for propagandists, apologists and trolls to foment dissension to a vulnerable, ill-informed young population that acknowledges Google as the sole and primary source of information for just about everything,” the Ombudsman said.
She laments that “a big part of the population would rather believe and share fake news sites and echo the baseless assertions of dubious bloggers and flamebaiters. They no longer care to verify the veracity of these allegations.”
“When supposed “truths” about martial law and the purported “progress” that the Philippines enjoyed during the regime are considered more fact than fiction, then we see a transformation of our values as a people,” the Ombudsman said.
Country needs good men and women
Carpio-Morales also stressed that people should be bothered when their leaders couldn’t figure out what is right and what is wrong when it comes to human rights and corruption.
“When leaders seem to send the message of promoting rather than condemning reprehensible acts that transgress basic human rights, the people ought to be concerned about it, rather than cheering for it either out of sheer ignorance, callous conscience, blind loyalty or gorgonized fanaticism,” she said.
Morales said what the country needs today are good men and women who can respond to the call for principled leadership with competence, courage, compassion, conscience and consistency, who uphold the overarching rule of law.
