Rational Insanity
By Bryan Mari Argos

Nursing the aswang’s wing

There is an apparent “David and Goliath” battle going on in Roxas City at the moment.  David is the Dugo Capiznon, Inc. (DCI) group that organized the Aswang Festival and Goliath represents the Catholic Church and the sectors clamoring against the holding of such a festival for a thousand and one (unreasonable) reasons.  Where is David’s slingshot?  Will it be a well-aimed shot this time, or just a dud?  Can the DCI stand its ground in the face of the giant institution which is the Catholic Church and some measly organizations who simply want their ten minutes of fame and grandstanding?  Who is the real Aswang in this controversial story?

I was never really for or against the celebration of this festival because as far as I am concerned, if it is something that sports commendable objectives then what is wrong with it?  In my pursuit to go deeper into this issue, I carefully observed the going’s on from my very own point of view and after listening, interviewing, and observing certain things here are my conclusions.

It turns out that the DCI has been into numerous dialogues with the Catholic Church leaders to enable both parties to meet halfway and agree on things regarding the Aswang Festival.  After these dialogues the Church leaders identified three points that should be changed in the festival in exchange for their ‘blessing’.  These three things were the changing of the name of the festival, the disallowance of aswang-costume-clad participants to join in the grand parade, and the cancellation of the body painting contest (which according to the church is a violation of the belief that the ‘body is the temple of the Holy Spirit’).  The DCI gladly fulfilled these three requirements; they changed the name from Aswang Festival to Aswang Pag-Usoy Festival to Lupad Capiznon Festival. They also satisfied all the other requirements.  After doing so, when the DCI went to report for another dialogue where they were hoping the Church Leaders would finally give their ‘blessing’, the Church leaders came up with another list of requirements!  This time, instead of just three, there were thirteen items in the list!  Ano gid ya bala gusto ninyo padre?  I believe the DCI has done its part in the agreement already; in fact they have already humbled themselves.  Has the church?  I don’t think so.  If I were you, DCI members, I would grab back the Aswang Festival name and just stick to that, anyway you did not get any support from the church by changing the name.

Now, here’s another thing – just recently, religious groups in the City requested for an audience with the local City Council to show the council how disgusted they were at the Aswang Festival Idea.  When I went to check out what was going on there, I found out that most of the leaders of the religious organizations that were there were people I very well knew were part of the city’s elite social circle.  I suddenly felt like I was writing my column on hypocrisy again.  Just to give you an idea, most of these religious group leaders have children who are drug addicts, children who married at a very early age because ‘napabusong’ or ‘may ginpabusong’, and children who could not discipline their children to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church that they so claim to follow to the letter!  I should know, I spent my last 28 years right here in the city.  Baloney!   Then here they are crusading against a festival that has very positive and sincerely clean objectives to begin with!  Perhaps they don’t want the DCI to have its aswang festival because they feel insulted by it?  Why would they be insulted?  Well, honestly, I think, the festival insults them so much because they embody the real evil of the aswang with their hypocrisy and all.  The truth hurts you know, and once confronted by something that might blow your cover – that you are sweet, religious, and god fearing – you scream your lungs out to protect the costume that you are wearing or the mask that you have on your face.

Truly, while writing this piece, I realized that the Aswang Festival is a paradigm of so many things in Capiz and Roxas City.  Since it is a masquerade Halloween festival, it is a festival where one can pretend to be something they are not, and since these crusading hypocrites cannot do that for play because they are already doing it everyday of their lives, they explode and cry foul!  The Aswang is just a myth; the DCI seeks to make it that way through a masquerade festival, and at the same time showcase the wonders and products of Roxas City and Capiz.

Oh, and here’s something funny, a certain inn owner, during the dialogue with the city council claimed that in last year’s aswang festival, a group of mangyans checked in at her inn and conducted rituals.  After the rituals, she claimed that when she prayed the rosary, she felt that she was being choked!  Hoy!  Ilusyunada!  Why would the devil have any interest in you when he is sure he will get you because of blatant hypocrisy!  It probably wasn’t the ritual that choked you but the rosary because you felt terribly guilty that some people could be true to themselves and here you are praying the rosary with hands dirtier than the inside of your ass!

May part two pa kita next week.  I haven’t said enough yet.  I am neither for or against the Aswang Festival, the DCI, or the Church.  I am against the hypocrisy of so many people who claim piety and cleanliness over other people whom they judge as being sinful and dirty when they have not even looked at themselves in the mirror.  Reserve judgment for the heavens;  In the meantime, spend time with your young ones and give them strong and sound values, para indi kamo magpalarehas sa mga hipokrito nga mga example ko diri sa kolum ko.

Do I nurse the Aswang’s wing because it has been broken by controversy already?  I don’t think so, the Aswang is strong enough to nurse it itself, at least it accepts that it’s wings are broken, and it asks for help…

Be rational; be insane…every once in a while! TTFN! Hi DOT!  Thanks for the support and welcome to the RI Barkada!  Hello to my dearest readers, to Verona, James, Sheen, Hellpen,  Anne, Mary Dale, Chan,Michelle, Zarthus, Jonald,  Mr. Bobot, Vic, Vincent, and Rex, Alex, Arvin, Corz, Jim, Kiara, Malikh, Audrae, Franz, Hendrick, Janice, Jay, Jim, Jonathan, Mark, Marz, Mel, Pres, Nhonoy, Niel, Piper, Rheavil, Joey, Alma, Rodolfo, Ecker, Ryan, Roni, Ian, Narle, Sunny and to Anuj of CMC, I love you all! Byers! Salamat gid sa mga walang-hintong text and reactions nyo! Catch Rational Insanity in TNT’s online edition, check us out at www.thenewstoday.info, text me at (0920)9254269, or email me at prague@eudoramail.com.   Byers!  Mmmmmmmwah!