Let me be clear: I am not, nor have ever been, a fan of Senator Rodante Marcoleta nor his politics.
But I do get where he gets his invitation for a “friendly debate” on the issue of the West Philippine Sea from.
True, there are so-called “non-negotiables,” such as the issue of our sovereignty and national territory. International law has laid it down. And to break with international law, as what the United States under their president whose name I can’t even think of without feeling violently ill has been doing in past months, will only feed the flames of instability and conflict.
And this is where I believe we should all “simmer down” and take a break from heated discussion.
I honestly do not believe a debate between Senator Marcoleta and former Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio will make them change their stances on this issue.
But in a political atmosphere charged with emotionalism, I think it would set a good precedent and calm the already tense situation among our leaders, which in turn has served to feed the flames of animosity between China and the Philippines.
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Para sa akin, ang punto ng debate ay hindi para makipag-away o makipagkumpetensiya sa kung anong panig ang “tama” kundi ang makita natin at maunawaan ang punto ng kabilang panig.
Too many Filipinos engage in debates not to understand, but to impose their own view as the “correct” one.
Ang problema, kapag parehong panig ay ganyan ang pag-iisip, magtatapos tayo na walang pinagtapusan, walang naunawaan, walang naliwanagan.
Sigaw tayo nang sigaw, ipinagpipilitan natin ang punto natin sa kabilang panig, pero sa dulo, ni hindi pa natin nalalaman kung ano ang punto ng kabila. We end up hating the other side more.
I remember watching a few episodes of a panel discussion called “The Newshour,” from an Indian news channel called Times Now, and I understood why some observers called that show “Fox News on steroids.”
Walang ginawa ang mga bisita sa loob ng isang oras ng nasabing palabas kundi magsigawan at magsapawan na para bang nasa palengke sila at nagpapaligsahan sa kung kaninong punto ang mas papanigan ng audience.
Ang malala pa, yung mismong host ng palabas na si Arnab Goswami ay ginagatungan pa ang sigawan at bangayan para maipanalo ang sariling agenda – bagay na hindi dapat gawin ng isang matinong debate mediator.
Ang ending: wala akong naunawaan matapos ang isang oras ng sigawan. Tangi kong nakuha ay sakit ng ulo.
In a period of global instability and rising tension, the last thing we needed are hotheads and “war freaks.”
We have to re-learn how to “agree to disagree” – to understand that there will always be people whose views and opinions differ from ours, and seek to understand them instead of condemning them outright. (I learned that the very hard way in more than a decade of working for an opinion paper.)
Sige, alam kong hindi ko mababago ang pananaw mo, at maaaring hindi mo rin mababago ang pananaw ko.
But I believe what should emerge is an understanding of where each side stands on the issue.
Too many people on both sides of the divide now yak and yak and outyell each other without even understanding what they're opposing.
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