Dear DFA: The Russia-Ukraine War

By Reni M. Valenzuela

“Our war is not about the dead because heroes do not die.” – Olena Styazhkina, Ukrainian history professor

Dear Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, why chide/castigate the Ukrainian ambassador (through your undersecretary) for “spilling” to media that there has been no response from your office to the invitation/request of President Volodymyr Zelenski for a phone dialogue with President Bongbong Marcos since June of last year? What’s the problem? Was it not indeed a snub?

Ambassador Dennis Mykhailiuk did nothing wrong by telling the truth, the frustrating truth, frustrating not just on his part and Ukraine’s but also on our part as a peace-loving country. Ukraine and the Ukrainians are being pulverized in the Putin war of invasion and atrocities, but our president seem to be impassive, untouched as he has said no further or better than “the war is unacceptable.”

What Russia is doing to Ukraine is shockingly wicked, repugnantly loathsome, barbaric and abominable, beyond “unacceptable.” It is worth more than condemning. In times like these, let us prove our nobility as a people (if nobility we have) by setting aside for the meantime our own/selfish interests. Let us be a Good Samaritan to our neighbor. Have a heart.

“Stop calling it war, for war implies faults on both sides.  It’s an invasion, where the state of Russia is the aggressor and the people of Ukraine are the victims.  And stop saying that your prayers are with the Ukrainian people, for prayer may give you comfort, but it does nothing (on your part) to alleviate their suffering.  Shred all hypocritical advocacy of human rights and be involved in a meaningful way that actually helps the victims of Russian imperialism.” – Abhijit Naskar (Neuroscientist, best-selling author)

Because of corruption, political delirium, perverted democracy, gold idolatry and sanctioned shenanigans in our government and among our politicians, not to mention the so-called “popularity survey” results induced by fake news and social media machinations by trolls, I’m not ashamed of being called a Filipino.

Is that the way, Sir, you want me to say the truth about my sentiment for our country, diplomatically?

r***************s@************.com (Email protected)