The battle for the nation’s soul

By Artchil B. Fernandez

Beyond electing the next set of national and local leaders, there is a higher stake in the 2022 election. In dispute is not just the highest position in the land. This election is the battle for the soul of the Filipino nation, making it an election extraordinaire.

The 2022 election is the most toxic in the nation’s history where lies, falsehoods, deception, distortion, deceit with all forms of fakery in different shapes and sizes take the center stage. Gone are the days where lies are denied, hidden and concealed.  Now lies, fiction and untruth are openly, brazenly and shamelessly preached, displayed, pushed and even imposed.

“Sins of the times,” is how the Church describes the current malaise of our time.  “Conscious or deliberate spreading or promoting of fake news violates the eighth commandment [that says] ‘Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,’” says Fr. Angelo Paolo Asprer of the Society of St. Paul.

Proliferation of fake news, historical distortion and revisionism, and manufactured history are all designed not only to distort the truth but to slay it. When the truth is dead it is open season for evil. From lies spring all forms of wrong doing.

Sin entered into the world through a lie. The fall of humanity as told in the book of Genesis came when the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. The serpent lied to Eve to trick her into eating the forbidden fruit. Evil is the fruit of lie.

The predominance of lies and falsehoods in the 2022 election through misinformation and disinformation has so alarmed the Church, the moral guardian of society, that it is now calling on the faithful to be discerning and seek absolution.

“We are called to be truthful, responsible and accountable for our words and actions … If a person does not know that what he is posting or sharing is fake news, a person may not be committing a mortal sin [directed against God or life with full knowledge or consent], but it can be a venial sin that disrupts the relationship with God,” Asperer told the Christian community.

Fr. JayAr Babor of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, a professor of moral theology reminded the faithful that “wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Consensus or collective tolerance in the family or society doesn’t make spreading fake news right.”

In the current election, the propagation of lies through fake news is organized, systematic, and deviously planned backed by well-oiled machinery. Troll farms and factories are churning out falsehoods in social media with the sole purpose of sowing confusion by distorting facts.

The main beneficiary of fake news is Bongbong Marcos. Fatima Gaw, professor of communication research at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, found in her research that fake news “is really priming the audience to rationalize [the Marcos] lies and distortions.”

The Marcoses invested in disinformation decades ago to rehabilitate their image. Taking advantage of social media where journalism’s ethical standard is not observed unlike in the mainstream media, the Marcoses started spreading lies through slick and polished videos masquerading as pseudo-documentaries. These videos are full of red flags that warn discerning viewer they are not legitimate. No reliable sources are cited and no credible resource persons or scholars are interviewed.

A classic example of patent Marcos lie is the video on the fabled Tallano gold which tries to explain the source of the enormous wealth of the Marcoses. There is no “lost” kingdom of Maharlika and no historical record or evidence that it exists. But this blatant lie is used to cover the fact that the Marcoses stole $ 10 billion from the Filipino people. Through the Tallano gold lie, the Marcoses deceive many unsuspecting Filipinos and conceal the truth that they robbed the national treasury during their rule.

Beyond the personalities, the 2022 elections is the battle between lies and truth. The Marcoses anchored their attempt to return to power in falsehood. Their win is a triumph for lie. They will not only propagate but will impose their lies. The Tallano fiction will be forced on Filipinos as “fact.” What will happen to Filipino society once lies are ascendant?

Lies bred evil deeds. Once lie is normalized and institutionalized, everyone will lie to anyone. A society dominated by lie will breakdown and will eventually collapse.

For the Church and Filipinos of good will, the 2022 election is the battle for the soul of the Filipino nation. What does Filipino society truly value? Do Filipinos as a whole value the truth, honesty, integrity, credibility, justice, and good governance or do they prefer lies, corruption, bad governance, dishonesty, and theft of public fund? Will 2022 mark the year Filipinos become the “people of the lie?”

Sociologist Emile Durkheim observed that what holds society together is collective conscience or morality which he defined as “the totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the same society.” If the collective conscience or morality of Filipino society is corrupted by lies, falsehoods, and untruth what will become of the nation? What kind of life will Filipinos have if the national soul is sullied by dishonesty and thievery in public office is naturalized?

In this Lenten season, every Filipino must reflect and contemplate on the sort of society they want to live in. Is it a society where lies propagated through fake news reign supreme or one where truth is not only valued but cultivated?