By Alex P. Vidal
“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.”—Paulo Coelho
IF former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be disqualified by the Commission on Election (Comelec), he can still appeal the decision and proceed with his campaign for president in the May 9, 2020 election.
However, the decision will virtually cripple his chances; his being formidable—and his seeming invincibility—as a presidential candidate won’t be the same again.
His candidacy (only if he has been disqualified) can be compared to a chicken which continues to walk and move casually after being beheaded.
Those who like the headless chicken think its head will “grow” again because the body is still moving.
As long as the headless chicken is alive, the “hopes and aspirations” of its followers will remain.
Followers of Marcos Jr. (only in the event that he will be disqualified) can cling to the miracle of the word “appealable” so that their dreams of seeing him lead the Philippines as president will not die.
Going back to the headless chicken as our analogy, there are two things that might happen during its followers’ wish for the intercession of a miracle during the “appeal”: either the headless chicken will stop moving and collapse or drop dead, or its head will grow back and live a normal life again.
What kind of miracle it is for a living object to regain a head after it has been separated from the body?
A miracle indeed.
-o0o-
Starting this week we will be required by our employer to undergo a rapid nasal swab Covid test every week.
This will make sure we have not been infected with Omicron variant, which was reportedly responsible for the new record of more than a million cases a day here in the United States as of January 11.
I can never say no. When it comes to helping fight the pandemic and protecting public health, any employer, authority and government can always expect my 100 percent cooperation.
In fact, I have given may positive nod to the social worker in New York City who relayed to me the request.
I immediately moved my butt and availed a “free” PCR test in a waiting van on 82nd Street-Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens at 10:30 in the morning on January 10. The result may have been available as of this writing.
It was my fifth Covid-19 swab test since the later part of 2020, the year the pandemic brought massive terror and horror to humanity.
We have witnessed so many cases where uncooperative and rebellious individuals, refusing to wear face masks and turning down vaccinations, have paid the price painfully.
They can’t just underestimate and deny the existence and destruction of the pandemic—unless they live on another planet or in another timeline.
-o0o-
By denouncing and shunning all health protocols related to Covid-19, the defiant protestants are placing public welfare and safety in jeopardy.
It has also delayed and distracted the efforts and sacrifice of health authorities to mitigate the pandemic and reduce the number of cases and deaths.
The weekly swab test may sound inconvenient especially that in the United States, more particularly in New York, we have to fall in line and endure super cold weather in the winter season for hours to reach the vans and buses parked in different areas in the metropolis where the Covid-19 PCR rapid test is done.
We can queue in the medical centers and hospitals but the time we will spend there might double and the wait may take longer than in the mobile testing clinics.
She admitted it may be tough to have a weekly test, but stressed that we will lose nothing but “we will have everything to gain”, in as far as our health and safety are concerned, if we follow the mandate and policy of health authorities.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)
