Barking Up Only One Tree... And The Wrong Tree, At That!

.:Barking Up Only One Tree: The Law Applies To All, Otherwise, To None At All:.

First of all, as a guy known for the straight edge lifestyle, let’s face it: I’m not a patron of Flesh Asia Daily, as I honestly don’t have much use for their material.

However, I believe in the saying, “Walang basagan ng trip!” While I may not be a patron of the fine arts of FAD, I do not hold it against anyone who does, and given how my understanding of the entire Hayden Kho hoopla has resulted in me being far more sympathetic to one Maricar Reyes than one Katrina Halili, I do have a certain stand on the issue, albeit it mostly boils down to this: we’re spending too much energy on this.

Suddenly, piracy busts have been exclusively for the extermination of the scandal videos. Never mind the stacks upon stacks of pirated DVD’s they’re rummaging through, but the minute they find one scandal vid, it’s gone.

Why is the law being selectively enacted now? Why the special treatment? Quite frankly, I find that this only underscores the politicking and grandstanding at work nowadays, what with everyone trying to jump on the “Lynch Hayden” bandwagon, never mind that there are other pressing issues that need to be addressed.

The recent attempt to pretend that something’s happening has resulted in Mike Chanco’s residence being raided, and subsequently charges being prepared against him, all the while ignoring the pressing issue: why are we seemingly ignoring this man’s rights? Why the sudden arbitrary enactment of a law that is, currently, at best, only vaguely tangential to what has truly transpired?

I don’t know Mike Chanco. I don’t owe him anything, nor does he owe me anything. But as a fellow Filipino, I see that his rights to due process are obviously being trampled upon, and I look at that and feel: dammit, that could be me, next time. I don’t think I wish to be in a country where caprice and arbitrariness determine the law of the land. I honestly feel that is dangerous to the rights and liberties our forefathers have fought and had board meetings about.

I can’t help but facepalm over the trolls over at Jester’s and One Tamad’s blogs who are acting with even less morals than Hayden Kho, resorting to a stream of four-letter words, and internet tough-guy posturing from behind a computer.

Newsflash, kiddies: “lust” is but one of the seven deadly sins. The way you’re frothing at the mouth right now, you’re pretty much guilty of “wrath”, “pride”, and by the looks of how you talk so big only behind an anonymous nick, probably “sloth” and “gluttony”, too. Nothing makes you look more of a hypocrite than hiding behind anonymity, hurling invectives, all the while pretending to be guardians of morality. Thanks for completely missing the point of Jester’s post: it was never about saying porn is cool and okay. It was the fact that someone’s rights were apparently trampled upon, and we cannot allow for shortcuts in due process just because we don’t like somebody. Justice is supposed to be blind.

As an ethicist as opposed to a moralist, I have no say on the nobility of FAD’s site. I wouldn’t know, it’s not my cup of tea. It’s not my place to judge, but let’s face it: the rain falls on the just and the licentious alike. If for some reason they believe Mr. Chanco is guilty of whatever they’re trying to trump up against him, why are they barking up only one tree?

Oh, right. Because it’s posturing, more than actual action. While we still don’t know who killed Nida Blanca, we already know who sent the first video to FAD. Doesn’t this seem rather off to you?

Stop making it an issue of morality, when it is primarily an issue of due process. Even if it were an issue of morality, since when did being immoral guarantee you jail time? Erap had how many mistresses again? Even from a Christian standpoint, Christ didn’t come down to save the righteous. They don’t need saving now, do they? He came down to save the sinners. It’s funny how these zealots thump their Bibles so much, they forget to read it from time to time.

We worry so much about the immorality of one website, when the gross immorality of our current dispensation should alarm us more. The Puritanist values should really be given a rest already.

Unless the NBI people are willing to play nice, and willing to give this due process, then I guess it’s obvious what the cry has to be... FREE FAD!