Holloween is just around the corner so let’s talk about monsters 🙂 and since It’s election time in the Philippines again, let’s talk about more vicious monsters.
AND since one of my favorite TV series, CSI, mentioned “aswang in the Philippines” in their Blood Moon episode (season 11), then let’s focus on “aswang”.
Dr. Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne), described “aswang” (he pronounced it as “ass-wang”) to be creatures that are half breed vampire and werewolf (half-breeds usually are considered abomination by the full breeds) Wikipedia defines “aswang”, (Philippine’s ghoul), as a combination of vampire and witch and are almost always female. “Aswang” is a common name for all types of witches, vampire blood suckers, manananggals, shapeshifters, lycanthropes, and other monsters who feed on humans’ unborn child, blood, heart, liver, brain, and other parts of the human body.
The “aswang” myth is usually used by grown-ups, specially parents and grand parents to scare children to make them come home before it get’s dark, to keep them away from the streets at night, and for them to behave, be obedient and to do good, etc… When we were kids, I often hear parents from our neighborhood ‘tell their children, “pag di ka natulog ng maaga, kukunin ka ng aswang” (if you don’t sleep early, the “aswang” will get you) or “pag dika pa umuwi kakainin ka ng aswang” (if you don’t come home now, the “aswang” will eat you ). That, I think, was effective back then because children obey their elders. Our parents and our Lola Paring (mama’s mother), on the other hand, never used that scare tactics on us. They used a more simple yet straightforward approach . If we don’t sleep in the afternoon our Lola will only tell us “you won’t grow tall” (I guess that’s the reason why I’m just 5’1”) or if we don’t eat she’ll just tell us “you’ll get sick and the doctor will give you an injection”. That was effective coz I am really scared with needles.
aswang (courtesy of google)
Horror comics, back in my grade school years, portrayed “aswangs” as evil monsters who prey on unknowing victims. Now that I have matured, I believe that in this modern times “aswangs” do really exist in the Philippines, and the country breeds contemporary half-breed life-sucking monsters more than it can handle and that these abominations commonly thrive in the government.
Corrupt government officials are the Philippines’ modern day “aswangs”. The similarity of the “aswang” and these corrupt public officials is that they both suck the life out of their victims. The only difference is that, the “aswang” does it to live while these crooked amoral people do it for a living and out of greed- for them to be more richer (redundancy intended to emphasize) and for them to stay in power. These new breeds of “aswangs” hoodwink the Filipino people and embezzle the people’s money, acquiring wealth that is supposed to be for the Filipino people. These are the modern day “aswangs” in the Philippines, the hideous evil monsters, the wealth and life-suckers, who deserve to be staked.
Our country is popular for corruption, in fact our country is one of the most corrupt nations worldwide competing against USA, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, India, China, Thailand for the number one most corrupt nation in the world (source: www.ETFDB.com ). I even read somewhere that we are ranked # 4 most corrupt nation in the Asia-Pacific.
Corruption, which encompasses graft, bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, to name a few is already deeply rooted in our culture (NO thanks to the Spaniards!!!) and it reigns among big time and even small people in the government, and even in the private sectors, from the “former” presidents (Erap and Gloria and God knows who) to the baranggay officials and may be even down to the sangguniang kabataan level. Where corruption has been part of the Philippine society’s normalcy, these corrupt and venal government officials get rich or richer during their tenure in office, and if they could no longer run for office, their spouses, sons, daughters and even grandchildren seek to be elected for government posts in order to secure their wealth and to stay longer in power, thus, building a dynasty of greedy “aswangs”.
We, Filipinos, are to be blamed for tolerating and allowing these “aswangs” to breed and propagate by ELECTING them and, even worse, RE-ELECTING them! (though I don’t vote, I am still guilty for not voting)
It’s election time again in the Philippines for Baranggay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials. I hope that everyone had learned there lessons. You know what your previous Baranggay officials have accomplished so far in terms of services and projects for the baranggay and I know that you know how much richer “some” had become during their stay in power. Be wise not to put corrupt “kapitans” and “kagawad” back into posts AGAIN. Let’s show the world that we DO NOT condone corruption. ALSO I hope that the sangguniang kabataan will not serve as breeding ground for “aswangs”, instead may it hone new young leaders for a better Philippines. Knowing that some of my former elementary and highschool batchmates and friends in Tabuk are running for office, I wish and hope that, should they be fortunate to be elected in baranggay positions, will NOT be corrupted by the current corrupt system, and that they may culminate the “change” which Tabuk is in dire need of.
aswang by necrophadian (courtesy of google)
Calling the real “aswangs, manananggals, werewolves, tikbalangs” , I have a few suggestions and proposal to you so you could better serve the country:
1) Instead of randomly choosing your innocent victims, why not set your eyes on corrupt, venal, unscrupulous, and spiteful government people, politicians and businessmen/women.
2) Since you feed only once every full moon which only occurs once every month, why not double or even triple that. Eradicating 24-36 corrupt people from the face of the Philippines every year will be a big relief to the country.
Should you be interested to help our country, contact me for the list. You may now start with Erap, Gloria and her husband, and the Ampanatuan clan.
– Sharosem(26October2010)
Posted by Sha 
Enjoying Life & Loving It 