Selective Empathy

We had a lot of “George Floyd” in our soil, yet only a few bothered to care.

The streets of different cities of the United States are being flooded by protesters caused by the unjust arrest and inhumane killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer. The incident was caught on camera where the Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck on the ground for nearly nine minutes which led to the death of the latter. The arrest was instigated when Mr. Floyd allegedly bought a cigarette using a counterfeit $20 bill. The unfortunate event provoked activists to go to the streets despite the existing threat of the COVID-19. American people believe that the death of George Floyd is not just mere police brutality; it portrays the undying culture of racism in the United States. 

The movement has propagated throughout the world, and the Philippines is no exception. The condemnation for the loss of George Floyd is all over social media sites. Celebrities and even ordinary Filipinos uproar the mantra “Black Lives Matter” through their posts and stories online in an attempt to give justice to Mr. Floyd and the black community. Expressing our dissent and advocacy is never wrong, especially when we see it fit in our status quo. However, it is ironic to see people airing their sentiments on an issue while turning a blind eye on other pressing problems in society—worst, in their own country. This is not to invalidate their intentions or causes, but as a matter of fact, some Filipinos have failed to recognize that we are also faced with problems similar to that of the United States. 

Perhaps, most Filipinos are not aware of the discrimination silently suffered by the Lumads, a tribal group in Mindanao, who are deprived of their liberty and are being killed by armed men whose sworn mandate is to protect the innocent and uphold the law.

The public opinions were so divided on the death of Winston Ragos, a battle-shocked former soldier. Ragos was slain in the middle of broad daylight by a policeman named Daniel Florendo Jr. despite being caught by cameras; Florendo insists that what he did was “self-defense.” The people who are expected to enforce the law equitably once again failed to do so. We did not see the same level of outcry on the thousands of lives lost amidst the intense “War on Drugs” campaign of the present administration. Most of the Filipinos tolerated and believed in the law enforcers’ “nanlaban” justifications. 

Those incidents are our versions of “George Floyd”, yet we witness no similar insurgence. We notice no similar support from our fellow Filipinos. Only a few manage to speak up for these defenseless Filipinos who died under the rule of an oppressive government and abusive law enforcers, and these activists, who serve as the last hope of the families of the victims in their fight for justice, are being mocked instead of being supported; even tagged as terrorists by their fellow countrymen. 

The selective empathy by some of our compatriots might be inspired from the “compassion” extended by “China’s not-so-cute puppy” to Koko Pimentel who violated quarantine protocols, Mocha Uson who initiated a mass gathering with OFWs, and NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas who threw a birthday party and violated almost all prohibitions during community quarantine such as mass gathering, liquor-ban, and social distancing. To make it worse, all of these individuals are still enjoying their freedom until now while this country’s ordinary citizens who begged for food and livelihood were arrested and detained.

Race, religion, and social status should not matter in extending much-needed empathy. The status quo is in dire need of citizens who think critically and is not led by prejudices.