Political Bats

There is an old "Bat Story" that depicts the behaviors of many Filipinos, especially, during these times of power struggle between the administration and the opposition. Some had already made their position, but, many others still don't have, like the Bat.

Bat Story

"Once there was a great war between the beasts and the birds. Bat was on the birds' side. In the first battle, the birds were badly beaten. As soon as Bat saw that the battle was going against them, he crept away, hid under a log, and stayed there until the fight was over.When the animals were going home. Bat slipped in among them.After they had gone some distance, they saw him and asked one another: "How is this? Bat is one of those that fought against us!"Bat heard them and he said: "Oh, no! I am one of you; I don't belong to the bird people. Did you ever see one of those people who had teeth and hair? You can say that I belong to the bird people, but I don't; I am one of your own people."They didn't say anything more; they let Bat stay with them.Soon after, there was another battle; in that battle birds won. As Bat's side was getting beaten, he slipped away and hid under a log. When the battle was over and birds were going home, Bat went in among them.When they noticed him, they said: "You are our enemy; we saw you fighting against us.""Oh, no," said Bat, "I am one of you; I don't belong to those beasts. Did you ever see one of those people who had wings?"They didn't say anything more; they let him stay with them.So Bat went back and forth as long as the war lasted. At the end of the war, birds and beasts held a council to see what to do with him. At last they said to Bat, "From now on, you will fly around alone at night, and you will never have any friends, either among those that fly, or those that walk."http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/story/bat-883.asp

What really is our stance on these pressing political issues? Are we for truth or for the half-truths? Are we for peace or for confusion? Are we being mobilized because there is an amount attached to whatever action we do, or we act according to the right principles that we believe in?

We cannot forever go back and forth, like the bat. We have to make our own choice; the choice that will make us be at peace with ourselves whatever the consequence of that choice
may be. If we keep changing positions, there will be a time that it will be the others who will determine our fate. Most likely the decision will be: "From now on, you will walk around alone at night, and you will never have any friends, either among the administration, or the opposition."