The short part of the documentary film presented to us by the reporters last Thursday reminded me again on the things I need to know within the frame of my rights as Filipino and as a person. Yes! I am aware of my rights as a person and I know that I am guided by the laws provided by the constitution of our land but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I know every right that was given to me by the land. Like me, other people do not also know all their rights as persons and I believe that some people are fully unaware that they have rights as well.
Considering this fact, there are points in the film which contradicts each perception of the two groups we have in our land, namely the lawmakers/law enforcers (generally referred to as the government) and the masses. Just like in the case of the sidewalk vendor, Aling Bing who represents the masses, always try her very best to catch the attention of the customers to buy something from her goods before the MMDA Officers, which represent the government, catch her and trying to jeopardize by running over her and to other sidewalk vendors as well.
On the side of the government, they know for a fact that the sidewalk vendors commit mistakes because they are not allowed to sell on the sidewalk while on the other hand, the sidewalk vendors believe that the MMDA Officers commit mistakes as well because, they really much believe that they are getting their rights to have a good income for at least a day in order for them to feed their families and to try in sufficing the needs of each of their love ones. Truly, we can see two sides of the coin. But who weighs more in terms of the exact basis? Well that is the question that plunge into my mind.
Another thought presented in the film is when the cartoon character in the clip gave us the idea that because we are persons, we do obtain rights so we must never make it complicated as possible since it is already in front of us, waiting for us to become aware that we have those rights to be enjoyed.
Let’s examine each of the sides of the coin. On the first side, we have the masses’ voice. They believe that their rights have been violated by the government. Their rights like what I have just written in the earlier part of this essay are the rights that I am talking about which, for them have been violated. In a way, they are right. As persons, we have the rights to make a living not just for ourselves but for the whole family too. We really have to make everything we need to do in order for us to fulfil it especially when we do not have any degree just like those professionals who were able to study in a school since nursery until they graduated from college. So getting their ‘little things’ they have would probably mean a violation on their part. If we are going to say this in Filipino, “Kakaunti na nga lang ang meron sila, kukunin pa ng gobyerno.” Before making a conclusion, let me first discuss in this essay the other side of this issue.
For the other half, the thoughts will focus more on the points coming from the side of our government. They believe that the sidewalk vendors violated the law because they were not allowed to sell on the sidewalk. Yes, it is true. The sidewalk vendors violated the law and therefore the government do not really violated their rights as persons. But we really have to consider this thing, that upon making laws for our land, the government leaders put into consideration the things that the masses will gain after imposing such laws. For me, imposing such law such as prohibiting vendors to sell their goods on the sidewalk is a good thing since:
Ø The government care for them and that as persons they really have to gain income in a place where they can be safe and to be not in a place where danger is vulnerable such as beside the road and specifically in the sidewalk area.
Ø Next, when they are selling in the sidewalk area, chances of not paying their taxes can go high since they are just like squatting for a place where they earn for a living for free. We really have to remember that when people pay taxes, they can still get the amounts they are paying to the government through the services that the government is giving the people like in the development of the infrastructure, to public market stalls for vendors to have a safe area for their business while paying for a cheap price for the place’s rent or sometimes for free and etcetera.
Ø Lastly, government do not impose laws to hurt the people but rather, they are making those things to help us and therefore granting us more rights and sometimes upgrading those things and not degrading our rights as persons and as Filipinos.
These are just my opinions based on the short part of documentary film presented to us. And I am hoping that what I have written here sounds fair to every person who will read this.
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