Bambi Eloriaga-Amago
Last February 9, the Filipino Netizens media page posted a video on Facebook that quickly went viral. The video is only 22 seconds long, but 22 seconds apparently is enough to land the “star” of the video in hot water. In it, we see an unidentified student mopping the floor, of what appears to be a classroom, with the Philippine flag. You can view the video below:
https://www.facebook.com/filipinonetizenscom/videos/1306294692730844
“Walang galang na bata. Hindi ba tinuturo sa inyo sa paaralan yan na dapat galangin ang ating bandila? dahil sa ginawa mo hindi lang tela binastos mo kundi ang lipunan kung nasaan ka ngayon…” (Youth who has no respect. Don’t they teach you in school to respect the flag? With your actions, you not only disrespected a piece of cloth, but the society you are a part of…) reads the beginning of the caption that accompanied Filipino Netizens’s post.
Facebook user Ray Vana defended the boy, saying “Walang kasalanan ang bata, cguro may ibig cyang iparamdam para sa kinabukasan at pagbabag0 man lang.” (The boy did nothing wrong. Maybe he’s just making a statement regarding change or the future.)
But aside from Vana, netizens were nearly unanimous in their anger over the student’s actions.
User Pokz Hubac posted a picture reply showing soldiers saluting the Philippine flag while on duty at the Spratly Islands. He further said, “Day and night for months they work in isolation para ipaglaban ang flag natin sa spratly islands then bababuyin mo lang hayup ka! (to defend our flag at the Spratly Islands and then you go and disrespect it.)”
John Pana sees the student’s actions as a part of an even larger problem plaguing the youth today. “Mostly sa mga bata ngaun wala ng values talaga… In addition, Wala ng alam sa history, wala ng galang sa magulang, sa guro, sa kapwa tao. (Most kids today don’t have any values any more. In addition, they know nothing about history, disrespect their parents, their teachers, and their fellow men.) Youth, in this generation, are no longer the hope of the nation.”
Dawgs Ravago added to what Pana said by stating his opinion on why the youth nowadays seem to be devoid of values. “Walang values ang mga bata dahil sa human rights na batas natin,,, bawal ng saktan ang mga bata,,, kaya malaakas ang loob ng mga yan eh,, dapat jan,,, parusahan ng school,, ibilad sa araw ng 3 buwan tuwing umaga habang nakasaludo sa watawat,,, ” (Kids have no values because of our human rights laws. It is illegal to hurt children, so they’re not afraid to try things like this. He should be punished by the school, try making him stand saluting the flag every morning for 3 months under the heat of the sun.)
Kenita Castro, on the other hand, posted words of warning for the student. “Ignorance of the law excuses no one! Itong batang ito naka uniform pa naman di alam ang parusa sa mga taong pinag lalaruan ang watawat ng pilipinas. Hala ka! Trending na to. (This kid, in school uniform no less, he doesn’t know the punishment for those who mock the Philippine flag. Watch out. This video is trending.) Prepare yourself kid.”
As of February 10, the video had also been featured on TV news programs like TV Patrol, but it currently remains to be seen if authorities will mete out a punishment for the offensive act.
