PAGKABUKAS ko ng Facebook ko the other night ay merong naka-tag sa account ko regarding a beautiful letter na ginawa ng a certain Jodi Sta. Maria para kay Pangulong Noynoy Aquino.
I checked on her FB account and was so impressed by that letter. I called Jodi and asked her kung puwede kung gamitin ang letter na iyon for this column at nagulat siya.
“‘Nay, hindi po akin ang FB account na iyan. Wala po akong Facebook kaya marami nga ang nag-tweet sa akin asking kung ako ba talaga iyon.
Hindi po ako ang nagsulat noon though marami ang nagsasabing maganda raw ang laman ng letter for the president. Ako naman, I’m for peace, hindi lang para sa mga kababayan natin sa Zamboanga but for the whole world,” ani Jodi nang magkausap namin sa phone.
Pero I still want to print the letter kasi nga maganda ang nilalaman ng liham. Pero siyempre, kasama nito ay ang pakiusap ko sa poser ni Jodi na sana ay huwag siyang manggamit ng pangalan ng may pangalan.
Why can’t he/she use her own name instead, after all, he/she seems to be so bright kaya hindi siya dapat nagtatago sa pangalan ng iba.
Kasi nga, baka si Jodi ang balikan ng kung sinumang subject mo gayong inosente naman siya. But still, thank you for this.
“Dear President Noynoy Aquino (P-Noy)
“I understand you are a very busy government official. And I understand there are other pressing concerns in the nation. But I would just like to ask, why would you not consider the crisis in Zamboanga as a state of emergency?
When a calamity strikes in Luzon, it’s a national crisis. When a national official dies, it’s a national tragedy. “I am not belittling those events that occurred before because they are all disasters for the country and people were affected.
However, it must be noted that when armed men orchestrate violence, destroy private property, displace people and instigate armed conflict that should constitute an emergency.
In my humble opinion, it’s not business as usual here in Zamboanga City, contrary to what Sec. Roxas states. People are sleeping on cement floors in the Grandstand or on the grass in the soccer field.
“Two nights ago they were sleeping in their homes. People are complaining that there’s not enough food in the evacuation centers. Although there is constant flow of food from generous Zamboangueños, it is still a daunting task to feed so many.
Yes, people may exaggerate. But these are people who left their homes out of fear for their lives and no one asked them to be there.
“They simply had no where else to go.
And yes, some individuals may abuse the free food being offered to them but I think this reflects a more pernicious problem – poverty.
“Mr. President, you too must have felt that fear for sure, when your family was attacked by ‘political enemies’ in the Palace. Patients in Zamboanga City Medical Center were forced to evacuate or placed on emergency discharge.
That is not business as usual sir. “Mr. President, people need your help. Don’t declare the state of emergency, just send us food and water for the displaced, medicines for patients and maybe some more ammunition and possibly armor for our soldiers who are fighting with their very lives..”
Iyan ang kabuuan ng letter na ginamit ang pangalan ni Jodi sa FB. Ganda, di ba? May sense kahit paano. Impressive kumbaga. Pero nililinaw lang po namin, it’s not Jodi Santamaria, the actress, who wrote this. It’s someone else.
Anyway, speaking of the real Jodi, nalungkot din siya sa pag-backout ng Be Careful With My Heart sa nalalapit na Metro Manila Film Festival.
Due to tight schedules, talagang hindi talaga yata kaya ng Star Cinema na ituloy ang kanilang supposed entry.
“Totoo po iyon, sobrang tight talaga ng schedule namin sa taping namin.
Kasi, parang hand-to-mouth po ang trabaho namin dito dahil sa kakulangan ng oras. Kaya siguro nagdesisyon ang management na huwag na lang kami sumali dahil mahirap pagsabayin ang taping at magiging shooting namin sakaling tumuloy pa kami sa MMFF.
“Ayaw naman naming mag-suffer ang work namin, ayaw namin ng half-baked ang resulta ng trabaho namin dahil our audience don’t deserve that.
Pero kung halimbawa ma’y magdesisyon pa rin ang Star Cinema na ituloy pa rin ang work, wala naman kaming magagawa. We’re just talents, susunod lang kami sa ipagagawa sa amin ng management,” ani Jodi.
“Ako naman ay sobrang nalungkot sa pag-back out na ito ng Star Cinema. Kasi nga, ito ang mga uri ng pelikulang kailangan natin sa ganitong festival, masaya, maganda ang values, very wholesome and all.
Plus malakas talaga ang following – may box-office appeal pa. “Kaya I am personally appealing to Star Cinema to reconsider joining the festival.
I am speaking for myself here, I am not speaking for the MMFF committee. Sayang kasi, eh,” ang malungkot na pahayag ni MMDA Chairman Atty. Francis Tolentino when he guested sa “Mismo” program namin ni Papa Ahwel Paz sa DZMM last Thursday.