It is a curious inconsistency that often, as regards time, we complain of its shortness.
Anyone who looks back upon life feels it has been scarcely more than a span. And any who looks forward to an important forthcoming event – though it may be a week or two – feels that time is dragging, long, and every minute wearisome until such event arrives.
But such seems definitely not the case to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Emerson Rosales for Region II.
Director Rosales makes it a point for his PDEA-ROII office to take time by the forelock in completion of its work, while cultivating sense of humor in reaching their targets.
Take an example how PDEA-ROII is endearing itself to the public, while having no qualms in stamping out use of illegal drugs.
In one of PDEA-ROII message gaining popularity in Region II, it says, “It’s better to ngalngal gawed ken bwa, than supsup shabu ken marijuana!”
PDEA-RO has definitely found an answer to a tricky question that keeps blowing in the wind. One may get stained teeth and gums with red by chewing momma; but one definitely doesn’t get arrested by doing so.
Momma being the fad of the not-crazy and with the winds, so go with momma; let the crazy who use illegal drugs be hauled to prison.
Or, take a glance at the effort of Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station 8, headed by PSI Francisco Oviedo Ben.
PSI Oviedo Ben and the other police officers under his command at BCPO Station 8 makes it a point that let the winds blow hither and yon, but BCPO Station 8 won’t allow illegal drugs to creep in its jurisdiction, and so conducts regular lectures in schools, like in San Vicente National High School.
But goodness sakes! As PDEA and the Philippine National Police (PNP) strive to rid our society of the drug menace, another drug tentacle is blowing with the winds that can run roughshod over drug eradication gains.
And this menace can blow over to Philippine shores and will truly complicate anti-drug efforts.
Would you believe that teenagers in Indonesia who have difficulty in accessing shabu or marijuana are finding cheaper ways to get high.
They have discovered to get the feel of drugs by searching in the trash or garbage, used menstrual pads or sanitary napkins discarded by women, boiling these and drinking the water.
After drinking the water, the teenagers get the boiled sanitary napkins and suck whatever liquid remains in the napkins, never mind if the napkins are stained with something colored red in them.
YAIKS! AY ASIS! You will definitely say! And indeed, indeed, while you, reader might be disgusted knowing this, but that’s the truth and nothing but the truth. And no amount of wind can blow away this reality.
These youths are addicted to the smell and taste of the discarded menstrual pads or sanitary napkins.
This windblown grass of a worker who gathers no moss on his feet really wonders how does a used menstrual pad or sanitary napkin with red stains tastes? Does it taste yummy? Does it taste delicious? Does it taste like no cook has ever yet invented for our taste?
Indonesian authorities have already warned about dangerous ways teenagers in their country are opting to get high.
In Central Java, the National Narcotics Agency’s Central Java Regional Chapter says that teenagers in the province are increasingly utilizing used menstrual pads or sanitary napkins, at the same time experimenting on using discarded baby diapers.
Jimmy Ginting, from Java, admitted, “We don’t know who started it all, but it started around two years ago.”
But popularity in its use is fast gaining ground there. One wonders what kind of sense of taste do these teenagers have
There is no law against it, so far. Use of discarded sanitary pads and baby diapers are gaining popularity there.
Sanitary pads used by women are known to contain cancer-causing agents like synthetic fibre, dioxin, sodium polyacrylate that can even affect women using the pads.
And using a menstrual pad is equal to inviting trouble. These teenagers dig through trash looking for these pads. It can lead to severe problems for the kidneys and liver.
In the Philippines, there is no law prohibiting anyone from scrounging used menstrual pads from the garbage.
But if the problem being encountered in Indonesia blows over to the Philippines (Indonesia being near), questions keep blowing in the wind like:
Will lawmakers enact a law that prohibits scrounging of used menstrual pads from the garbage?
Will lawmakers prohibit women from buying menstrual pads in the market and instead urge the women to use indigenous materials?
Will lawmakers prohibit women from altogether using menstrual pads or sanitary napkins, if only to stop this new drug problem? The answers blow in the wind.
Last Sunday, a large group of students about to graduate from their respective schools, were able to finally corral this two-legged animal without feathers as he jogged somewhere along Harrison Road, Baguio City.
Wiping sweat from their brows, as the students also went a-jogging, they herded this wild man to Melvin Jones Grandstand, bade him sit down and sternly told him, “Write something about your true piece of mind about Baguio City’s Anti-Profanity Ordinance.”
One of the male students warned, “And, Sir, your piece of mind better knock sense to those who love cursing and if they don’t, I’m going to knock (cursing d#*^%*!!!@*%^#…) their heads against the wall.” One of the female students stopped her co-student from further cursing.
The wild man they herded whimpered before the students and complained, “But my dear students, my piece of mind about the anti-profanity ordinance isn’t even worth a centimo to be known about, eh?”
“Ooops- ooops, Sir!” One of the lady students retorted to the wild man, while waggling her finger at Ah Kong’s flat nose, and continuing, “You got a responsibility to us, your readers! That freedom of expression, like what you’ve been telling us before, carries a burden of responsibility! Am I right, Sir.”
Caramba! The students got the buffoon of a laborer cornered and he needs to comply with their wish. So here’s his piece about those who love to curse.
What a blessing it is when a male or female, whatever their ages and station in life, can properly regulate what the tongue spews from the mouth.
How many animosities and heart burnings would it save our lot; how many friendships would be preserved and what deal of fellowship might be concentrated and gathered together for our worldly comfort, instead of these being wasted.
A person who has the proper command of himself/herself and can curb the fires of temper and converse coolly when others are irritated is your true example of level-headedness.
To the young, particularly those who are entering the threshold of existence and grappling with the thousand perplexities of human life, we advise, keep a strict watch on your mouth.
Suffer your mouth not to lead you astray. Suffer them not to usurp the reins of your judgment.
For we’ve never known of a mortal whose bad temperament was wicked, to be ever really happy: and it seldom gains distinction, rather contempt from others.
Mebbe the young can take a lesson from a lawyer friend of this peon.
This lawyer’s time on earth was up and he was called for judgement. So Ah accompanied him to his trip up to pearly Gates.
At the Pearly Gates, Ah witnessed his lawyer friend was refused admission by St. Peter. Instead of cursing St. Peter, his lawyer – wily that he was – removed his hat and contrived to throw it inside the Pearly Gates.
Then the lawyer requested St. Peter to permit him momentary entry into Pearly for him to retrieve his hat. St. Peter, being the amiable saint that he is, acceded to the lawyer’s request.
Retrieving his hat, the lawyer put it on his head but then refused to exit the pearly Gates despite St. Peter’s entreaty. And St. Peter couldn’t curse, even if the winds blew over.
There, such is this peon’s piece of the Anti-Profanity ordinance and hoping the students who pestered him can blow well with the wind.
