Question Seldom Asked

Nowadays when poverty is being worsened by rising prices and many forms of injustices, concerned people eager to make a response usually ask questions, many questions indeed. We can summarize these into three: Who are the poor? Where are the poor? Why are they poor?

The first two are asked more often. Why? Because they are easy to answer in order to make a response.

Who are the poor then? And, Where are the poor? They are in the slums, in squatter areas, in public hospitals and clinics, in congested city jails, in the streets, in church doors, in the contract workers in shopping malls, in Lumad barrios, etc.

Very few people ask the third question, WHY are they poor? These few are the socially concerned, the so-called activists or the cause-oriented groups, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), The New Peoples Army (NPA), the National Democratic Front (NDF), the Christians for National Liberation (CNL) and the conscientized among the bishops, clergy and consecrated persons. (Nota Bene: Many of the cause-oriented groups belong to the CPP-NPA-NDF).

Those who ask the third question are they who know social analysis. They study and are aware that there are injustices in the societal systems in economics, politics, culture and even in the religious sector. And the victims of these injustices are called The Poor. They are poor because these injustices deprive them of what they deserve from the government and big business. Hence there is this popular expression: “Because of the injustices the rich get richer and the poor poorer”.

Even if the social teachings of the Church urge us to ask why people are poor and join in the peaceful struggle to get rid of their poverty, there are understandable reasons why we among others are afraid to ask the question publicly.

One reason is the fear of being branded communist or anti-government or anti-rich. Within the span of six months this year four Catholic priests were murdered. While this murder might have frightened some us priests and consecrated persons, I was heartened to know recently at the gathering of more than 4,000 priests and consecrated persons at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila that this tragic incident has strengthened the resolve of many of us to continue our prophetic task to be with the poor in the struggle for their liberation from poverty and marginalization.