Why beat the boy?

Last Saturday, I was riding a bus going to our home in Bulacan. Unknowingly, there was this boy, who I think is a little older than me, sitting on the bus's aisle. Then it came to a time that this boy started to ask for money from me, claiming that his wallet was lost. As much as I would want to give him money, I couldn't because I didn't bring extra money. So, he started to ask a few passengers.

My seatmate, a guy, became irritated to him that he cursed to the boy and threated him to kick his ass out of the bus. Same is true to the other passengers with whom he asked money. Then suddenly, the conductor approached him and let him stay to the bus and promised that will drop him off in his destination. Seemingly, the boy quieted on the aisle.

I really don't know what happened next, but after several minutes, there is this old man who started to slap the boy's head with his slippers. The old man hurled curses and insults to the boy saying that he is "makulit" and whatsoever. I felt nothing but sympathy to the teary-eyed boy who started to speak of what it seems to be on a dialect. As much as I pity the boy, I felt a anger towards the guy and I blurted "Stop it, nakakawa na nga yung bata ginaganyan nyo pa. Kung wala kayong pera, wag nyo nalang panisinin. (Stop it! If you cannot give alms, then the least you can do is to not give him attention.)"

I could not feel any regrets from what I had done. How could he do such thing like that to the boy? Why not say no?

I started to ponder if these people are really Filipinos, with whom I grew up with. Is this the state of our morality? Are we still the Filipinos to whom the world sees as people with high regards to brotherhood, sympathy and hospitality?

I know that the world is suffering from crisis and the people are getting a hard time to earn. Yet nonetheless, this must not excuse us from staying away from our traditional values. It is not enough for the man to justify his actions by saying he doesn't have money and the boy is making kulit to him. As I will repeat, he is of the same set of people, specifically Filipinos, with whom I boxed Ms. Borres on-- discriminative, abusive, and leeches to the society.

The Philippines doesn't need you!