Roxas, Jason R.

HSED 8

BSA 2-12 Sir. Teves

ASSIGNMENT

Direction. Read the Kartilya ng Katipunan provisions and, through it, visualize the
dynamics of the Katipunan as an organization. Considering the present situation in the modern
world, do you think the provisions of the Kartilya ng Katipunan will help address some of
Philippine society's problems? Cite examples.

Even before these provisions was made, there always has been an issue of inequality and
superiority in one’s race, religion, wealth, and gender. Just like how White Americans treated
Black and Native Americans, or how Europeans before, treated us Filipinos as if we are inferior
to them just because the color of our skin, how we dress, or what we worship. It saddens me that
this issue still exists today, and even being done by our own fellowmen.

Today, the Philippines is one of the countries, who has the highest rates of income
inequality in the world. Our country and its unjust system seem to have turn into a place where
rich people become richer, while poor people become poorer. Few of us may not have seen it yet,
nor aware of it, but we are actually being oppressed by an invisible group of people.

Another issue in our country that exists is the gender inequality in terms of legal protection.
As a matter of fact, on October 11, 2014, a transgender woman, namely, Jennifer Laude was killed
by Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton, a 19-year-old Lance Corporal in the United States Marine
Corps. Pemberton was found guilty of murder but downgraded the charge to homicide instead. He
was sentenced by the Olongapo Regional Trial Court, originally 6 to 12 years in prison, but was
later reduced to a 10-year maximum on appeal.

To add more flame to the fire, on Sept. 8, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte made an
announcement that he had granted Pemberton an absolute pardon, nullifying the Marine’s sentence
after less than six years served. This is inequality personified. A living proof that our system is
rotten to the core and extremely unjust, especially towards the LGBTQ Community.
 If only we could apply the 4th and 8th principles of Kartilya ng Katipunan (whether our skin
be black or white, we are all born equal: superiority in knowledge, wealth and beauty are to be
understood, but not superiority by nature & defend the oppressed and fight the oppressor before
the law or in the field), maybe we could’ve fostered an equal and just country, where “oppression”
and “discrimination” are just words. Or maybe we could’ve been the first country to have
completely eradicated extreme cases of poverty and hunger. Imagine a world like that.