Juliana Tan

May 8, 2008

 Analyzing “Nobility versus hyprocrisy”

      A Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper article titled, Nobility versus hypocrisy, discussed about the Catholic Church’s line of attack on poverty in the Philippines. The writer, Jose Ma. Montelibano, works as an opinion columnist for the newspaper. This article was written on April 25, 2008 and depicted a problem that has been happening in the Philippines for a long time. The date that the article was written implies that Montelibano was able to have quite a time to see the situation worsened, detect how it was affecting the country’s poverty, and then conjure up an angle of his own. He is from within the country and this fact greatly indicates the relevance of the article. Being a citizen of the Philippines, he would probably be well-acquainted with the things that are happening because of his personal experiences and that can put a sense of deep purpose into the article. Montelibano knew that his judgment on the situation will be read by people who are interested in the controversial rumors about the church. At some point, especially at the conclusion, he voiced out a hope that the bishops and cardinals will stop dishonoring the country. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he wanted the church to pay heed to the article as well. Montelibano’s article was written in order to reveal another side to the story of poverty in the Philippines. It sought to emphasize the fact that not only is the government corrupt, but the church might be as well; a proof to show that he wrote this article with his own perspective. Montelibano was trying to convince the audience into believing his personal viewpoint by transmitting negative details about the other face of the church. Even though he made no strong and aggressive comments, his emotion about the state of affairs was still apparent, especially when the subject of impoverishment cropped up. His point of view was at its peak when he directly presented his whole thought in one sentence, “What is generally known but not so talked about is the participation, by commission or omission, of the Catholic Church in causing and perpetuating the situation of poverty and corruption.” All things considered, Montelibano’s article can cement many Filipinos, who also share his viewpoint, together on the issue of fraudulence in the Philippines.

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