BEHIND THE SCENES

When the red flag is up
ALFRED P. DIZON

I was at Chong Loy’s Luisas Café along Session Road one hot, lazy afternoon sipping buko juice when lawyer Noe Villanueva came in with a feigned, bewildered look. “Ni, gubat sametten iti Pilipinas (I didn’t know the Philippines is at war),” he said.

“Ni apay aya,” I asked him. “Kitaem a dagita nakasab-it nga bandila dita kalsada, baliktad met. Nakangato iti nalabbaga,” he shot back. I went out to take a look and sure enough, the red side of the flag was up. From my little knowledge about the red up, the country is at war, or the lady is untouchable. Make advances on the senorita at such a time and it could spark a war not even the diplomatic prowess of “Sunshine” Joe de Venecia or charm of Zorro could stop.

Before you raise an eyebrow, let me explain. The rope holding the poles loosened making the flag turn upside down. It was good there were no mutineer-turned-senators in full battle gear sowing mayhem along Session Road that time. Otherwise, I would have taken off my shoes, poised for a kicking stance, faced them squarely in the face, then ran to the farthest ends of the earth.
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Not good being the object of ire by a jailed senator who allegedly stripped a Caucasian foreigner and his wife bare of their house and human rights. Next time you bleed for a purported hero and vote for him, you could ask media persons in the know first about their character and violent tendencies.

When a senator projects himself as a poor and upright patriot but has a lot of luxury vehicles, an armory Rambo would even be afraid to touch and a position and vile attitude powerful enough to trample poor folks like us, next time, we should seriously think about the qualifications of our politicians.

You see, it is not enough that since one is part of a failed coup planned and financed by shadowy characters, one is a patriot or a martyr fit for an “honorable” public office. Far from that. I dread to see the day when the names of these characters are written in history books as heroes and martyrs alongside those of Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal and Gregorio Del Pilar.

The flag is about genuine heroes, martyrdom and love of country. It is not about election fraud, corruption or being an impostor. The flag attained its present design following a lot of wars and blood shed by our forefathers against foreign domination and oppression that for a dangerous and stupid peacock to invoke it as his inspiration for his misplaced battle cry is outright abomination.
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So in line with the recent observance of the National Flag Days, I would like to share the rules and regulation on the use of the official Philippine flag the National Historical Institute e-mailed to us.

Where and when to raise and display the Filipino flag? It shall be displayed in public buildings, official residences, public plazas, public schools and learning institutions, naval vessels, merchant ships and on board vessels of Philippine registry, military, civil or state vessel, pleasure, merchant, fishing boats or yatchs and on aircraft of Philippine registry.

It may be displayed inside the building (placed at the left of the observer if he enters the room); outside the building; on stationary or movable flagpole; from a staff projecting upward from the window sill, roof, canopy, balcony or façade of a building; in a suspended position or flat against the wall.
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According to the NHI, the flag is sometimes displayed improperly. If flown from a flagpole, the blue field should be on top in time of peace while the red field on top in time of war.

If in hanging position, the blue field should be to the left of the observer’s point of view in time of peace and the red field should be to the left in time of war. If hanging vertically in the middle of a two-way traffic, the blue field should be pointing east if the road is heading south or north, and if road is heading east or west, the blue field should be pointing north.
The national flag may be raised briskly and displayed at sunrise and lowered ceremoniously at sunset throughout the year. But it should not be raised when the weather is inclement or when the flag is torn or worn out.

But the Filipino flag shall be permanently hoisted day and night in front of the Malacanang Palace, Congress of the Philippines building, Supreme Court building, Rizal Monument in Luneta, Bonifacio Monument in Kalookan City, Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, Barasoin Church, Historical Landmark in Taal, Batangas, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Libingan ng mga Bayani, Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolucion, North Cemetery, Manila, all international ports of entry and all other places as may be designated by the Institute.
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The national flags in these sites shall be properly illuminated at night. The minimum length of the national flag is one-fourth the height of the flagpole and the maximum length of the flag is one-third the height of the flagpole.

The flag should not be left hanging at the base of the flagpole while waiting for the flag ceremony and it should never touch anything beneath it. The national flag shall be flown at half mast in buildings and places during the announcement of death of important past and present officials of government.

It may also be used to cover the casket to honor the death of a military, war veteran, national artists and civilians who rendered distinguished service to the country. This is for the guidance of government officials like police and school authorities if they consider the one eighth -cent worth of this column.

I wonder how some of our “bright” officials could feign allegiance to the flag when they are doing everything against everything it stands for. I guess corruption has been ingrained into some of our politicians that they have forgotten simple virtues they were taught as boy or girl scouts: don’t take what is not yours, be polite, he helpful, respect your elders and be upright.

The younger Tagalogs have two words to describe members of this ilk – kapal muks.