And in the shadows, "life (is always) bitter and (full of) grudging mortification" (Furrow, 632). A very difficult existence we are bound to have, should we persist in hypocrisy.

This should come as no surprise. Isn’t it hypocrisy to accuse others and then claim to be a victim of false accusations by others? How often does this happen in our midst, where one attacks and then complains of being a victim of the accusation that one’s motive is simply to collect? It goes even further: One defends and then complains of being a victim of the accusation that one’s only motive is to collect again. The "AC-DC" syndrome undermines the foundations for mutual trust in our society. It debases one of the most important institutions of any free and open community. It removes every shred of professionalism from those who are duty-bound to be the purveyors of truth and solid information.

A sage and a Saint once observed: "It is an old stratagem for the persecutor to say that he is being persecuted" (Furrow, 641). He warned that "many people spread calumnies unjustly and then make their appeal to charity and honesty so that their victims cannot defend themselves" (Furrow, 642). How many false accusations are aired so openly and blatantly in our midst? And yet, when the accused try to mount a defense in their behalf, they are further accused of intolerance and of infringing upon the basic rights of their accusers. All too often the mud is made to stick to others by accusing them of yet other crimes or by simply sticking labels on them. This is "spinning" and although it may look smart and can work for some time, it does cry out to heaven for vengeance that only God can inflict.

We should always remember that everyone is entitled to personal dignity and a good name. These are basic rights, and they are not to be taken away lightly. They can not be trampled upon or playfully toyed with for they are as personal – indeed much more so – as the property one owns. Once property is taken away, there has to be restitution, if the taking away is to be forgiven. How much more serious is the obligation to make restitution, where the personal dignity of others is infringed upon or where their good name is tainted or even destroyed.

In our environment today, so many of our fellow citizens are being robbed of their personal dignity! And so many fellow Filipinos are being deprived of their good name, often unfairly by their own compatriots. Shouldn’t we take it as odd that we should be treating foreigners well while we ill-treat our fellow citizens? "It is sad… when (we Filipinos) ill-treat other (Filipinos)" (Furrow, 643). This applies to those sharing the same faith. It should apply also to those sharing the same land of birth, the same citizenship.