Paano Tinutukoy ang Taong -Labas? / How to Identify the ‘Outsider’

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Paano Tinutukoy ang Taong-Labas?

ni Richard Gappi

Paano tumukoy ng taong labas?

Una, kung may dala siyang

notebook o laptop habang nasa bundok.

Pangalawa, hindi siya marunong

magsalita sa dila ng mga taga-roon.

Pangatlo, lansihin ang madla

at sabihing mag-isa siyang nahuli

at may hawak na granada

(gayong kasama niya ang isang

opisyal ng barangay at mananaliksik siya

tungkol sa paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao).

Pang-apat, ang panigurado:

kantahin ang katutubong awit

na “Magtanim ay ‘Di Biro”

habang tulad ng bilis

ng kamay ng isang mahikero,

pataksil na isuksok

sa bulsa ang granada na ebidensya

sa jacket ng paparatangan ng

“ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES”.

Tutubo na ang prutas

sa punong makamandag

Kumpleto na ang sangkap

sa pagtukoy sa taong labas.

How to Identify the ‘Outsider’

by Richard Gappi

translation by Marne L. Kilates

How does one identify the ‘Outsider’?

First, if he carries

a notebook or a laptop while in the mountains.

Second, he’s not conversant

with the local language.

Third, make fools of the public

and say he was captured alone,

with a grenade in his hand

(though he was with

a barangay official and he was researching

human rights violations).

Fourth, and the surest:

sing the native song

“Planting Rice is Never Fun”

and, with a magician’s

sleight of hand,

slip the grenade

into his jacket pocket – the evidence –

and accuse him of

ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES.

The poisonous tree

shall bear fruit.

The definition of the Outsider

is complete.

from theelectricmoonsoonmagazine