Learning to forgive is good for your health

PRESIDENT Noynoy could learn a thing or two about forgiveness from President Elpidio Quirino, whose remains were reinterred at Libingan ng mga Bayani from Manila South Cemetery yesterday.

Quirino, the country’s sixth President, didn’t bear any grudge toward Japan even if his wife, Alicia, and three of his children were killed by Japanese soldiers during the Battle of Manila.

He granted clemency to 143 Japanese prisoners of war.

To this day, he is hailed as a hero in Japan.

In contrast, P-Noynoy has not forgiven the Marcoses for the death of his father, Sen. Ninoy Aquino, and former President Gloria for dividing Hacienda Luisita, his family’s estate, among its tenant-farmers.

P-Noynoy criticizes the Marcoses and the Gloria administration every chance he gets.

Even Pope Francis’ visit to Malacañang was not spared from his tirades against his predecessor.

Mr. Aquino’s whining about how his family suffered at the hands of Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo makes him sound like a crying child griping about candy taken from him by a playmate.

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P-Noynoy should forgive his enemies not because it’s not only noble to do so, but also because—and more important—it would be good for his health.

He might get seriously ill if he continues to think ill of his enemies.

Persons who bear a grudge against their fellowmen are likely to get sick of cancer or other serious ailments.

Persons who forgive people who have hurt them are able to sleep soundly at night and are most likely to lead happier lives.

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I know that forgiving people who have hurt you is easier said than done.

I plotted revenge against the persons who ganged up on me at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) several years ago.

For several months I visualized how I would exact my revenge.

I have some friends in the underworld to whom I did some favors when I was a police reporter and who now wanted to return the favor; they volunteered to do the hit job.

One of them said he would do it and time it in such way I would never be a suspect—and he would do it for free.

I thought revenge was best served cold.

But the more I thought about revenge, the more I felt miserable, although outwardly it didn’t show.

I lost sleep over my evil thoughts.

I developed back pains and easily caught a cold.

But when I finally decided to forgive and forget I felt like I had unloaded a heavy load off my back.

The back pains are still there, but they’re not as intense as before.

The colds still come to pay me a regular visit, but they occur because of my allergy to dust and the change in weather.

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Why does Corrections Director Rainier Cruz continue to reject the guns for prison guards that his predecessor, Franklin Bucayu, ordered from a reputable firearms dealer?

Trust Trade won the public bidding to supply Glock pistols to guards at the New Bilibid Prisons and other national prisons in the country.

It’s the same company that won the bidding to supply the Philippine National Police with Glock caliber 9-mm pistols.

Cruz, who’s a champion shooter, can’t question the reliability of the 9-mm Glock pistol because most US police departments use it.