Re: With an apology, ‘mutual respect’ and peace are undeniable

Thank you Gatoaitele Savea Sano Malifa for your editorial. Ua e tali faatamali’i. Ua e tali fa’atupu. Pei o upu e masani ai si o tatou atunu’u, “E iloa le tamalii i lana tu, i lana savali ma lana tautala.”

But let me ask you a question, “What did it feel like to apologise to the people, knowing you didn’t do anything wrong? What does it feel like to sacrifice the Truth to satisfy those who denied the Truth?” It must’ve been very frustrating and disappointing.

You must’ve felt depressed; hurt; powerless and confused. But you made a choice and sacrificed yourself for the Truth in order to satisfy those hypocrites and fools who denied the Truth, so they may have peace.

Now the question I would like to ask those who demanded the apology, “Are you really living in peace right now, after receiving your apology from an innocent man?”

When I first read your editorial, I was disappointed with you for backing down from the Truth. I thought deeply about it and soul searched – outside and inside of myself, searching for the message, the logic and the philosophy in what you did. I couldn’t find it anywhere but guess where I found it? I found it in the Bible where Jesus lowered himself, was whipped and spat at; crucified; his heart speared and was condemned to die on the cross half naked by those who refused to accept the Truth. As we all know, Jesus is the Word and the Truth. That’s when I found satisfaction in your response and understood why you apologized and where you were coming from. Only the humble and the greatest can do what you did and what you did shows a man of true character and leadership. I salute you.

I wondered too if those who crucified Jesus found peace at last and were satisfied by what they did to Him? I doubt it very much.

But hear me out, I’ve written many letters to your paper where I’ve repeated myself saying that Samoa today is no longer a Christian nation and is no longer founded in God as we once were. 

Samoa today is founded upon corruption; ignorance; lies; greed; hypocrisy, etc.

Here are my reasons why: Look around you. Look at our govt. Look at our Matai. Look at our spiritual leaders. Look at P.M. Tuilaepa and H.R.P.P. Can anyone honestly tell me that P.M. Tuilaepa truly believes Samoa is still founded in God?

Because if he did, then he wouldn’t deny poverty, the high crime rate; the increasing high unemployment rate; he wouldn’t deny the people the Chief Auditor and the O.P.C. reports that are yet to be tabled in Parliament; he wouldn’t deny govt. corruption under his leadership; he wouldn’t write leniency letters for rapists and criminals; he wouldn’t call our people all names under the sun; he wouldn’t make excessive loans, now exceeding $1.5billion, that will enslave our future generations; he wouldn’t make broken promises and excuses to the people…the list can go on and on forever about P.M. Tuilaepa and his H.R.P.P. govt. and their denials.

The most disappointing thing about this: Every M.P. in govt today knows about the evidence of corruption that is still occurring today. Even our spiritual leaders are aware of it.

Does that sound like a country founded on God? Of course not. As Einstein said, “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

Regarding the Pulenu’u Fata Saifoloi and the matai who aired their grievances on national TV, I strongly believe there were other more powerful men instigating it. This whole thing appears shonky to me. I remembered what P.M. Tuilaepa said in the past – “the Pulenu’u is employed by the govt and they are the eyes and ears of the govt.” So really, the Pulenu’u are not for the people, but are servants for the govt.

And since when in the Samoan culture were these small matai po lalago allowed to question the Paramount Titles that belong to kingship families, where the Titles are conferred only to their descendants of their bloodline? 

The pulenu’u and the matai are puppets on a string. But what is the puppeteer’s problem with the holders of Paramount Titles? Why is he sticking his ignoble nose into the Paramount Title holders and their families business and village affairs as well? Sa’o ai le saunoaga a le Head of State sa fai i le vaitaimi sa Palemia ai, i puppets/pulenuu ma le latou puppeteer – “Kou ke fiu a e u’u le kae pua’a i le u’u, e pipilo a.” That same puppeteer has butchered our Constitution and changed our laws and used that to change the village faavae and aganu’u to serve his evil and egotistical agenda. That is corruption at its best.

You’re not the only Paramount Title holder this happened to. It happened to Le Tagaloa Pita. Remember too what happened to the Head of State and Lufilufi where the courts ruled in favor of the Head of State? 

I remember the incident between the late Malietoa Tanumafili II and the village of Malie where they overstepped their boundary with him. He told them straight, “Vaai outou i uma a’e ua leai ni fanua tou te nonofo ai.” They quickly withdrew.

Living in Samoa today under these leaders and their governance, is like living in a desert island where there’s no water to quench your thirst. If your soul is thirsty for the Truth, there’d be no river of Truth here in Samoa to quench it. The rivers of Truth have dried out from corruption.

Mebahel Raguel