After the news broke about the helicopter accident in Los Angeles, California that killed nine people including basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter, the world suddenly cried. 

The basketball community in particular and the world of sports in general mourned the death of Bryant and including those who were with him during the doomed helicopter crash on his way to a basketball camp.

In the Philippines, buildings were lighted purple and gold with Kobe’s jersey number 24. 

Basketball in the Philippines is a revered sports and the retired NBA superstar has been in the country several times.

The social media was flooded with posts about Bryant’s death with people from all ages posting their thoughts, wish for prayers and pictures of the basketball player. Threads on both Twitter and Facebook were loaded with stories about him as if Bryant has known them for so long personally. But of course it’s understandable given the impact the cager had in their lives as one of NBA’s most popular superstar.

Everybody is mourning the death of an NBA player. Everyone is posting their sadness about the accident. 

Sadly though, only a few are posting about the injured democracy in the country. 

Filipinos seem to be so united about a popular athlete’s death but are unmindful of the senseless killings happening almost every day. In fact, it can be counted on one’s fingers the number of those who took a stand against the bargain of President Rodrigo Duterte to revoke the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States of America over the cancellation of the latter of Senator Bato de la Rosa’s US Visa.

China has been insulting the soul of the citizenry by encroaching on the territorial waters of the country and denying Filipino fisherfolks of access to their own sovereign waters and livelihood. The Chinese have entered the country and worked without the necessary documents. They have been desecrating the Philippines’ historical places and tourist destinations and Duterte has extended his hands to them. Yet, nobody or only the usual activists reacted and vented their stand on the social media and other platforms 

If only those who cried over the death of Kobe also shed their tears and made their voices be heard for the injured democracy of the country.