In defense of cockroaches

BY ANTONIO CONTRERAS       MAY 14, 2019

COCKROACHES have always been depicted as despicable creatures. They are seen as indicators of the existence of dirt and filth. They bring diseases and germs. They are not loveable. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is very rare to see someone who would like them. It is definitely not a compliment to call anyone cockroach-faced, or “mukhang ipis.”

And it doesn’t end there. During the genocide in Rwanda, the Tutsis were called cockroaches by the Hutus to image the former as worthy of extermination. It is therefore an indication of the sorry, hapless state of cockroaches as a much-maligned creature that even those who fight for human rights and accuse President Duterte of having genocidal tendencies would now take pleasure in associating him with this poor insect in the same way that those who committed genocide labeled their victims.

The political opposition and critics of the President took pleasure in making fun of the incident when a cockroach landed on his shoulder while he was praising Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos in a campaign rally in Bohol. They never missed a beat to associate the insect not only with the President, but also with Ms Marcos. They pointed out how appropriate it was for such a creature associated with filth, and that has the habit of being attracted to dirt, to have made an appearance to perch on the shoulder of a president they image as filthy at the exact moment he was praising someone from a family they also brand as embodying everything that is dirty about politics.

For his part, the President in fact also demeaned the poor critter when in jest he quipped that it was probably sent by the Liberal Party, or if not, a shape-shifting member of it. In short, both the President and his critics have partaken of the pleasure to further insult the cockroach.

Indeed, it is easy to demean a cockroach.

However, one needs to be informed that behind the seemingly despicable representation of this insect, there lies an array of functions that gives value to its existence.

Indeed, cockroaches thrive in dirty environments. As such, they perform a role in the breaking down of organic matter and help in the process of decomposition. They eat whatever is left by other organisms, thus breaking it down and optimizing the amount of nitrogen in the soil through their excrement. This greatly helps in the natural soil fertility that ensures the health of the flora in the natural environment. In addition, cockroaches help in transporting pollens from flowering plants and thus help in the natural process of plant reproduction.

In fact, their ability to thrive in germ-infested environments that would otherwise prove fatal to other organisms indicate that they possess a natural antibiotic. Scientists are now researching on how to tap this natural capacity in looking for ways to combat human infection that have proven to be resistant to traditional antibiotics. Hence, this much maligned insect may in fact possess the key in finding new ways for us to fight staphylococcus infections, which include the dreaded superbug, the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus infection, or MRSA.

Cockroaches also contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in most basic ways. Biology students, many of whom will end up as scientists and medical doctors, have their first lessons in anatomy by dissecting cockroaches in their lab classes. While seemingly despicable on the outside, the internal placement of the organs of cockroaches is a good start for studying human anatomy. In addition, the powerful legs of cockroaches are now used as a template by researchers in robotics and in the engineering of artificial limbs, and are particularly useful in research and development in prosthetics.

What cockroaches represent, therefore, are things that are misunderstood and negatively labeled because of their external appearances and circumstances for existence. A cockroach is an image of a perceived ugliness based only on the external, and symbolizes prejudice drawn from the obvious and the physical. Demeaning a cockroach becomes a mere embodiment of the quickness to judge, and of allowing biases to cloud critical inquiry.

Indeed, the readiness by the critics of the President and the Marcoses to derisively make fun of what they perceive as an apt imagery of a cockroach perched on the shoulders of a president they hate, at the very moment he was praising a candidate they detest, speaks of how they clearly have not gone beyond their blinded views towards these politicians, and toward a lowly insect. And the President as guilty when in his quick retort he associated the insect with his political enemies whom he also equally detests.

In the end, it must be said. As despicable and filthy as they may appear, cockroaches are signs of resilience. These crawling creatures have the ability to endure perhaps even a nuclear holocaust, and may just outlive humans and survive such a cataclysmic event. As such, cockroaches personify unwarranted stigma based on sheer bias, which right now is what many politicians suffer. President Rodrigo Duterte is painted by his critics and political enemies as the embodiment of how a revolting political figure can be imaged. The Marcoses are equally represented by what can be considered as a grand narrative of evil personified. On the other hand, to the eyes of the Duterte and Marcos loyalists, the political opposition are the ones who personify the filth and dirt that has infested our politics. For each side of the political divide, the other side is the one deserving to be labeled as cockroaches of Philippine politics.

By the time you read this, the results of the May 13 elections would have begun to come out. And in the next few days, we will know which side of our politics would emulate the cockroach that personified resilience and the ability to survive despite being misunderstood and maligned.

https://www.manilatimes.net/in-defense-of-cockroaches/554040/