screw the status quo. we need change and we need it now. we need not a leader who plays with words and public funds. we need not a leader whose years of service fall under the 'fiction' category. we definitely need not a leader who knows nothing. we require a leader who has conviction, who has the guts to change the seemingly unchangeable. we need... to prepare for 2007. Now.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

corruption is a way of life...



Katie:

I know someone who, after 11 years of loyal service, has been charged of THEFT by the North Luzon Expressway administration. This guy know three more from his department who has been charged with the same accusation. I'm not surprised. NLEX is closing in the coming months, and transferring authority to the Lopez clan. This guy whom I know should be receiving a sum of half a million pesos as separation pay. There's no need to expound on this. The thought that the Lopezes bending the law just to get their precious money off the poor workers is enough to make me sick.

But what can we do? These are the people who are currently running the country. There was a time when this is supposed to be a big secret from the public's eyes. Now, it's becoming a fact of life. The government has sold it's means to give us it's services (water, public works, NAPOCOR later on...). In the coming years, the Philippines is to become a big corporate machinery, where the government is useless, and the rich will control our destiny. Heck, if the government is to give off it's services through privatization, WHY ARE WE STILL OBLIGED TO PAY OUR TAXES. Imagine, my aunt, who is paid forty grands a week, has her earnings cut to almost half because of taxes. Where does the money go? Basic services? Hah.


Ahmad:

Congratulations! We are the 11th most corrupt country in the world. Two of our former presidents made it the top ten list of most corrupt leaders of all time. It makes you sometimes wish that corruption should have been an Olympic sport. Had it been an Olympic sport we would have a good chance of winning the gold. And why not? Corruption is so profound in this country that every single ministry of the government has a problem with graft and corruption. From the PCSO to the DPWH, graft is everywhere get used to it!

I haven't been much of an anti-GMA, but I think I'm pretty unsatisfied with how Gloria is running her country. And now MalacaƱang claims that former presidents Estrada and Marcos are to blame for the Philippines being included in that list. Man, was my intelligence insulted again? Come on! its been almost two decades since Marcos was ousted and almost half a decade since Erap has been arrested. But the status quo really didn't change that much now, did it? I mean if other countries saw how much we have worked hard to fight corruption, then they wouldn't include us in that list of most corrupt countries. To get over a screw up GMA can lift a finger or point a finger (to Marcos and Erap), she chose the easy way to cover her @ss.

So what do we propose now? do we go to EDSA again and oust a president? Then what? Do we replace her with another president, and if that presidents screws up again do we keep going back to EDSA? Although people power is has been the greatest legacy of the Philippines, it can also be and inevitably become our own Frankenstein monster.

Lets put it in simple analogy. Have a basketful of fresh tomatoes and put one rotten tomato inside it. Every fresh tomato will eventually be spoiled. It does not matter if you keep adding more fresh tomatoes in the basket, they will all be spoiled unless you remove all that is rotten and make sure that the basket is clean. I am not suggesting for the resignation of all public officials and neither do I want to promote anarchy. Until we get at to the very core of the system and change it, we will keep ending up right where we started. I remember a friend of mine who used to work in congress, he said that a rookie congressman is very idealistic, dedicated, and principled. But once he realizes the political realities, such as you need to have friends to support your legislation, and to maintain your political Career, before his first term is up he will also be corrupt. Give him another term and he will also begin to corrupt others.

Don't you think that it is so funny that we know how much is being lost every year because of graft and corruption, we also know where graft and corruption happens, we know how it happens, and we know when it happens. If we knew so much, then how come no public official in the national level at least has been jailed. Erap has been arrested but he is not exactly in jail. In fact Sandigan bayan asked Erap to donate one of his rest houses to the government so he can be detained there. I have a better suggestion for the sandigan bayan, why don't they just dress up in red clown suit on the next hearing and ask Erap to donate the infamous Boracay mansion, so he can be detained there. If sandigan bayan is to make an infomercial it should include the slogan, "Kung akusahan ka ng bayan, huwag kang mag-alala, may sandigan kang matibay, sagot ka ng Sandigan bayan!". So boys and girls, the message to you is loud and clear, if your gonna steal something, make sure you do it when you are the highest public official, because you become special in the eyes of the judiciary.

Oh and here is another one. Major General Carlos Garcia, failed to attend several sessions of congress, because his doctor said that he is in a critical condition that he needs to be confined in the intensive care unit. He has sleep apnea! that in simple english means, he snores when he sleeps. Hey! my room mate snores when he sleeps, but he wasn't hospitalized for that. AFP is also providing him with security because he is receiving death threats. Now this is the first time that I saw a suspect being given security by the state. Now of course AFP is being pissed off with congress saying that the allegations of corruption in the AFP is demoralizing the entire military. Oh is that so?! if they are so demoralized, then why don't they investigate Gen. Garcia themselves I mean my parents told me that if I stole something from anybody, the first punishment I should worry about is the one coming from them, because they wanted to protect our family's integrity. Hold up! isn't honesty and integrity part of the PMA motto? hmmmm.

You know what I fantasize doing sometimes? I want to wear that Punisher costume (Black shirt printed with the big white menacing skull) carry a fully loaded 50 caliber machine gun, walk in the middle of the session hall of congress or senate or even MalacaƱang, and go ala Tony Montana (Al Pacino's character in the movie Scarface)saying "Say ello to my little friend!", and spray every one with bullets. Talk about gangsta justice! Damn I love Scarface!

OK seriously now. I think the bottom line here is that corruption has been part of the culture of our government. The only way to go about it is to promote massive catharsis among all public officials. But until that day happens, ill still be keeping into consideration that Punisher costume and all that Scarface Quote.

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear katie,

my best friends dad works in a government office which i don't want to say except that they take care of the puiblic works. with only three months left before he retires, he was charged with receiving bribes and corruption, by his fellow employee who is notorious for being corrupt. now i knew this guy. he wouldn't have done it. my best friends family is not even middle class, heck they dont even have a car and only has one property under their name - a 250 square-meter lot which they currently reside in. now my best friends father was supposed to receive a huge sum of money, somwhere between 100,000 - 150,000, as separation pad, but with the case filed against him, he got squat. that's the govenrment for you. just wanted to share this to you.

dear ahmad,

not a day goes by since i felt a severe hopelessness over the philippines' plight where i dont dream of storming the senate and congress and start shooting every congressman, senator, presidential adviser in the place, now that would be fun, kinda like a first-person-shooter video game... and not a day goes by where i dont dream of genocide, and end the filipino race entirely... so yeah i kind of understand where your coming from.

2:27 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

dear katie,

my best friends dad works in a government office which i don't want to say except that they take care of the puiblic works. with only three months left before he retires, he was charged with receiving bribes and corruption, by his fellow employee who is notorious for being corrupt. now i knew this guy. he wouldn't have done it. my best friends family is not even middle class, heck they dont even have a car and only has one property under their name - a 250 square-meter lot which they currently reside in. now my best friends father was supposed to receive a huge sum of money, somwhere between 100,000 - 150,000, as separation pay, but with the case filed against him, he got squat. that's the government for you. just wanted to share this to you.

dear ahmad,

not a day goes by since i felt a severe hopelessness over the philippines' plight where i dont dream of storming the senate and congress and start shooting every congressman, senator, presidential adviser in the place, now that would be fun, kinda like a first-person-shooter video game... and not a day goes by where i dont dream of genocide, and end the filipino race entirely... so yeah i kind of understand where your coming from.

2:27 PM

 
Blogger Akilez said...

One famous Filipino Historian once said "That the People Power Revolution" was not a revolution but was a Fiesta.

The Graft and Corruption will always be in every government on this good earth. Our Country has a history of corruption since we separated from the U.S.,from 1946 thru the Present, We have corruption. From the poor all the way up to the rich, there is corruption. But there is HOPE. Remember the last words of "Ninoy".

"I have to suffer with my People"

10:34 AM

 
Blogger GeeDot said...

corruption? it sounds like supplementary income to me!...of course, i'm being sarcastic.

9:58 PM

 
Blogger Dr. Emer said...

Take it easy. Even the Frank the Punisher can't solve our problem. Corruption's roots are inside the corrupt people's psyches. Their accomplices who happen to be legion (arrggh!) are also affected.

On Gen. Carlos Garcia's medical condition, I have a past post on that. Feel free to find out what will finally end this bad guy's reign of dekwat.

Great blog you have here. =)

8:54 AM

 
Blogger jonasdiego said...

Speaking of corruption, interesting sign the Boholanos put in Tagbilaran. From a friend's blog...

http://www.komikero.com/boholboard.jpg

1:16 PM

 

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