THE POWERS THAT BE or TPTB

In this kind of government that we have in the Philippines, we are ready to get rid of our individual self either by submission to new forms of authority or by a compulsive conforming to accepted patterns. From there it is a slippery slope to simply knuckling under, getting on with life, doing whatever our 'benign' leaders want, or simply letting them get on with whatever it is they do; whether it be looking the other away, or better still, bestirred to ride, as it were, on their coattails of their corrupt practices and more looting of public funds, and/or pulverizing yet some more of our already impoverished and devastated nation.

It is a selfish notion that seems to accord with Darwinian evolution, with its dictate of 'survival of the fittest'. It seems to imply that 'might is right'. So it is either you follow blindly those who are in power, or see yourself enduring with empty stomach and be very sorry with your situation. The deal here is that you submit to all their wishes, judgments and governance and remain quiet, obedient and loyal. If you should step out of bounds, you will be earmarked as destabilizer for progress. The implicit bargain would be you will be out of trouble even if trouble troubles you. The `Powers that be’ have the money, they got their weapons, they have the law, they got the judge’s on their side. With that, who would have the courage to face them head-on unless you are a suicide bomber of the al Queda. Thus, if you want to survive and maintain your pampered life-styles, you stay the fittest.

Obviously, one important aspect of fighting corruption is enforcement of the law, and actual punishment for the individuals involved. How well – and how even handedly – the Philippine government is doing at enforcing the country’s laws and holding both leadership and individuals accountable? The likelihood of the government to enforce the law and punish the perpetrators is very low because most, if not all of them, are the ones doing it. That is why they always get away with such transgressions and flouting the country’s laws. Corruption in most countries is not easy to spot. Well, in the Philippines, it is very simply done—it is just an ordinary conversation anywhere they want unconcerned even in public view.

Think of the economy. Corruption is strongly tied to negative investment rates. Most of you would agree that one of the biggest problems facing businesses today is the lack of investment capital. IMF data shows that the investment rate in corrupt countries is almost five percent less than in relatively corruption-free countries. This is an important figure in countries like the Philippines, which seek foreign direct investment.

Once corruption is associated with a certain person, company, government, or country, it is difficult to shed the stigma. Would you invest in a company or a country that is rumored or known to be corrupt? Would you knowingly associate yourself with a person tainted by corruption? If I were a businessman, I would not and I suspect you would not. Protecting our investment is too important to risk.

Still inclined to support its agenda to extend its sphere of activity? If so, we deserve all we get. Time and again, most of the political leaders both from the administration and opposition did not do anything but kept supporting this government either directly or indirectly, while it sucked at the public teat. If the government had not taken their advice against the prevalence of corruption, why were they not principled enough, this paragon of the green virtues, to resign en masse? When they sneer now that this government is a world leader in hollow rhetoric and accuse it of hypocrisy, do they not see the irony of that?

I have very high regard and sympathy with very few honest people who made attempts to expose massive corruption in the government and now facing fabricated charges. But this government is ostentatiously in control throughout, claiming the right to intrude into the minutiae of our lives and to wag the finger of righteousness in our faces. The fact is that the leadership’s response to their corruption issue was to intimidate and smear honest people seeking the truth and then to cover up. If they did not know they were behaving badly, they would never have tried to conceal it.

As a rule of thumb, I never trust anyone in the government hierarchy who mention their doctorates, and British or American accent in their English speaking. They are usually on the make and/or trying to command a respect they know they don't deserve.

These people in power are no better than models of mediocrity who protect their kind even how grave the corruption offense they have committed, but will not hesitate to trash honest but lowly ordinary public officials who are not their minions for comparatively minor "sleaze" of which they knew and could have been expected to know nothing. Indeed, as they treated themselves as one family, family feelings are designed to help their genes replicate themselves. You can read between the lives of these people as to how they are so at ease and comfortable in committing corruption that it has now become a habit for them to do. Surely, only someone with an ingrained, unthinking habit of doing so could have allowed himself to do something so disgusting. Their frame of mind is that they only consider as in accordance with law and justice whatever favors and benefits them and as contrary to law and justice whatever does not accord with their views.

SIRS and MADAMES: you live in utmost luxuries and satiation while the stomachs of the people whom you sworn to serve and protect are empty and are wrapped up with all kinds of sufferings and insecurities. They are in tears because of you whose hearts are burned as with a heated iron. You will fall down, whether you like it or not. What kind of legacy would you leave to the Filipino people, your constituents and your family? Here is a poem for you:

NEVER BE TOO LATE

Are you proud for what you have?

They’re the result of what you stole and robbed.

The Filipinos were disillusioned with what you did,

that left them practically nothing to eat. So, many had

painfully suffered and now they are done and gone that

in their deaths their eyes are open in hunger and thirst,

oh god this isn’t fair. Your heart does not bleed, and your

conscience smeared with greed. You have been too hard

and you have the worse habitual traits any person can possibly

have. But the money you love, and the wealth you crave they won’t

save you and you leave this planet earth with a multitude of mistakes.

Your fate will inevitably meet you as you

fall and you will have to regret and be enveloped

with fear and despair. You will finally believe what

you had always known that sorrows and regrets always

come after and it’s too late. You will have to blame yourself

why you did not heed the warning that your conscience

had dictated that you better make more use of the analogous

thinking based on an extension of the Golden Rule. Now you have

no right to be sorry for yourself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.

When judgment comes, it is time you ask

where your friends are, your families, and the power

you wield with the arrogance and the pride you displayed?

They are all gone and none that you could find, leaving you

alone forsaken and totally abandoned. Had you only listened

to the moaning and cries of the Filipino people, had you been

so fair and clear, knew when to share and how to care you could

have been saved from the eternal flame called hell. It’s now too late

to fix everything that they did wrong who made their country crumble.

When a government like ours

establishes criminals-by-right

and looters-by-law, who use

power to seize the wealth of

the Filipinos, then money

becomes its creator’s fantasy.