At the end of the rope

Imagine a bunch of minors most of whom were about 15 years or younger, lined up along each side of a provincial road you happen to be driving through. As you come closer, one of the teenagers start waving in an effort to stop you.

You wonder, and then you see the white rope that they use for cows and carabaos stretched across the road. Then you realize…

It’s a “Hold-up” !

Actually it’s the neighborly type of hold-up, where kids in the barangay flag down or blockade vehicles in order to collect money for their “fiesta” or Summer Sports league.

The question is: where are all the politicians who just three weeks ago would do anything to speak to the crowds, give away t-shirts, and shoot a few hoops or dance the hula?

Most of them are on vacation abroad instead of spending their huge “left over campaign donations” in tourist spots in the Philippines or at least sharing them with their supporters many of whom never even got a chance to congratulate the winners or smear their lips with “Sebo de lechon”.

The neighborly hold-up at the barangay was a sad reminder that reality bites especially because that barangay was the “official residence” of a Senator, a Governor and a Vice Governor, all of whom disappeared to Manila after the elections! If they could only hear the remarks, the insults and a few curses that are being hurled by their neighbors and some leaders! 

And while the rats are away their mice come out to play.

For instance, there was once a Senator whose bodyguards loved doing target practice at the Senator’s pseudo “official residence” when he was Congressman. Now the house with built-in target range is his wife’s pseudo official residence as she holds a local position.

When the Ex-Senator lost two elections ago, all the live-ammo target practice stopped. Neither did his people drive like jerks or use sirens and blinker to announce the arrival of Inglorious bastards.

Unfortunately their forced humility was short lived after the Ex-Senator made an unbelievable comeback. Not even a month after the elections and you can now hear the gunfire in the neighborhood. As the locals describe their driving habits: “ the flies have returned upon the carabaos’ back”.

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What do former Senator Ralph Recto, Governors Jun Dy, Grace Padaca, Ed Panlilio and Mayor Oscar Gozos have in common?

They now fully understand the application of the Saying; “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. As far as Philippine politics is concerned, good intentions and good governance could even cause you to lose your re-election.  

Former Governor-Congressman Jun Dy and Grace Padaca may now have something in common aside from both being defeated as Governor of Isabela. In very different ways Jun Dy and Grace Padaca tried to introduce reforms in government service and the culture of politics. They each had very “new” ideas that they felt would help bring progress into the province.

Dy thought that a unified health insurance system and similar modern projects would click with the people of Isabela rather than the patronage politics where people went to elected officials for dole outs or personal assistance in times of need.

Grace Padaca on the other hand believed that strengthening the institutions of government, combating corruption and jueteng, as well as dismantling a political dynasty would restore integrity and dignity to the province and its electorate.

Unfortunately sometimes it takes 400 years for people to realize that they have been slaves for so long. No matter how good the intentions of politicians or leaders may be, the sad truth is that in a democratic poverty, personal needs come first before public good. They wanted their dole outs and their jueteng as well.

When former priest — turned Governor Ed Panlilio ran for public office, he believed that the purity of his cause would inspire the rich and the educated Kapampangans to rally behind or in front of him.

He actually believed that Pampanguenos would rise above their personal limitations and personal concerns to change the culture and the life in the province of Pampanga. Unfortunately many supporters went back to their own fields, to their own homes, to their own life. Suddenly the problems of the province and its people were no longer their business.

They were willing to fight the battle between good and evil, but not the one between reality and fantasy! 

In the city of Lipa, Batangas, Former Mayor and once Congressman Oscar Gozos is perceived to have lost because he introduced programs and policies intended to enforce order and discipline in the city.

As a part-time resident, I immediately saw how much improvement there was in the traffic after he instituted disciplinary rules and traffic flow schemes. But this eventually became the cross upon which he was crucified. Gozos lost in his re-election bid.

Senator Ralph Recto who suffered for sponsoring the Value Added Tax law had to wait 3 years and the golden opportunity called “Oil price hikes” that he used to raise himself up as a champion of the masa, before he could get back to the Senate.

Secretary Bayani Fernando has done Metro Manila an outstanding service by facing all “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” and we have benefitted. Yet many chose to be critical, derogatory and selfish.

Why? Because as someone once said: People welcome change but they don’t welcome it when it’s them you want to change.

I can only pray as my Pastor Joey Bonifacio preached yesterday; Faith is believing like Joseph did that the Israelites will someday go back home. 400 years later.

It takes less than that to change our selves. All you need to do is: Choose.