Whose fault is it?

After police officers formally presented former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with the warrant for her arrest, one of the immediate and common comments that some people made was: "Imagine, two presidents, one after the other, arrested and jailed. What does that say about Filipinos?"

 Most of us would immediately pass on the blame to the ignorant masses, uneducated voters or Filipinos who don't know any better or who never learned from past mistakes and keep voting corrupt candidates. But if we really think about it, Filipinos in general are not to blame.

 The fact that "we" the people have actually sent two presidents, several congressmen, an equal number of generals and cabinet members to jail, speaks well of the Filipino people. Government officials may take all the credit for doing so, but they would not have done it if the public would have opposed it or if it were unpopular. Public sentiment whether natural or incited, ultimately determines what comes down.

 What we should actually ask and address is why are our politicians and government officials perennially prone to corruption and abuse of power?

 What is wrong with our society and what can we do about it? First of all, we are not blind to corruption. Even the poorest of the poor know about it. But the problem in the Philippines is that we have a case of "the thief solving the robbery."

 During the last 3 to 4 decades it has always been "politicians" coming up with solutions on how to fix the problems created by their predecessors. Marcos came up with Martial Law to fix the communist threat and the oligarchs. Cory Aquino's people fixed the abuses of Martial Law by making a new Constitution, Ramos fixed the economic debacles of the Cory administration by fixing the laws so they can enter into contracts.

 Erap planned to create a level playing field versus the powerful rich in the Ramos administration but unfortunately he forgot to declare Martial Law first so the rich and the powerful fixed him by replacing him with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Now it's another Aquino planning to FIX Arroyo as a permanent feature at the women's correctional.

 Because of Martial Law, Marcos "boys" made money; because of the new Constitution, a number of Cory cronies blossomed economically as "Kamag-Anak Inc"; because of their special laws, several Ramos supporters are still profiting from one-sided contracts with government.

 If Erap made money he probably did from all the campaign contributions he received. As far as Gloria Arroyo is concerned, she and her associates will soon find their alleged profits and windfalls exposed to the public. God forbid that the Filipino people would suffer the same discovery under the present administration.

 In the end, the medicine became our poison.

 We can't fix our form of government because politicians won't allow us. The democratic and congressional system insures they stay in power as long as they are the richest in their district.

 We can't improve, repair or upgrade our constitution because politicians won't allow it because it could overhaul their economic power and control thereby making them less likely to be elected in their districts. We can't fix our Justice system because lawyers who are mostly politicians won't have it because if we had a jury system, the influence over courts would be ruined.

 I have long opposed actors, actresses and celebrities from two-timing as politicians and media or entertainment professionals. Not only is it illegal, it is also unfair. But politicians have power over business so media owners try to make the best of it by giving politicians airtime or inviting them to be "talents." That too is wrong because it is a conflict of interest.

 There are more reasons why politicians are to blame and not ordinary Filipinos. What we morally refer to as corruption of the highest level is considered by politicians as their economic interest.

 But do not lose heart my fellow Filipinos. Instead be vigilant, be factual and then talk about what you personally know or witnessed. If you won't dare report the dirty politician whose actions you have seen, then you can at least gossip like hell about them. That won't be against the Ten Commandments because you are telling the truth, right?

 Set up your own text brigade, your joke line like the "Eraptions," or simply state what you have seen and what you know. While talking to the staff of a hotel in Cebu, I learned from one of their Spa therapist about a currently sitting Senator whom she called "the Maniac Senator." Apparently the dishonorable "Manyakis" kept trying to grab her butt and her boobs. The therapist left the room and has spent the succeeding years informing the public.

 With GOD and social media, we can win the battle and change the quality of our politicians.

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