Reversal of fortune

On the 29th anniversary of people power, the reversals of fortune can make a movie good enough for the Oscars:

The other half of the conjugal dictatorship is an “honorable” member of the House of Representatives, still living it up and with all her relatives back in power. Her only son and Ferdinand Marcos’ namesake is in the Senate and is seriously considering a run for the presidency.

Meanwhile, EDSA hero Juan Ponce Enrile is under “hospital arrest” without bail for large-scale corruption. His RAMboys – members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement linked to coup attempts during the post-EDSA Aquino presidency – have broken up in an ugly squabble reportedly over rebel amnesty money.

Billions in assets have been seized by or turned over to the Philippine government after being legally declared ill-gotten, but no one is in prison for accumulating the vast wealth illegally.

Several of the biggest Marcos cronies are fully rehabilitated, with their wealth and influence not only intact but also greater.

Many victims of human rights violations during the dictatorship have yet to receive several thousand pesos each as compensation for their suffering. The amount, though small, is considered symbolic and the payment precedent-setting. Meanwhile, Pinoys continue to vote for unapologetic human rights violators who present themselves to be tough on crime.

Twenty-nine years after the people power revolt, there are groups trying to resuscitate the coup virus and are calling for the ouster or resignation of the only son of Benigno and Corazon Aquino. Their numbers are negligible, but the personalities are an interesting mix. They include Cory Aquino’s younger brother and his wife plus a smattering of Catholic bishops.

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 Justice is elusive in this country under normal circumstances. Trying to make a regime account for its abuses during 14 years of authoritarian rule is even more complicated.

The fact that the quest for justice is difficult, however, should not mean giving up on it, which is what it looks like in the pursuit of accountability for abuses during the Marcos regime. After recovering several pieces of prime real estate in the United States and getting back millions of dollars in Swiss bank deposits, we have given up on the accountability part. Who deposited the ill-gotten funds in Switzerland? How come we’re not going after the account holder/s?

We’ve kicked out a chief justice for failure to disclose dollar accounts. The Swiss bank deposits, including accumulated interest while in escrow, amount to a whopping $683 million. The deposits were declared ill-gotten by Philippine courts, and Swiss authorities agreed. Why isn’t any account holder behind bars, without bail, for plunder?

Our government has seized priceless original artworks of the masters from the Marcoses and is still running after more. How come no one is being summoned for a probe or charges being filed for possession of such treasures only a billionaire collector can afford? Were these assets declared? Did anyone ever explain how public officials in a developing country could afford to buy such treasures?

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The most enduring legacy of EDSA is undeniable: democracy was restored, warts and all, and there’s no going back to authoritarian rule. This is a remarkable feat worth celebrating every year. Young Filipinos will never live in fear of hearing a knock on their door at 3 a.m., of being dragged from their home and driven to unknown destinations where their worst nightmares await.

But building on the gains of people power and making democracy work have been a difficult slog. There is no magic wand for progress and inclusive growth.

People denounce the “kleptocracy” during the Marcos regime, but no one has been punished for corruption on a scale so vast a new word had to be invented for it.

No human rights violator went to prison either. And whoever ordered the assassination of P-Noy’s father Benigno Aquino Jr. is home free; not even two Aquino presidencies could give Ninoy justice.

Seeing everyone getting away with double murder, torture and enforced disappearances, world-class corruption and flouting of unexplained wealth is the biggest reason for the persistence of these abuses, 29 years after the Marcos regime finally collapsed.

The failure to make anyone account for the sins of the dictatorship has bred impunity. It has given rise to a common reaction when public officials are indicted and arrested for similar offenses: others are doing it, why pick on me?

When those occupying high positions in government are setting the example in stealing from taxpayers, they lose the moral authority to demand honest service from their subordinates. Economic growth does not trickle down to the grassroots in this country, but corruption does.

Failure to curb political dynasty-building has abetted corruption and brazen disregard of laws against nepotism. The 2013 elections showed dynasty-building reaching shameless proportions, with clans wanting to corner not only all elective seats in their turfs but also in any place where they can claim some ancestry or early residency.

Dynasties also perpetuate patronage politics. P-Noy, as well-meaning as he is, belongs to the old rich and can only do so much to try to transform an entrenched system. When his countdown to noon of June 30, 2016 finally ends, he can say he did his best. But as the song goes, the best still wasn’t good enough.

 He would end his term four months after the 30th anniversary of the people power revolt. The EDSA movie could be a blockbuster, and it would leave many Pinoys in tears.

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PAY NOW, WAIT FOREVER: Vehicle registration fees have gone up, but it’s still a long wait for car stickers. With just 16 months left in the daang matuwid administration, inefficiency and incompetence continue to reign at the Department of Transportation and Communications.

We can’t wait for this incompetent team to leave, but P-Noy will also be missed. Yesterday at mid-afternoon, a brown Chevrolet Trailblazer (WB8920) made its way along Taft Avenue to the Manila city hall with its path cleared by the wang-wang of two motorcycle cops. Some consider it trivial, but the ban on this annoying VIP entitlement is something that must be sustained after P-Noy steps down.