Tandem of folly
As 2016 draws near, the two presidential hopefuls who have publicly declared their intention to lead this country are exposed in the media almost every day as they visit various parts of the country. Even the neophyte politician of a woman who has been evasive in declaring her intention to be president but is also busy hobnobbing with various groups is also being played up. And what do they say when asked to comment about what they are doing? They would chorus thus: We are not campaigning, we are only doing our official duties.
Of course nobody believes them. The DILG secretary who proudly presides over the distribution of service vehicles, or the vice president who personally hands over to PWD's crutches or wheel chairs, or the woman senator who pretends to guest a student's gathering these are clearly hot on the campaign trail. But since they have not yet filed their certificates of candidacy, says the COMELEC, they have not violated the law against early campaigning.
Ok, no violation. But who is spending for their sorties and hooplahs? Only the most naïve believe these would be candidates are spending their own money. The naked truth is that they are squandering the scant resources of this country, resources for which millions of Filipinos are dying for a trickle. Callousness, callousness of a shameful level. Yet in their stance they want to appear honest and well-meaning as good leaders should be.
There ought to be a law against this blatant disregard of propriety in trying to win political support. But there's none because the bright guys in Congress don't want to have their hands tied in their own campaigns. But there ought to be a loud howl of protest from all sensible Filipinos, a deafening roar of disapproval. But there's none, and there's none because this callousness is mutual that of the politicians and that of the rank and file.
Where's the end of the tunnel for this country? The end is far, far away as long as leaders and followers are in tandem with their folly. Take the folly of election overspending. To run for an office is an expensive venture. One has to have stacks of money or nobody listens. Yet who's the saintly politician who honestly declared how much he spent to get elected? That's why nobody has been prosecuted even if he flooded his electorate with cash. O yes, a governor has been unseated lately for overspending. But why only him? Selected justice, they say, which is another folly.
In Malaysia, people are massing in the street to unseat a high official who has allegedly stolen millions of dollars. In this country billions of pesos have lined the DAP or PDAF pockets of top officials but the streets are quiet. And the streets are quiet because corruption, too, has become a mutually agreed folly.
They say you cannot fool all the people all the time. This is true. But you can fool most of the people most of the time. And it's happening in this country.
Look at the political dynasties. Is not each of these, save for a few, a syndicate of vested interests, designed to fool the people into believing that it is the sole custodian of common good? Like an octopus the dynasty extends its tentacles to every aspect of socio-political and economic activities in the community through a system of patronage reserved only for the kamag-anaks. What chance has an upright and well-intentioned outsider in investing his talent therein? None, if his bloodline is different.
And so elections come and elections go and the seat of power is passed on from one kamag-anak to another while the people, hungry and destitute, watch and while for their knight in the shining armor. In the meantime, the demon of oppression is left untouched. Again, where's the end of the tunnel?
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