The seven cardinal sins of traditional politicians

In times of crises, it is apropos to examine how traditional politicians, especially congressmen and senators, exacerbate the problems, instead of finding solutions, and adding more burdens instead of alleviating the pains being suffered by the people.

The first sin usually committed by trapos is over promising and under-delivering. Traditional politicians can never be outdone in making people expect too much. Trapos have the innate skills of painting the future in bright and exciting colors, and the people, in their naivete and lack of impure outlook, always take their words hook, line and sinker. These liars pledge in the name of God and holding the bible that they would serve with honesty, integrity and fidelity. Tell that to the marines. I was not born yesterday. Their second sin is what I call intentional invisibility. In times of great difficulties, where are the congressmen? They have become invisible. Need I say anything more?

The third sin is consistency in their irrelevance. Look at Congress. While the nation is suffering with the COVID-19 crisis, they are filibustering in their seemingly endless hearings on the franchise of ABS-CBN. What has this to do with the sufferings of their constituents. And I can cite a hundred more, but for space limitation. The fourth sin is lying as if it is the natural thing to do. Ask them how much is their total income, allowances, bonuses and perks, and how much taxes are they paying the government. Look at their list of staff and consultants, and what have they accomplished. Look at their attendance records and the number of bills they have passed into law. Do you expect them to tell you the truth. They don't even expect you to be interested.

The fifth sin of politicians is the feeling of being too important. When they walk in, they expect you to stand up and stop everything and anything you are doing. They want a special place in the ceremonies and they want to hug the limelight of your own event. They feel insulted if you do not introduce them like his royal highness or his excellency. Vanity, pride bordering on arrogance. To think that they have not done anything monumental to the nation. The sixth sin is unabated influence-peddling. They interfere in appointments, in promotions in transfers and assignments of civil service personnel. They claim to represent the people but in truth, they only represent themselves and their selfish interests.

The seventh sin of trapos is the sin of omission. What have they done to help combat the COVID-19 crisis? What assistance have they extended to the constituencies in their times of difficulties. It is only the governors and the mayors, the barangay leaders and the other LGU officials who are risking their health, safety and welfare. The congressmen are nowhere to be found. They seem to be impervious to the pains and difficulties of the people who elected them to office. They are blind, deaf and dumb to the sufferings and burdens carried by the poor and the powerless. The trapos have bought the votes during election time, they do not feel obliged to give to the people the service for which they were put in office.

This nation can survive even if we abolished Congress. The Lower House is the most burdensome anachronism that the masses have to support by taxes and blind worship. It is high time that we do away with this yoke on the shoulders of the suffering poor Filipinos.