Filipinos are starving, politicos are insatiable

A hungry man is not a free man.

Living hand-to-mouth, he has no time to reflect or rest. Malnutrition dulls him. New skills scare him. He hires himself out for brawn. Worship is worthless, except perhaps for the Host as merienda. His offspring too are dullards.

He’s grateful to the hand that feeds him. Often, it’s a politico, the latest in a century-long dynasty. He ignores their plunder. He relishes only the packed lunch they dole out in a campaign sortie. He reserves the free soda for night snack, and resolves to vote for the nice fellow who salved his belly.

Starvation worsened in March compared to Christmastime – the most widespread since COVID-19. Social Weather Stations’ latest survey shows that 27.2 percent of families went hungry one or more times in first quarter 2025.

Last December it was 25.9 percent, at that time the severest since the pandemic.

Sixty-three percent of families also rated themselves poor last December – the worst in 21 years.

That this is happening during elections illustrates politics, Philippine style.

Twenty two of 24 senators and 285 of 317 congressmen enacted a plunderous 2025 national budget. Inserted was a P26-billion political Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program.

They claim that AKAP is to feed the poorest of the poor. If so, then why did they relegate to unprogrammed appropriations the legislated Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for 4.4 million households? Only if government has savings or new loans will 4Ps reactivate.

AKAP is a campaign fund – stolen from taxpayers. Politicos use part of it to buy votes, then pocket the bulk.

Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong exposed their vileness. Throughout 2024 politicos vied for “7-7-7” bonanza.

It meant P7-million AKAP, P7-million TUPAD and P7-million AICS – collectible upon joining Congress leaders in Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fairs. P21 million in one blow. They gave only P500 cash and a bag of rice to needy supporters.

Before yearend 2024 it became “30-30-30,” Magalong bared. P30-million AKAP, P30-million TUPAD, P30-million AICS from the Congress gods, this time for hosting the fairs in their bailiwicks. P90 million total.

The hungry man will sell his vote. He will elect the same insatiable dynasts.

He’ll be paid P2,000 “grocery money.” Enough for a good meal after months of famish. With loose change, he can gamble pusoy and drink moonshine.

After vote counting, Comelec will proclaim 12 senators, 317 congressmen and 17,842 local officials from the usual dynasties.

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If squatters are heard and recompensed before eviction, then more so legit homebuyers.

But the opposite happened to condo residents and golf clubbers at Baguio’s posh Camp John Hay.

On Jan. 6 the Bases Conversion Development Authority, backed by 200 cops, blitzkrieged into dwellings. Occupants were mostly Filipino and Korean retirees, plus local businessmen and foreign investors.

They didn’t know what hit them. They had leased their homes for 25 or more years, hoping to enjoy the former US Air Force base’s cool quiet clime. BCDA treated them like trash to be swept away.

BCDA has been wrapped for naked abuse of power. Its objective was to evict its former real estate partner CJH Development Corp. (DevCo). It went overboard.

The partnership had fallen off in 2015. Arbiters ruled that DevCo return to BCDA the 50-year leased property, 247 hectares. BCDA was to reimburse DevCo within 30 days P1.4 billion in overpayments.

Only six of the 247 hectares had been developed. Improvements consisted of hotels, log cabins, condos, mini malls, amusement parks and an 18-hole golf course. BCDA had failed to deliver the rights of way, environment clearances and other government commitments for the remaining 241 hectares.

Ten years after the arbitral verdict, BCDA has yet to remit to DevCo even just a centavo of the P1.4 billion.

DevCo left peaceably upon receiving notice. BCDA then forced away two 50-year sub-lessees, Ayala Land Inc. and Global Estate Resorts Inc.

BCDA then vented its ire on third-party homebuyers in good faith. They were dwellers of bungalows, condos and hotel time shares.

BCDA gave them only two days to vacate. Demolishers smashed doorknobs, forced out residents, then padlocked the homes. In at least one dwelling, a child was locked in.

The arbitral ruling does not state that BCDA may evict third-party homebuyers.

BCDA closed down the golf club, unrelated to DevCo. Club shareholders were shocked. They are duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. BCDA virtually dissolved their incorporation.

Twenty of the Korean homeowners sued BCDA. So did some Filipino dwellers. Separate courts denied their urgent pleas for temporary restraint.

BCDA then belatedly offered to dialogue.

What for? BCDA already showed bad faith.

It claimed it never agreed to more than 25-year home leases. That alibi is easily belied by minutes of DevCo board meetings from 2003 to 2012, in which BCDA reps sat.

Besides, only the land lease was rescinded – not the improvements, for which homebuyers and golf clubbers paid.

BCDA has blackened government’s reputation. In the 1990s it enticed foreign investors to Camp John Hay. It asked the Retirement Authority to help out. Now it dishonors contracts.

Under the Office of the President, BCDA has projects in Poro Point, Clark, Subic and elsewhere. Only Bongbong Marcos can resolve the issue at this point.

On his desk are two appeals. Baguio Mayor Benjie Magalong sent the first one on behalf of more than 60 homebuyers. Ex-mayor Mauricio Domogan sent the other on behalf of the golf clubbers.

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