Missing the genuine public service legacy of the Aquinos

August 1 is the death anniversary of former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino. Oh, how we miss her and her son, PNoy, their legacy of genuine and transparent public service.

We remember Ninoy as well for his commitment – “the Filipino is worth dying for.”

Most of the other officials of this country ignore, dismiss public service, transparency, and accountability. Greed and corruption are rampant and have taken over as norms among the powerful.

Personal/familial/dynastic interests are consistently and shamelessly prioritized over the needs of the marginalized/poor constituents --the last, least/lost. Never mind if those in power now are not knowledgeable, uninformed/ignorant even, or undeserving/unqualified for their positions.

Unapologetic, shameless, and arrogant, many assume committee leaderships even without the slightest of qualifications for their patronage-obtained appointments!

Together with the gun-goons-gold supremacy of the past, the game in Congress at present involves connection, patronage, and budget insertions. Billions of public funds intended especially for the poor and needy are instead siphoned into private pockets of officials and their cohorts.

Who cares if the floods destroy homes, cause landslides, even cause deaths and injuries? The flood control funds have safely found their niche in the pockets of the corrupt and abusive.

Why can’t the corrupt and abusive be exposed, penalized, and stopped?

Observe how even the highest court of the land has ruled about the impeachment of Duterte’s daughter over charges of alleged plunder of public funds, abuse, and corruption.

Observe how Senate majority leadership continues to block any impeachment from proceeding.

Is there no end then to this continuing cycle of official corruption/abuse, no accountability that exacerbates the poverty and hardships of millions of poor Filipinos? Are Filipinos doomed to be enslaved by the abusive and corrupt?

1986 People Power toppled an abusive, corrupt dictatorship. Cory emerged as the reluctant leader chosen to lead after that February 1986 revolution. The present Constitution was enacted that year but is now under siege by varying recent interpretations across sectors, across contending branches of government.

Will the abusive and corrupt among the powerful win and reign with their interpretation of that 1986 Constitution and dismiss the impeachment and corruption charges vs. Duterte’s daughter?

Can the true public servants in Congress initiate creative ways of presenting to the public their hard data and evidence proving without doubt the corruption and plunder charges vs. Duterte’s daughter?

Will the truth about these charges come out, be allowed to be publicly disseminated? Will the counsel and wisdom of past Supreme Court justices and constitutionalists be listened to by the present SC and by the Filipino people?

What can the Filipino people do? Can the Filipinos do another People Power Revolution and allow the truth to free our people, our nation?

Will Church leaders also again lead and encourage the people to go out to the streets and fight for freedom and truth? Will God grant this nation another Cory, another Ninoy, another PNoy?

Now is the time once again to pray, pray, pray as a nation, for healing, for an end to abuse and corruption, an end to lies and misinformation, and, for the truth to come out.

May the Lord hear our prayers for him to send his appointed, honest, genuine public servants to lead and inspire our country and people to take the path and purpose he has prepared for us.

May the Lord spare us soonest from uninformed/unqualified, misguided, self-serving officials across all branches of government who revere their mortal gods rather than God and his people.

Shall we all continue to pray unceasingly for God to redeem our people and our country from self-serving officials, soonest?

Thankfully, there are a few sincere local and national servant leaders --may God increase their number and decrease/remove the legion of abusive/corrupt in our midst.