Fearless forcecast

Unless Filipinos mount another People Power for days to weeks, light candles at their doorsteps post Nov. 1 or the Catholic Church closes doors in protest like Poland did in World War 2, the systemic corruption in the Philippines will not be contained.

Let us not fan false hopes that our protest chants of “MGA CORRUPT – IKULONG NA YAN” chanted like intermission numbers will sufficiently sow fear among corrupt senators, congressmen, as well as in Malacañang. Even the protests marches are few and far between.

While watching Michael Smerconish on CNN, he read/talked about an opinion piece written by Colby Hall, co-founder of  “MEDIA-ITE, where the author pointed out that the recent “No Kings” protest (Anti-Trump) drew a record seven million peaceful demonstrators around the US.

“That’s very good for the organizers, as attendance is growing. But this might also be a problem. Not because the marchers aren’t sincere – they are. Not because moral clarity doesn’t matter – it does.

“But because every protest that doesn’t lead to organization might be worse than no protest at all. It gives a feeling of agency without the fact of it. It lets us post, share and check the box marked ‘I did something,’ while the machinery of power keeps humming, unbothered.

“This is the trap of protests in the age of the algorithm. It’s not that demonstrations are performative – all politics involves performance – but the performance (the action) has become the point.

“The march happens, the signs get photographed, the videos go viral, and everyone goes home feeling like they participated in democracy. Meanwhile, nothing changes except your feed (social media) which has already moved on.”

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Last weekend, I had a chance encounter with a retired Marine general and he shared that as far as retired and active-duty personnel are concerned, most of them are wary of getting involved lest they become the scapegoat in an ugly outcome.

He made it clear that whatever side or whatever reason each man has, they will probably find unity only in fence sitting. I guess that is what we get for having professional uniformed services and police.

The only time men in uniform actually broke ranks and joined the people was “to defend” their bosses, namely then secretary of defense Juan Ponce Enrile and Gen. Fidel Ramos, who were being hunted down by Gen. Fabian Ver for mutiny!

The retired Marine general also shared that divisions run deep in the military service. First, there is the division by rank and seniority, then there is the division or “competition” between services and the geographical division between Imperial Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Worst of all is the division caused by greed and ambition! Every man has a salary and perhaps a retirement plan to protect. As you can see, the military and the PNP can’t and won’t get involved.

Perhaps it is really a good idea to require all able-bodied Filipino men and women to undergo real military service just like they do in Israel, South Korea, Singapore, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland.

One benefit is that such programs reduce the undeclared “caste/class system and reduces regional or provincial differences and cultural ignorance while creating bonds among ‘batch mates’.”

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Do not imagine that the Philippines will follow the way of Nepal or Indonesia because as an observer put it, the two nations were political and social pressure cookers with no release mechanism for steam or anger to blow out, so they blew up.

No thanks to social media and the Filipino appetite for entertainment and humor, our national shame and embarrassment will never explode, except perhaps if people are shot or killed because of their righteous indignation or violence is orchestrated,  like the communists did in Plaza Miranda.

Our creativity and satirical nature have become our own poison pill. Every time we make light of or poke fun at nationally elected criminals who rob us blind, we inadvertently lighten the gravity of their offense.

I suppose we cloak our rage under jokes and satire as a means of protecting ourselves from libel or violent retribution, but by doing so, “the joke is now on us” – we are literally and creatively laughing at ourselves.

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I recently woke up at 4:45  a.m. and found myself saying, “Call upon God, because justice in the Philippines has died!” While I can think of many ways how justice in the Philippines has been bastardized and prostituted, I have never gone as far as saying “justice in the Philippines is dead.”

If the thought was a divine message, there is certainly no arguing the point. Just recently, those found guilty in the PDAF scandal are now cleared if not declared innocent. Then they are required to return hundreds of millions to the government?!

In the flood control  ghost projects, the accused are now the appointing powers, investigators, judge and jury. Those willing to tell all are sabotaged by the very people suspected of collusion.

Senators and congressmen openly accuse each other of corruption, manipulation of government funds, usurpation of authority and exercising non-existent powers or authority over finances.

Now that all else has failed, Yes! Let us all call upon God to do his will.

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