The ‘40 thieves’ hiding in the barangays

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is one of the classic Arabian Fairy Tales by Antoine Galland. Ali Baba, spotted a group of 40 horse riding thieves entering a hidden cave in the mountain after their leader would shout “Open Sesame.” One day when the thieves rode back to town, Ali Baba was able to enter the cave speaking the magic phrase “Open Sesame.” Behold, he discovered the vast amount of stolen treasures.

Half a century of ‘Open Sesame’

Since the governance of President Ferdinand Marcos, the magic word “Open Sesame” is no longer a fairy tale but a reality, particularly in thousands of municipalities all over the Philippines, where each city mayor could have as many as 60 barangays.

In the beginning, the barangay captains held voluntary positions as appointees of mayors. They did not receive any salary. All they received figuratively speaking, were crumbs from the mayor’s office. Eventually, when the barangay captain became an elective position, the Local Government Code of 1991 provides for a compensation in the form of honorarium ranging from P9,000 to P12,000. They were given the authority to act as “consultants” even though many, especially in poor illiterate municipalities, had neither moral nor academic qualification (personally, it is imperative that all candidates running for elective position should at least be college level and passed the Civil Service examination). Usually those who win or lose depends on “maka-mayor or kontra mayor.” The will of the mayor will be done. Locals refer to them as “galamay ni mayor” (yes men of the mayor). In return, mayors tend to tolerate their small businesses and even turn a blind eye when they commit various crimes from drug addiction, prostitution, child molestation to murder. Most of these take place in slum areas and policemen know these occur frequently.

In one barangay in my city many years ago, a bystander and high school dropout was elected as Barangay Chairman. His only qualification was the improvement of the garbage disposal system of his barangay. He was eventually dismissed because he was caught using the barangay’s official vehicle for his personal use.

Tragedies which keep repeating, favoring illegal barangay activities

A few weeks ago, in the midst of preventing the seasonal natural calamities such as landslides and flooding, the attention of the public was drawn to the “esteros” of Metro Manila. Since Spanish times, these canals known as “tripa di gallina” (chicken entrails) were designed to serve as the drainage system for approximately 11 million residents of 17 cities and municipalities. These are supposed to also serve as outlets for the tons of water during the half a year of rainy season from May to October. They wind around the city, lead to the main rivers of Pasig, Marikina, Parañaque, Makati, Pasay, Navotas, including the floodway of Cainta.

For decades their normal flow has been blocked by illegal residents filling-up the banks with shanties. Without clean water, electricity and toilets, their basura debris and human wastes daily clog the narrow water ways, contributing to the dengue menace, gastro intestinal sickness, cholera and typhoid fever. It is common knowledge among the residents that the infant mortality increases during these rainy days. But the ultimate disaster is when these families are washed away by the floods.

The network of government agencies coddling informal settlers

Who then are accountable? City managements are in the hands of the mayors, the head of the Executive department of local government, while the vice mayor and city council (Sangguniang Bayan, o Panlungsod), draws up ordinances from the Legislative department. Ultimately, the barangay captain implements the executive program in the barangay level.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is responsible for the safety, health, education, social service, cleanliness, and communication needs of each municipality. The Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) has failed to clear these national waterways. The police and civil service section of the Department of Defense (DOD) has failed in monitoring the city and the barangay constituents to obey regulations. The Department of Health (DOH) is morally responsible for checking the cleanliness and sanitation of the surroundings for the welfare of the people. This network of civil servants have grossly neglected their duties turning a blind eye to the barangay captain’s abuses, regularly collecting rent from the squatter families residing illegally along the esteros.

‘Flooding’ the sidewalks and pedestrian lanes as well

Last Monday, TV Patrol News featured the long line of tiangge stores covering the sidewalk of Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth and Baclaran. The lucrative businesses illegally set up on both sides of these main thoroughfares dispense a variety of merchandise from clothes, shoes, bags, to food items. Sellers are aware that this is illegal, so they play hide-and-seek with the police, with their goods hanging neatly on racks, custom-made with wheels they could merely “whisk” them away within few minutes whenever the police make a “surprise” visit.

This important passageway for people has been converted into a market place, where the vendors admit that they pay “tong” or “rent” of P100 a day per space to the policeman patrol.

Given for example a hundred stalls, total rent would amount to P10,000 a day. Perpetuating this crime encourages other illegal activities like theft, physical assaults and child labor.

Sangguniang Kabataan (SK): Leading the youth to corruption

Amidst the chaos that happened during the last day of registration last July 31 for the SK elections, we could already see what kind of future government officials we will have. What really motivates them to run for public office? No less than Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes was quoted saying he is in favor of the abolition of the SK including the barangay. It was reported that the president himself would rather postpone the October elections since Congress needs time to review and revise the LGU for Barangay. These candidates ages between 15-25 are now observing to be following their elders’ graft-ridden ways. Young as they are, they already have their own “hakot” system.

Come to think of it, don’t we have a Youth Party-list representative in Congress now? If so, the voice of the youth is already properly represented and there is no need for the local or barangay Sangguniang Kabataan. Is it because of their own pork barrel too? According to Senator Recto, our local government code provides for a 10% share from the Local Government’s Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA). For 2014 budget, 10% of the P68.3-billion barangay budget or a total of P6.83-billion goes to Sanggunian Kabataan alone. Isn’t that tempting for our kabataan?

‘What does it profit a man…’

We get a daily dosage of bad news in our country. The most chaotic element in our society is politics. In general, we are among a list of countries whose leaders are notorious for abusing power, depriving the citizens of their rights.

Now in the middle of his six-year term, President Benigno Aquino III has never stopped exposing the political villains who continuously amass great wealth. His policy was to appoint men whom he trusts, morally upright men to walk the “daang matuwid.”

Unfortunately, they found themselves cornered by a cartel of traditional politicians who were not concerned of the welfare of the people, so that the only way they could preserve the honor is either to courageously break the chain of anomalies or to resign.

It is time to reflect seriously our Lord’s admonition, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his soul?”

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