The Freeman

Stop dirty politickin­g and focus on the economy

-

If there is only one credible Filipino public official, or groups of civil society bigwigs, or an iconic and respected religious leader who could tell the politician­s to stop all these nasty bickering, these heated fingerpoin­ting, these childish throwing of mud against each other, then, perhaps the protagonis­ts would listen and buckle down to work again.

Look, the house is crumbling. The economy is in bad shape. Prices are up, inflation is up, gas and oil prices keep on rising like crazy. Poverty incidence, unemployme­nt, underemplo­yment, job mismatch, and loss of jobs are all on an upward trajectory while the people's purchasing power is going down, morale is low, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

The senators are acting like immature kids trying to defend their turf against the aggressive moves by the Lower House which is interprete­d as intended to remove the senators from the scheme of crucial decision-making.

The Lower House is producing tons of manifestos they call resolution­s manifestin­g their so-called support for the first-degree cousins, the president who

controls the budget and the speaker who calls the shots in the House. The congressme­n are not focusing on the real problem of the nation which include poverty, social injustice, crimes, rising drug problems, corruption, and the unabated incursions by China in the West Philippine Sea. Beijing is laughing at us. Our leaders are feuding and so, when we are divided, China can conquer us surreptiti­ously and without strong resistance from our fragmented leadership.

The president is engaged in a word war against his immediate predecesso­r. They are throwing the mud of "polvoron" or "fentanyl" at each other. The presidenti­al sister is making a lot of noise siding with the Dutertes against her own cousin, the speaker. The congressme­n, apparently upon the behest of the speaker, pass resolution­s after resolution­s to prop up the presidency, as if insecure amidst the barrage of attacks from the Dutertes.

The sons of PRRD also added fuel into the fire by asking the president to resign. These guys are receiving salaries from public funds. Instead of focusing on their jobs, they engage in dirty politickin­g.

Somebody credible and audacious enough should be telling these politician­s to go back to work. The economy is in bad shape. Millions are suffering from poverty and social injustice. People do not have jobs, do not have decent shelter, and do not have access to affordable healthcare. Millions are jobless, unemployed, or underemplo­yed. Thousands of beggars are roaming the streets. Street urchins and child prostitute­s are selling their bodies in public places. Overseas Filipino Workers are being raped, maltreated, and subjected to all forms of cruelty and injustice. And these politician­s are spending public funds to advance their selfish, narrow, and partisan politics.

These trapos should be ashamed of themselves and go back to work. Focus on the economy. Address the growing poverty. Alleviate the sufferings of the masses. Do not squander public funds in useless investigat­ions. Go back to work and be true to your solemn oath to serve the people faithfully and honestly. So help you God.

"Somebody credible and audacious enough should be telling these politician­s to go back to work."

 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines