Evil triumphs when good men are busy campaigning

The workingmen are the most hurt when the country is dirty and in disarray. The economy may be surging but the habitat is a disaster. The city is full of garbage, the traffic is worsening, the gambling lords are making a killing, the drug lords are ostentatiously displaying their wares while the police authorities seems to be looking the other way. The illegal recruiters and traffickers are making a heyday. The salesgirls in malls have remained casuals and contractuals, and the government seems blind and deaf. The prostitutes and beggars are proliferating in every nook and cranny, competing with the illegal vendors and pickpockets, drug addicts and homeless destitute, who make the street alley their residence. Where are the good men and women, the political and social elite? Where are the Church leaders who are deeply concerned with today’s social sins and cancer, and the NGOs who profess love of country? Oh, they are all busy campaigning.

A quick caveat though. By “city’’, we just do not mean Cebu. Our city is much better than Metro Manila, but still with a lot of room for improvement. In Metro Manila, the garbage is a calamity by itself, and traffic is horrendous. By city, we also mean Davao, despite the strong arms of the local leaders, and even Iloilo, Tacloban and Angeles in Pampanga, despite the new efforts to shape up, thanks to the coming elections. The garbage is a big embarrassment and health hazard. The buzzword now is about the amazing surge in economic growth. But what profits a country that has become a financial success but a social ruin? The economy has a lot of money but the poor are starving and begging right in front of tourists, who must be wondering whether these all constitute more fun in the Philippines.

The pyramid scams are sucking the blood of poor Filipinos. These economic and financial scoundrels have succeeded in getting billions from the naive, innocent and not so naive and not so innocent middle class, all because the Central Bank, the SEC, and the local authorities, including the police, the NBI and the many public officials who are receiving multiple bonuses from the taxpayers, are either sleeping or have placed themselves, either by negligence or by deliberate intent, in positions of conflict of interests.

Murders and rapes, kidnappings and robberies are on the rise. Despite all the CCTVs, the murderers, rapists and robbers are not caught with a sense of urgency. Schoolgirls are being raped and murdered by tricycle drivers and cybersex dens are victimizing young boys and girls. There is allegedly a rampant drug trade inside the national penitentiary. And these cannot be solved by changing the directors every so often. The problems of drugs are unabated. Illegal numbers game, jueteng, masiao and all are being done right in front of the police. Where are the mayors, the governors, the congressmen and the senators? Oh, they are out campaigning. They cannot even have a quorum in the House to tackle the RH Bill. Maybe they are attending prayer meetings and posing for TV ads, disguised thinly as advocacies for livelihood, food security and what seems to glorify their image. Daang Matuwid, is this ? Where are the guardians of safety and security? Where are the LGU leaders, the prime movers of NGOs and peoples’ organizations? Oh, they have all mutated into petty and scheming politicians doing premature campaigning, many of them using public funds. When they deliver speeches, there is always a political undertone. When they give away relief goods, it is always to gain political favors, or to deodorize their image, to look good to the people. It is always for show. This is plain and blatant hypocrisy.

Incumbent public officials and personnel are using public funds, assisted by staff paid by government and using government resources distributed to gain partisan political mileage. Aren’t these clearly a series of premeditated and gross violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act? Why are the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission, as well as the COA mysteriously silent? To quote Mark

Anthony: “Vigilance, like good judgment, has fled to brutish beast, and men have lost their reason.” I thus must pause for a reply, if any. If none, then, San Pedro Calungsod, please pray for this forsaken nation.

‘When they deliver speeches, there is always a political undertone. When they give away relief goods, it is always to gain political favors…’