A Glimpse…
by : Efryl Sebastian (contributor)
e-mail: ashlee_1702@yahoo.com
It was once aired in the news by a local television network that a certain city in Europe is determined to execute any politician convicted of charges involving graft and corruption provided, however, that the concerned politician has to undergo a weight inspection to predetermine certain standards. What does it imply for a young Filipino and a student like me? Does it factually mean to say that a person is either clever or incapable of doing corrupt practices if his weight is above or below the standards? Well, it might be. But for sure, it would only mean that if the latter is underweight, he will most likely do immorality in the workplace for his being so may affect his way of thinking and intuition.
The objective of this reality check is to examine the word “corruption” not only to link the said terminology to our pacesetters. Blame the existing attitude to the defiance of the Filipinos as a result of the colonization of the Westerners that caused these negative effects we now have. Remember, how Chief Justice Reynaldo Puno frankly affirmed the veracity that the Filipinos were long ago and endlessly at present entrapped by hunger and poverty. Such is a manifestation of what we learned from the early invaders of our country who greatly influenced the indolence that is now present to most of the Filipino people.
The Chief Justice wants us to realize and accept the challenge of changing the negatives we have to positives. It plainly showed that the identity of the Filipino was totally wrecked by the nightmare left by the white conquistadores who almost have caused destruction to our culture and upbringing.
Moreover, people blame the way our government officials manage the
administration. They claimed that there are massive loopholes in the entire governance which lead towards the foundation of the militant groups and other extremist to become stronger.
Graft and corruption as we could barely explicate seems to be the unbreakable hindrance that prevents our nation’s freedom from the gripping claws of poverty. Majority of us back stab the government for its failure to resolve the problem. Others pinpoint graft and corruption as the evil cause of poverty and that corrupt officials should be eliminated from the bureaucracy. In spite of all the efforts of her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in reinventing the government, still she failed to withhold the real problem of her realm. The president is oftentimes criticized for her incapacity to govern. Her leadership is always questioned and criticized by her political destructor’s.
The attempt of changing the form of government from democratic to parliamentary was seen by those in the cabinet as the possible solution that would answer all problems faced by the entire nation. Contrary to what they expect, some do not believe that transforming the system is not a relief to the agonizing people. It is merely a ploy to prolong the Predicaments of the lowly masses. The new system is vulnerable to corruption as check and balance mechanism is weak for it is mainly controlled by the executives in the government. What is necessary to be done is to overhaul the system by discarding all corrupt officials that hibernate within the portals of the government.
As a simple critic of our system, I cannot forget some of the recent discrepancies happening in our country. Most of it is entirely because of graft and corruption. Remember the fertilizer scam, the extortion activities purported by the anti-administration all over the country and many other more not to disregard the bombing incidents, the noise made by the Jose Velarde account, the plunder case faced by the former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada, The “Hello Garci” controversy, the massive vote-buying cases, etc., etc. All of these wrapped the Philippine government with a mask colorfully decorated with scandals, frauds and immorality to its highest level.
Granting that all of these allegations are of real basis, then, do you think the people behind it are likely to feel guilt? I insist and I would say no! Why? Because these people in the first place, does not know what the word “conscience” means. I can always remember my teacher in my Christian Living subject telling her students that “God subsist conscience. He is the voice beyond all the decisions we make.” In short, these wicked people do not know who God is. Check the lifestyle of these people. They only pretend to be good in front of the camera and to the public but in reality they aren’t. Hypocrisy is prevalent to them because they want to project a positive image to gain peoples’ support and sympathy.
Yes, we may have seen them attending masses but, their minds are not actually serious to the homily made by the priest. They are all best actors and actresses when facing the public. Pretentious as they are, their hearts are tainted with desires of bloating their own whims and caprices at the expense of the poor people. They dress decently but, inside them are immoralities that caused them to become potent candidates of hell.
In the local T.V program called “The Working President”, PGMA is proud to announce that she has done great things for the people. She even cited that the economy is improving as peso becomes stronger as of its past performance. Her target for a sufficiency of jobs each year, when assessed has not even accommodated thousands of job seekers. Thus, she does not deserve an average rating but, a failure mark as for the masses who gave her a -26 mark which means she needs improvement in her performance. In her recent State of the Nation Address, PGMA made promises again to her people, a promise of a bountiful life in her administration. But look at the life of her people today; we are now suffering ridiculously from rice crisis. Her promise is again destined to be broken. However, a few still believe in her and most of them are on her administration, those who profusely applauded her during her speech and those who greatly acquired power from her.
The root cause of these problems lies behind us. If the people would not use his vote wisely then, the same thing would repeatedly happen. The inherent mentality of selling the vote for the highest bidding candidates will lead us to falling without rising back again. What we need to do now is maybe to devise a machine that may probably wash and cleanse the mentality of the 80 Million Filipinos to start a new beginning.. When an ordinary Filipino can do a simple corruption in his own simple manner, how much more those in power?
The Author
NAME: Efryl R. Sebastian
Age: 18
School: University of Mindanao Bansalan College
Address: brgy. Barayong, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur
Course: Bachelor of Science in Commerce
