It is as if the Filipino people are challenged to absorb one shock after another.
The woman with the interesting, if obscure, back story makes for a good starting point. For months, this town mayor’s Senate appearances were the source of entertainment, almost distracting the public from the gravity of the bigger issue of allowing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators to proliferate in certain locations, along with the related dark activities linked to them.
And then she disappeared, in a way that could only be executed with the facilitation of powerful individuals. Officials who arrested her were charmed; they made small talk with her and took selfies before bringing her back in a private plane. Back in Manila, and finally in jail, the former mayor promises even juicier revelations.
There is the religious leader who claims he is the son of god. Facing a myriad of charges ranging from sexual abuse to trafficking to money laundering, in courts here and in the United States, this so-called holy man enjoys the backing of a powerful family down south. He cowered in his compound for 16 days before he finally saw the light and “surrendered” – overcome with grief, his lawyer said, at the sight of his defenders in a standoff with the police.
In the budget hearings, a key official of this administration has consistently refused to disclose how exactly the people’s money was spent and how it will be spent, and has demanded access to confidential funds. Despite the demands of her job, she found the time to write a children’s book about a friendly owl, which was meant to be distributed to students all over the country all on the taxpayers’ dime. When asked to explain her office’s handling of finances, she styles herself as a victim of political persecution. She even refused to take an oath, splitting hairs between being a “witness” and a “resource person.” This week, this same official was linked to envelopes of cash, sent as gifts to her subordinates with cash in an attempt to make them do her bidding.
When something is out of the ordinary, it causes outrage among the people which translates into political capital for those in a position to address the issue. The natural reaction thus is to talk about them as hot copy for the day.
One bombshell after another, however, desensitizes the people to the excesses that public officials commit in the pursuit of their own interest.
It is safe to say we have not heard the last fantastic tale. There will be more especially given the approach of the election season. What are we going to do about it besides express our shock and exasperation? As spectators we must demand that such processes are seen through until their rightful end. File cases. Advocate for swift delivery of justice. Prevent them from winning people’s hearts and minds and votes.
Anything less than these, and our outrage becomes a dud. And then politics and governance become a trivial matter, subject to whim and to winds that change with the seasons.
