A wise man once said that politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often and for the same reason. The wise man’s words should be applied today especially with Philippine politicians. I mean, why do Filipinos have to wait until the next election before getting rid of blundering politicians? It’s like a prolonged agony knowing that not much will change even after they finish their terms. The law-abiding citizens of the country who try to keep some kind of order don’t deserve the mediocre performance they get from these so-called “public servants”.
Take the case of Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino and some of the current members of Congress who were implicated in the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) or pork barrel fund scam. Do we have to wait until their term ends before we can hope for real progress in Philippine society? In some countries, public servants who feel shame immediately resign on their own when they become embroiled in scandals or if they have not fulfilled their duties to the people who voted them into office.
Sure, BS Aquino was “voted” into office by 15 million voters out of 51 million registered voters. Now that is not even what one would call a landslide particularly if one would bother to deduct those who were just bribed and bullied into voting for him. Frankly, a lot of those who voted for him have since admitted that they made a mistake specially after realizing that BS Aquino is not only incompetent and surrounded by incompetent staff members, he is also unwilling to deal with corruption in the most effective manner.
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Furthermore, there are still certain sectors in society who still doubt the legitimacy of his election win and say they have proof that some of the machines used in the first automated election were rigged just like it was rigged again (allegedly) in the recent midterm election held in May 2013 to favor “Team PNoy”. Unfortunately, their calls for further investigation have been falling on deaf ears. But I digress…
Politicians should be treated like dirty diapers.
Six years is a long term, indeed for a leader to stay in power particularly when he does not even want to heed the demands of the people – his “bosses”. Some even say that if the Philippines only had a parliamentary system of government, it would have been easier to get rid of an incompetent leader like BS Aquino. In such a system, a leader who has become unpopular with the voters would have no choice but to step down and allow another member of his party to continue the leadership. If the new leader still doesn’t satisfy the voters, their party could lose in the next election. That is assuming that the voters actually use their faculties for critical analysis, of course. This brings us to the real problem in Philippine society.
The real problem in Philippine society is not corruption in government but the people who allow it to persist. First, we have members of government agencies like the Commission on Audit CoA which apparently haven’t been doing their jobs for decades. Had they been doing their jobs, the scams involving the PDAF or pork barrel funds would not have gone “unnoticed” for such a long, long time. Had they been doing their jobs auditing the expenses of the public servants, there wouldn’t be a need to rely on whistle-blowers whose motives for speaking out are questionable considering that they have been conniving with the head scammers for decades. What made them decide to come out now? Did they get a bad deal out of a recent transaction? Or did someone offer them a better deal? It’s hard to tell, really.
Second, most Filipinos are still beholden to such figures as Ninoy and Cory Aquino who have been dead for years. The worse thing about Filipinos being beholden to Ninoy and Cory is that they assume that the younger Aquinos – the children — would finish what their parents’ started.
The question is what did Ninoy and Cory start in the first place? They were both politicians who had their own personal agendas: one had political ambition and one seemed to want revenge for the death of her husband with political ambitions. If you think about it, Ninoy never had a chance to become the President of the Philippines. So we will never know whether or not he will have turned out just like any other politician — someone who can’t walk the talk. Like a dirty diaper, the people would have wanted to change him eventually because power corrupts even those with good intentions if their actions remain unchecked. And actions remain unchecked when the people put the individual on a pedestal to idolize.
All we have left as a reminder of Ninoy anyway are a bunch of speeches we can access on YouTube that were not even as inspiring as John F Kennedy’s inaugural address or Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream”. As a Senator, Ninoy never crafted any policies that we can say still benefit the country today. As for Cory, she is not the people power icon that the media keeps harping about. She did not initiate the EDSA revolution for the simple reason that she wasn’t even there to begin with when the people rallied for three days. She just took the credit for it after Marcos left.
The point is, the Philippines is not just poor because of corrupt politicians; it is poor because Filipinos are beholden to public servants they vote into office. In other words, they idolise BS Aquino and the members of Congress and see them as celebrities instead of people who need to work for them. This is the simple reason why Filipinos hesitate or do not want to criticize them. A lot of these public servants are just after their own interests. Why else would they be against the abolition of the pork barrel funds or any funds allocate for them? It’s quite baffling to think how Filipinos can go on idolising the same characters in government for decades despite their appalling track records in government.
Treated like celebrities and royalty
If you ask an Aquino supporter why he still thinks BS Aquino deserves the benefit of the doubt as if he is still in his honeymoon period, his likely answer would be, because he is an Aquino and he will not tarnish the Aquino name. The truth is BS Aquino tarnished the Aquino name the minute he agreed to run for the Presidency while lacking a clear vision for the country. He only agreed to run because some people asked him to when they realized they could take advantage of the voters who were too emotional to think clearly after the death of his well-loved mother.
Another proof that most Filipinos are still reluctant to criticize their public servants is when they focus too much on the alleged mastermind behind the pork barrel scam Janet Lim-Napoles. A keen observer will see that most Filipinos tend to highlight only her family’s extravagant lifestyle while completely ignoring the fact that a lot of the Filipino public servants who earn so little from their government salaries also lead extravagant lifestyles. Funnily enough, their blatant display of “wealth” seems to be acceptable to most Filipinos even when it is stated in the Constitution that public servants should lead modest lives. You hardly see an angry mob demanding a fair hanging of officials who rob the country’s resources.
So the problem really is that Filipinos put too much trust on personalities instead of their ideas. They put their trust on individuals who have famous names or associated with someone famous instead of their concrete plans for the future of the country. It’s quite ridiculous to simply trust a candidate who is running based on his family name.
The obvious solution is for voters to regard all those who are running for public office with a healthy dose of distrust. As another wise man once said, distrust and caution are the parents of security. After all, it is every citizen’s duty to guard our coffer’s guardians. This will help the public servants to stay grounded and remind them who they are working for. It is also part of every citizen’s duty to change public servants whenever they become dirty.
[Photo courtesy Yahoo! News.]
In life, things are not always what they seem.
Somebody once told me that our Filipino politicians are treated more like royalty. I say they are more like a royal pain in the ass. Look at the antics of HRH BS Aquino. His propaganda machinery is very predictable:
1. Repeat the BS lie that he will abolish the
pork. He is actually still for it. This is
very true when it comes to his own pork.
2. Repeat the lie that he has allies with the
Sovereign Filipino People as he appears to
look like an anti-graft and corruption
crusader. LOL!
3. Repeat the BS lie that Ms. JL Napoles
surrendered to him to make it look like
he is the hero of the hour. LOL!
4. Repeat the BS lie that Napoles is not being
given VIP treatment when she was given
temporary sanctuary and shelter in the
Malacanang Palace. LOL!
Name your own observations.
… have the Yellow news distract the gullible masses. like BS having a new love interest, or any other news that will surely make the “news junkie” crave for more. none of these news would be politically inclined of course.
… point an accusing finger to past administrations.
@Thomas
They do believe their own lies. Makapal talaga mukha.
agree…we the filipino voters are responsible for what is happening in our country. if we can only hold our leaders accountable for their actions!
I have lived in the Philippines for 2 years. I have noticed that many filipinos do nothing to improve their life. How come they accept the poor treatment they receive at NBI and NSO? Why do they tolerate inferior electrical service?
nakakalungkot pero ganoon nga mag-isip ang mga pilipino. pero hindi mo rin sila masisi kung ganon ang pagpili nila ng iboboto. hindi naman lahat ng bomoboto ay nakapagtapos ng kolehiyo o may magandang edukasyon.
paikot-ikot lang problema ng Pilipinas.
poor judgment voters-> wrong politicians -> nonsense projects-> no benefits and no progress (same quality of education for Filipinos) pag eleksyon na, mas dumami pa ang taong hindi marunong bomoto.
Sometimes I asked myself, do we (Filipinos) know how to ruled our own people? Are we the citizen who value authorities/law? Or matured enough to handle our own government? Compare to USA, Europe even Japan, China and other countries near to us their civilizations, cultures and traditions are still intact compare to Philippines. We came from a commonwealth government, martial law and “democratic government”, matagal pa bago magmatured ang Pilipinas (decisions, ideologies, principles etc.)
Those places are equally corrupt, but in a different way. It is so much more subtle, not done with impunity and the politician must wait until out of office to join the corporate world and reap the rewards of the policies imposed on the people, for the benefit of the banksters, while in office. Perfect example, TONY BLAIR was just hired for 2.5 Million pound sterling($4million dollars) to join J.P. Morgan Chase as a ‘Senior VP-Consultatant’ in the Firms London International Banking division. Pretty Sweet, HUH?
Equally corrupt but in a different way? I get it.
Really? You don’t sound to sure of it. It is not complicated AND IT IS SPELLED OUT FAIRLY CLEARLY.
Well, you more or less settled it by admitting the everybody is corrupt and they only vary on how they do it. That I get.
Philippines is in a hole too deep to get out of. The government keeps the poor people poor so they can manipulate them then get them to support them on elections. We need a major reset, maybe to the extent of joining the arab spring.
YES, it is the only way! but it will NEVER HAPPEN.
Someone said the other day that the people are pussies. If they just sit there and do nothing, then that is correct.
Joining the Arab spring? I don’t see any similarity. I also don’t think the gov’t. ‘keeps the poor people poor’ for election purposes. It’s a combination of several factors one of which is the people themselves make themselves poor by not thinking of the future. For example, if one is already poor, why have four or six children or more?
@LEB, I did not write the ‘joining the Arab spring remark’, but the guy MIGHT mean that rioting in the streets and behaving in similar ways as the people involved in the ‘Qrab spring’ is MAYBE what Dirch is getting at?
BTW, the gov’t. does keep the people poor. The excessive TAX on petrol is one example. Jeppney drivers starve if the price of gas goes up and there is also a ripple effect. Higher jeepney fairs mean less peso’s in the riders pockets to ffed their families with. Then there is the SPECULATION in th energy market that is keeping the electricity costs in the Philippines the world’s highest electricity prices. The BS artist Aquino says he can do nothing about it but he is full of shit, he could order the GOCC’s involved to lower the prices or he could lower the taxes on electricity(petroleum products too!). Or even subsidize rates for Filipino’s who can afford to use energy efficient appliances by giving rebates with proof of purchase at the local utility providers offices. They are making world record profits on the electricity running in the Philippines and the people are among the poorest in the world.
I could go on all day about how they are keeping poor people poor(and getting poorer) but MAYBE you get the picture? as I really do not feel obliged to paint all of these pictures for you as you should already know.
If I can sum up my interpretation of this in one sentence “it’s the people, stupid!” Just get the order right . Not that it would be extremely wrong either way .
The parliamentary form of government could be the best alternative for the Filipinos because it is faster than the presidential to change any incumbent officials who are found incompetent and corrupt through the “vote of confidence” by the members of the parliament.
It is not yet over for the Philippines. We must do our part to improve it.
These Filipino politicians will start to do their jobs properly if and when we:
1.Reform and revise the PDAF system to exclude
them from dipping their hands into treasury
cash. Remove also their perks and
privileges!
2. Return the rule of law and not of men. Try
the guilty and bring them to court!
3. Reform and strengthen COA and DBM! Bring in
strict COA and professional citizens
oversight!
4. Resurrect the co-independent and co-equal
branches of government and free them from
the control of the yellow dictator!
5. Make BS Aquino accountable for his huge
pork barrel and his being godfather of the
pork barrel in your pocket conspiracy.
6. Continue the mass rally of people against
the pork barrel. Increase the pressure and
show him who is the real boss!
7. Fall back to the options of civil
disobedience should all else fail!
i disagree with you in number 5. he is the executive and it is much different from the job of legislators. question: who will manage the budget if that happens?
@Xiann
BS Aquino has the biggest pork barrel in excess of ONE TRILLION PESOS. The money is not even audited or accounted for. That makes him the big time godfather of the pork barrel scam. BS has the power of the purse! He uses this to control the Legislature. He has even withheld the pork from the opposition. Just because they oppose him. The Department of Budget and Management releases money to BS at his mere say so. He may be from the Executive Branch but he controls the power of the purse and gets also a huge pork barrel! Absolute power corrupts absolutely!
The ‘idolisation’ reflects a subservience which has obviously served politicians well in the past as no one dared to question them, ( especially lynda jumilla!), and people followed, and still do, ‘false gods’ like lemmings, and then ended up being taken for a ride over a cliff, and then wanting to do it again. political masochists.
Lets hope we are starting to seeing a more challenging attitude.
Just to contrast in UK – look up Spitting Image on youtube ( lots of clips of best of… – award winning and very funny political satire programme on TV from 1984 – 1996)
The queen, the prime minister and all key figures. No one escaped and it played its part in changing political attitudes. No chance of idolisation!
IMHO, amend the Constitutional provision on suffrage as a privilege rather than a natural right. Meaning for an individual to vote aside from being a citizen that is proven worthy of this right either by educational attainment or something of a personal achievement worthy of that right. I cannot accept an educated voter would have the same power and voice as a dumb/idiot voter. Problem solved.
I know a Wharton grad who is hardcore Noynoy. So depressing .
that would be a huge waste of education money. oh wait, the senate and congress are filled with the same stuff. ugh.
Pnoy aquino should guest host ‘eat buluga’ – he will enjoy the perks – do they have male dancers
in so many words…in so many brillian minds…
the problem is in the perpetuation of controlled and manipulated media by the oligarchs!
The media is so influential because they are feeding the people with trash ideas and opinions. It is responsible for treating the politicians like celebrity!!!
Politician in the Philippines has no clue…gumagalaw sila in their own World…hindi nila minamahalaga o nakikita ang TAO…who put them where they are…walang utang na loob, walang pag papahalaga, walang hiya, magnanakaw kasi they compete with each other like ” keep up with the Jonses” especially the women law maker they act like peacocks…you see their smile only at parties but at work they all look stress out and consumed like they been run through the mill 10 times.
“Filipino politicians will start doing their jobs properly if the voters stopped treating them like celebrities”
—–
I’m not entirely sure how can ‘not treating politicians like celebrities’ will affect their job efficiency. So far, there is no proof showing that such and such senator or congressman who is treated like a celebrity performs poorly or not doing their job properly compared with their colleagues who are not treated the same.
Lol! “Proof”. For all your superficial eloquence it is quite obvious that you are in essence nothing but a chronic point-misser. Perhaps if you step up and think a bit you will see that these politicians are public servants and not the self-entitled saviours of the Filipino they style themselves to be. They should therefore be treated as such and expected to serve.
benign0 to the rescue again? Lol! But seriously, I agree those politicians are public servants and not self-entitled saviours of the people. But I’m sorry I really do not see the relevance of them being treated like celebrities vis-à-vis with them doing their job properly.
I maybe wrong but I really don’t get it.
You will NEVER get it!!!
@Leb
If there is anyone who needs rescuing here, it is you. Your previous responses on other threads were more of a cop-out.
Apology accepted. I do understand that some things, even simple ones are too complicated for some Pinoys to understand. 😉
Why don’t you try explaning why the same bozos keep getting voted into office even with their track record of non-performance?
Too bad then that you “really do not see the relevance of them being treated like celebrities vis-à-vis with them doing their job properly.” That’s YOUR loss. 😀
If my responses were copouts, whatever that is, you should, at least, have the decency to confront me about it and point out why you think they’re copouts than put me under your radar and act like a predator.
Guys, you know what’s sad, my simple inquiry was completely forgotten and what was given attention was to focus on me. My post is there you can dispute or enlighten me if you think I need it. I don’t have a problem with people correcting me if I’m wrong.
Lastly, can’t we be friends while we argue at the same time? I have not bad mouthed anyone who disagrees with me, how come I do not get the same treatment?
How can we have the credibility to criticize others when we cannot even conduct ourselves civilly on this board?
Oh wow…somebody’s playing the “victim” card. Please review your own comments and check how unfriendly they were. FYI, some of us don’t have time to respond to every comment especially if it has gone too far off topic.
Why don’t you look up the meaning of the word cop-out? I’m sure you are more than capable of doing that.
Try not to worry about our credibility because it only matters to credentialists and Aquino supporters.
Now, enough about yourself and stick to the topic.
Tsk tsk, you aren’t trying to play the victim card, are you now, Leb?
And exactly who’s badmouthing you here? All people have done here, as far as can be seen, was to answer your “inquiry” and to you that is already “badmouthing” or “being treated uncivilly”?
All you keep saying is either “you don’t get it” or “you do not agree” yet you do not explicitly or exhaustively explain in definite terms WHY you do not agree or WHY you don’t get it.
If even THAT you can’t understand, well…that is YOUR loss, indeed 😀
Why don’t you try explaning why the same bozos keep getting voted into office even with their track record of non-performance?
——-
I can explain it but I’d rather not because me explaining is not important. What’s important is like you, I also have the same experience, observation and take on those bozos. I questioned the running and being elected to office by the Revillas, from the father to son. Same with the Estradas. The likes of Enrile, Gloria Arroyo, Miriam D. and others, I questioned their never ending tenure and seeing nothing new. I expressed indignation in Noynoy running with scant credentials compared with other seasoned and better candidates.
I did everything in so far as opposing those things I disagree with but the trend still continuous. I’m tempted to blame the people for it and for a short while I did. Eventually, I realize that the people is only one of the components that make the cycle of failures possible.
Now, instead of just criticizing in wild abandon I prefer to look and listen to suggestions, options and steps that will help curve the trend.
@Leb
Now that is a classic cop-out.
The voters deserve the government they elect. Unfortunately, their decisions affect everyone else in the country. It’s that simple.
Some of us were privileged enough to witness how arrogant some Filipinos can get especially in the lead up to the 2010 Presidential election and the recently concluded 2013 mid-term election. Instead of listening to reason, they just dismiss us as being “pro-Arroyo”, “anti-Noynoy” and worse, “bayaran”.
You see it’s not just the uneducated voters who insisted that Noynoy was THE ONE. Even Filipinos with PhDs, master’s degrees, law degrees and whatever higher certificate they achieved insisted that Noynoy is the only person who can save the nation. So there. The voters are to blame for why the country is being run by incompetent leaders.
You do what you think is best for you and allow the rest of us to do what we do best.
Ta-Ta!
The only person who can accuse me of playing a victim is one who, in his/her conscience believes and is convince that I’m his/her prey.
Duh…your statement doesn’t make any sense at all. You came here on your own. No one forced you to comment on this site.
Some of us were privileged enough to witness how arrogant some Filipinos can get especially in the lead up to the 2010 Presidential election and the recently concluded 2013 mid-term election. Instead of listening to reason, they just dismiss us as being “pro-Arroyo”, “anti-Noynoy” and worse, “bayaran”. – Ilda
=====
I’m sorry to hear that from you and I didn’t mean to remind you of that sad experience you had in my posts.
‘The voters are to blame for why the country is being run by incompetent leaders.’ – Ilda
=====
That would mean including you. But of course that is not what you are saying because saying simply the voters are to blame is just ignoring the whole picture. Like I said, there are many components why the cycle keeps on happening.
Why confine the blame to voters when what they are voting for are the educated and intelligent people in society the likes of Enrile, Miriam, Ramos, Gloria Arroyo, Cayetano, Osmena, Marcos, Drilon, Angara, Gordon, etc.
Imagine that, voting for the crème dela crème in our society and still they get to be blamed? Alone?
Well, they also voted for the creepy ones like the Revillas, Noli De Castro, De Venecia, the Estradas, the Aquinos (mother and son), Jaworski, Joker, Villar, Legarda, etc.
If these people fouls up, why point the finger only to the voters? They’ve already pick the cream of the crop, so to speak, and it still their fault. What more they can do to ensure success?
You think if the voters knew that they can change the future of this country overnight by voting the way you want them to vote and they do it there would be a turn around?
What’s needed are new ideas and thinking as to how we can correct the cycle of errors not only by the voters but also those being voted into office.
And I tell you, it is not easy to do. But eventually there will be people who will spearhead the promotion of new ideas towards resolving the nagging problems of the country.
@Leb: Dude. Participating in a democracy does not end with voting during the elections. It includes everything beyond that.. keeping on top of your politicians’ performance over the duration of their term, monitoring their achievements with respect to their campaign promises, and evaluating their eligibility for reelection on the basis of that evaluation.
Are Pinoys capable of that sort of rigour? I don’t think so. You cannot expect that of a people who have so far exhibited a dismal track record of seizing control over their own future fortunes much less taking care of what little they have left AT PRESENT.
No matter which way you see it, all roads of accountability lead back to the voters. If voters do not penalise or reward their politicians on the bases of their performance at the ballot, the idiocracy persists. Why do crooks keep getting re-elected election in and election out? Perhaps it is because Filipinos themselves and as a whole have a deeply-ingrained culture of crime as I have written long ago here. Which brings us back to that clearly evident TRUTH about Da Pinoy government — that its quality ans ethical bearings merely reflect those of the people it governs. Like people like government, and like government like people….
There is no escaping the cultural dysfunction residing at the very fibres that weave the very fabric of Pinoy society. No amount of political solutions will change that unfathomably profound flaw in the collective character of Da Pinoy. The change must emanate organically from a profound change — a social mutation — at the very DNA of Pinoy society: it’s culture.
In short, dude, read this and weep: There is NO escaping the TRUTH about Pinoys. 😀
@Leb
The “voters” refer to the majority of voters who put the same bozos back in public office. Of course it doesn’t include the minority of voters who vote for more qualified candidates.
At the risk of receiving another cop-out response from you, please explain what you mean by that statement. What are those components? Thanks in advance.
Pinoys think that their duty ends on Election Day but it’s only the beginning. The democratic process starts on Election Day. Ideally, the voters should choose someone who has a concrete platform. If their candidate wins, they need to to hold on to his platform and monitor it closely. If the public servant is not being true to his promises during his campaign, the people need to call his attention to it. If his performance during his term is unsatisfactory, then he or any of his party mates shouldn’t be voted into office again. The voters can use their power in the next election to change the country’s leaders.
The problem with most Filipinos is that they assume the politicians will do their jobs so they don’t bother to monitor their performances. It’s quite baffling,really considering the politicians have no track record of being honest in the past. BS Aquino is no exception.
The citizens must hold their politicians accountable at all times. They have to be on guard. Unfortunately, criticising the public servants is still an alien concept to a lot of Filipinos because raising issues, which they equate with complaining is frowned upon. Filipinos think that we should all be happy no matter what circumstances we are in, which is wrong.
Unfortunately, I don’t think you will recognise a good idea even if it hit you in the face. You refuse to accept that majority of Filipinos are ultimately to blame for why the country is poor. You just keep trying to find a reason to absolve Filipinos from blame.
Ilda – The “voters” refer to the majority of voters who put the same bozos back in public office. Of course it doesn’t include the minority of voters who vote for more qualified candidates.
=====
But that is what election is all about, the majority gets to elect the winner. If a country is poor like ours, majority of the voters will be poor and it has consequence in the turnout and how they vote. The same way if the country is rich. And there lies the problem. It is always the majority who should be blame because they get to decide. I agree. But that is only half of the story and harping on that side alone will not make our effort genuine and realistic. Why get stuck on that half-baked theory? Why not tackle the whole scope of the problem to make a difference, a new difference?
Ilda – At the risk of receiving another cop-out response from you, please explain what you mean by that statement. What are those components? Thanks in advance.
=====
With pleasure. To be concise and simple:
1. Voters (age, education, economic status, ethnicity/region, etc.)
2. Candidates (age, experience or lack of it, economic status, ethnicity, party interest, etc.)
3. Electoral System (unlike in the U.S.’ electoral college, we have a direct voting system, hence, popularity weighs a lot; nepotism/dynasty)
4. Religious groups (i.e. Catholic, INK, etc.)
In the above, why just blame no. 1? Candidates who gets elected has enormous responsibilities to the voting public to prove that his competence. If he messed up, because he/she was corrupt why would it be the voters’ fault? Didn’t the voting public expressed rage and hatred with Estrada and Gloria Arroyo when they found out their shenanigans?
Not to say it’s to be blamed entirely but we also need to review our system in electing people into office. Right now, it’s a popularity contest, therefore, the more popular candidates will have the edge. That’s what it is. There are those who proposes a parliamentary kind of gov’t. to rid of the election system based on popularity and I say go for it. It make sense. Then there’s the nepotism and dynasty issue that has become prevalent in recent years. That and the fact that ordinary candidates are no match to the rich and moneyed political families.
I’m not going to talk anymore about the Catholic and other religious groups whose influence and role in politics is very obvious.
So you see, we’re not really holding opposite view about the matter it’s just that there are certain components that you seem to overlooke, maybe out of desperation, to the never-ending cycle of people occupying position they do not deserve.
@Leb
Okay, you just confirmed that you’re a time waster. You agree that majority of the voters are to blame but you went on to write a long list of why they shouldn’t be blamed. You didn’t even bother to explain some of your points.
So? What about it? Even educated voters elect unqualified candidates. Some of them, those who work in media even help feed the masa with propaganda. Like I said earlier, it’s not just the uneducated voters who insisted that Noynoy was THE ONE. Even Filipinos with PhDs, master’s degrees, law degrees and whatever higher certificate they achieved insisted that Noynoy is the only person who can save the nation. So there.
Again, so what’s your point?
Duh? Even with their kind of system, someone like George W Bush still got voted into office. Fortunately for American voters, they learn from their mistakes unlike Filipino voters.
Once again, what’s your point? Are you saying members of the Church cannot be accountable for who they elect?
Yes, the candidates have responsibilities. Unfortunately, they get voted into office even if they are unqualified and they do not feel the need to perform because they are treated like celebrities no matter what they do. Worse, they get elected again and again and even their relatives get voted into office just for being a relative.
Now you have entered into a convoluted and complicated issue. First, Cory Aquino was one of those who led the so-called “people power revolution” that resulted in Estrada’s ouster. Later on, she famously apologised for her role in helping oust him. The minute she said “sorry” for ousting him, the event became a joke.
The fact that Estrada almost won again in 2010 Presidential Election and his win as Manila Mayor in May 2013 election proved that the people power revolution that ousted him did not include the millions of voters who still support him. His win sort of nullified his ouster. The point is, the outrage you are talking about could be just from Cory Aquino’s followers.
Second, the people power revolt against Gloria Arroyo failed. It was probably because 1) Cory’s apology to Erap dampened future people power revolts; 2) Not enough people expressed their outrage because majority are apathetic and indifferent to the issues;
The bottom line is, there are less and less Filipinos who feel outraged by the actions of their public servants. It seems they don’t care anymore. They’d rather watch the latest sex videos involving celebrities than discuss the country’s problems.
BTW, I have not overlooked anything. You need to read more of the old articles here because some of the points were already discussed before.
Ilda – Okay, you just confirmed that you’re a time waster.
==========
What a way to start a conversation. Anyway, let me just address certain parts of what you said.
You agree that majority of the voters are to blame but you went on to write a long list of why they shouldn’t be blamed. You didn’t even bother to explain some of your points.
==========
I agree with you that voters are to be blame, but unlike you, I mentioned others that in my opinion are equally responsible. Nowhere in my post did I say the majority should not be blamed. I even wrote this line:
“It is always the majority who should be blame because they get to decide. I agree.”
With regard to explanation, I was very clear when I said I’m going to be ‘concise and simple’ in my response regarding the other components. And I said that because, frankly, nothing in what I said was even new or original. It has already been repeatedly said in the past by other people. I only did that because you asked me and also to show that you seemed to have forgotten those other components
So? What about it? Even educated voters elect unqualified candidates. Some of them, those who work in media even help feed the masa with propaganda. Like I said earlier, it’s not just the uneducated voters who insisted that Noynoy was THE ONE. Even Filipinos with PhDs, master’s degrees, law degrees and whatever higher certificate they achieved insisted that Noynoy is the only person who can save the nation. So there.
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What you just mentioned is what people defending the voters in general and the pro-Noynoy in particular usually says. And I’m not going to disagree with you on that.
Duh? Even with their kind of system, someone like George W Bush still got voted into office. Fortunately for American voters, they learn from their mistakes unlike Filipino voters.
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That’s true, someone like Bush got voted into office. What is not true was the American learned from their mistakes. He got voted twice! And the Americans are not actually the prime example of how one should vote because most of them don’t even bother to vote. That and those bozos they elected and continue to elect into office in the past and in the present can attest to that. Besides, the US has its own problems regarding election issues.
Once again, what’s your point? Are you saying members of the Church cannot be accountable for who they elect?
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What I’m saying is that, unlike you, you failed to include the influential religious groups who meddle in politics. Why didn’t you seem to notice how certain religious groups vote in blocks on crooked candidates over and over again? Certain religious/faith groups voting for their pastor, leader or what have you who take advantage of automatic/captured voters delivered by its membership.
Yes, the candidates have responsibilities. Unfortunately, they get voted into office even if they are unqualified and they do not feel the need to perform because they are treated like celebrities no matter what they do.
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With regard to qualification issue, that is rough between the edges. The Constitution provides for qualification for certain offices. The Comelec screens and check on candidates’ qualification to sort out the nuisance ones. So who are to say who is qualified or not when the candidates already hurdled the requirements? Actually, the ‘qualification’ issue can effectively brought up by the candidates running against the unqualified ones during campaign time. Having done that, it would be now up to the voters to weigh-in if the candidate is really not qualified based on the opposing candidate’s proof.
@Leb
Can you please stop mixing other people’s comments with yours? You’re muddling things up. It’s so boring to read your responses this way. I’ve got better things to do than sift through someone else’s comments.
I failed? LOL…I’ve written about that issue so many times. Like I said earlier, you need to catch up on reading GRP articles. There’s more where they came from. 😉
Here are some excerpts from one of my previous articles about Philippine elections:
Some of the lessons I learned during the 2010 election that could help us in the 2016 Presidential election:
1. Campaign platforms
No one comes up with a credible platform during elections because voters don’t care about platforms. They cared about Noynoy’s love life and what he does in his spare time.
Voters were also smitten with the “Aquino Legacy” and are convinced that Noynoy will continue whatever it is they think that Ninoy or Cory could have achieved but for whatever reason did not. The voters don’t even have a clue what a platform is. You have to wonder now how they plan to evaluate how Noynoy sticks to his campaign promises during his term of office.
Lesson learned: Most Filipino voters are star-struck ignoramuses. If you want to run for the presidency in 2016, get an image makeover or try to appear “good” and “humble”.
2. Surveys and Polling firms
Some Filipinos were dumb enough to think that if a candidate is popular, it means that he should be voted in as president. The fact of the matter is, candidates with a lot funds can hire polling firms and publish reports when it is favorable to them. It was also reported that polling firms conducting the surveys in 2010 were closely linked to the presidential candidate leading the polls. Likewise, despite the number of candidates allowed to run, people were actually just choosing between two candidates.
Lesson learned: Next election, call for more transparency around poll survey questionnaires; clamor for more polling firms to conduct surveys and be vigilant and critical of Media’s interpretation of the poll results.
3. Media Bias
Noynoy Aquino was given more exposure by prominent media outlets like thePhilippine Daily Inquirer during the campaign period. It didn’t matter how trivial the news was; Noynoy Aquino was always on the front page. Broadcast networks such as ABS-CBN also helped expose Noynoy to the masa through shows that flagged the “Aquino Legacy”.
Lesson learned: Media outlets owned and operated by members of the Philippine oligarchy will give more exposure to whoever presidential candidate offers concessions they can benefit from.
4. Religious endorsements
A week before Election Day, the leader of Iglesia ni Cristo announced that they will be endorsing presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino. It has been said that this religious group actually wait for the last minute before announcing their endorsement because they want to ensure that whoever they endorse actually wins — presumably with the aim of making a few deals with the president once in office. It was also said that Noynoy’s party was secretly courting that leader’s guarantee that the INC votes will be in their favor.
Lesson learned: The endorsement of religious leaders depends on which candidate is popular; religious leaders can make or break a presidential aspirant; Filipinos will vote for whoever their religious leaders instruct them to vote for.
5. Election Day thugs and vote buying
It seems that all of the above exercise with the possible exception of item number four will have no bearing on Election Day to the majority of voters because of the presence of thugs in the polling stations. As previously mentioned, police and military personnel who have no business being in polling stations and who are under the payroll of candidates, hang around to intimidate voters. If the Police and the military themselves are involved in this illegal behavior, to whom can the voters report the irregularity to?
The illegal activity called vote buying involves the buyer and the seller. They both are accountable for their actions. In this case, both parties won’t be willing to report each other because they both benefit from the activity. Unfortunately, the voter who sells his vote will only benefit in the short term.
Lesson learned: As long as irregularities like this happens on Election Day, any efforts at educating the voters will just go down the drain.
6. Automated Machines
It turns out that automated machines are not foolproof. Reports abound of machines malfunctioning, machines found kept in someone’s shed, the discrepancies in time lapsed, and allegations of malicious software installed in the machine itself.
Lesson learned: Filipinos cannot be trusted with both manual and automated election. Filipinos are very resourceful at finding a way to cheat.
Lastly, here is the bottom-line: Filipinos are ultimately to blame for allowing fraudulent activities to happen. Politicians will keep trying to get away with cheating but it is up to us to decide if we will let them.
Mr Leb, you and I are not on the same page at all. You’re talking about basic qualifications while I was talking about skills and competency levels. You can probably run for office yourself if you’re of legal age but the question is, do you have the skills and are you competent enough to do the job? Lito Lapid , Bong Bong Revilla and Manny Pacquiao probably met the basic criteria but didn’t have the skills and experience to run for public office. They all won because voters love putting celebrities in office.
It doesn’t really matter if Comelec allowed them to run, the point is the voters elected them.
First of all, you’re the one who brought the US situation into the discussion. Now you are saying “the US has its own problem…” This is why I think you’re just a time waster. You can’t seem to make up your mind about what you want to include in the discussion.
Second, even if Bush got elected twice, the voters replaced the Republican Party after his term was over. Besides, in some countries like the US, the other branches of government can function independently from the executive branch. Furthermore, major institutions like rule of law are considered sacred and must be followed, which means that the checks and balances in society still work unlike in the Philippines where Filipinos make a mockery of the law.
Anyway, it still boils down to the voters. Even when a person was forced to vote for an incompetent person by his church leader, he is still accountable for his action.
Ilda – Can you please stop mixing other people’s comments with yours? You’re muddling things up. It’s so boring to read your responses this way. I’ve got better things to do than sift through someone else’s comments.
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Sorry, me too, I’m dizzy with how I arrange my post. I would appreciate it if you can tell me how you do it. Help.
benign0 – Dude. Participating in a democracy does not end with voting during the elections
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Nobody is saying that democratic process ends on election day but we have to admit there are phases in our democratic life that we should abide with. True, we need to keep an eye on the performance of those who we vote into office or evaluate them in accordance with their eligibility and qualification. But again, that does not tell the whole and true story. You’re just talking of one component or factor that makes the problem possible. (Kindly refer to my response to Ilda’s).
What you’re doing is putting everything on the shoulder of voters and exempting others (political individuals, groups, religious and other institutions). To me, that’s unacceptable. That’s a short-cut and it wouldn’t cut.
It’s also misleading because such theory gives an impression that if the voters turnaround from their wrongful ways and do the opposite (which Ilda enumerated in her post) things will get better, everyone will be satisfied and problem is solved. That is simply not true.
benign0 – Why do crooks keep getting re-elected election in and election out?
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Because they keep on running, they have the moolah to run and they’re the only one that runs. Look, how long have we had the likes of the Loren Legarda, Joker Arroyo, Miriam Defensor, Enrile, Sotto, Lapid, Aquinos, Revillas, Marcoses, Binays, Estradas, etc.? That is what the system provides for the voters. That is what’s being fed to the public. There are good guys that also run, I’ll admit, but they don’t win! They will never win unless they submit and adapt themselves to the ways and tradition of the prevailing condition that the electoral system delivers. They cannot win because the rules are stack against them. They will never win because there is a long standing tradition in our electoral system that only the popular and powerful gets to play the game and win.
That is what the voters is subjected to. Of course, you will blame them but, given that unfortunate reality, is it fair? Are you just and objective in pointing a finger to one whose option are pretty much controlled and confined within what the system provides? Within what the powerful and the influential dictates to them?
You can allege, condemn and accused all you want, and pretty much that’s the easiest thing to do, but you have to admit that the voters will not save us from something that is thrust and forced on them. It will take all of us to undo what has been wrongfully done. And I doubt if we can see that in our lifetime.
Crooks keep winning because “they keep on running”. That’s a circular argument if I ever saw one. They run because they can KNOW they can win because voters WILL be stupid enough to vote for them AGAIN.
In a democracy, all roads ultimately lead to the voters. They get the government they deserve.
“In a democracy, all roads ultimately lead to the voters. They get the government they deserve.”
True but not if the elections are rigged. hehe just a conspiracy theory
Even if the tendency of the average Filipino voter is to vote for the most popular candidate or the “sure thing,” there is some evidence to suggest Penoy and his cohorts are willing to resort to cheating to lock down their victory.
http://www.tandem.org.ph/Automated%20Election%20Problems%202013%20-%20CenPEG%20with%20Biliran%20Case.pdf
sorry. pero pwede makikisawsaw? 🙂
public officials were elected to serve people. expected to do their jobs. like benign0 cited in his article “Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times.. blah blah”
kaya nga sila na-elect, kaya nga sila nanjan at ang gobyerno para alagaan ang kanilang mga mamamayan.
bakit all blame lang sa mga voters? mahirap ayusin o disiplinahin ang majority (voters) it is a large group that you can’t control. Ganon na pamumuhay ng nakakaraming pilipino. Ang pwede na lang mag-ayos ay ang gobyerno. Pero gobyerno ugat ng problema. obligasyon at trabaho nila yun. Bat hindi nila ayusin. Not the other way around.
Last resort na sana ang Gobyerno para disiplinahin ang mga Pilipino pero sila pa yung mga walang disiplina.
they under-perform on purpose. to make you think you need them. to do as little as possible and collect as much as possible for themselves. and every other eason you can possibly think of to do nothing for the avg. citizen. better pay your taxes too!
AND those machines are definitely rigged. OMG, get a clue. The people who made them know how to rig them and the highest bidder, well guess what he gets?
They do not have to perform. The same faces are always elected and the same faces always steal.
To appease the public’s anger the government will rush through Freedom of Information and abolish pork. Of course this is the Philippines and both of the above will achieve and mean nothing.
Fast forward 5 years the same faces will still be running the show, same drama being played out on tv. All the politicians will still be stealing and blaming everyone else. Rampant corruption and poverty will still be the norm and the Chinese will still be camped out in the Spratly Islands.
Some things never change.
Sir, You are one of two or three others here that actually see what is going on in the Republic of the Philippines. Perhaps it is because others are to close to the problem (to comprehend what you and the two or three others always seem to suggest in one way or another), or are actually too dumb to realize it. Any way that anyone cares to argue about it, what you just stated is absolutely correct. I would even go so far as to say that unless something completely serious and decisive is done, and seen through to its most likely nasty-ass conclusion any change will probably have to take, NOTHING WILL CHANGE and the same dismal, yet somehow entertaining, reality of life-long poverty will be going on for generations to come. Which really sux for the average Filipino because they virtually have no chance, none what-so-ever, to prosper.
Hi Bjorn agree with you. Nothing will change unless the people wake up and take serious action.
What is the solution to the problem is the answer not pointing finger to the voter or administration.
1. They must approve the Freedom of Information Bill. The bill started 14th, 15th and now 16th Congress it just gathering dust in the Senate and President desk. Why?
FOI Bill is the weapon of the people to monitor where the money of the Government is used.
2. They must put back death penalty for Capital Punishment. They will think twice before they will commit crime. China and Middle East countries kill our citizen if they found guilty of crime. Eye for an Eye.
This will surely minimize corruption.
Ilda – Lastly, here is the bottom-line: Filipinos are ultimately to blame for allowing fraudulent activities to happen. Politicians will keep trying to get away with cheating but it is up to us to decide if we will let them.
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Allowing fraudulent activities to happen? Last thing I remember we still have law enforcement agencies which includes the NBI, PNP, AFP and the courts of law that hear and tries cases, be it criminal or civil ones. These offices have their respective mandate that deals primarily with the protection of the country. They are part and parcel of the gov’t. that the people supported and established. We have offices and departments that act as safeguards and protector of the national interest.
Erap was tried in an impeachment court and this was welcomed by the people. In fact, the over-zealousness of the people to convict him led to his ouster. Are we to blame the people for that? After his ouster and subsequent conviction, did he serve the full sentence? Was he disqualified forever to run for office? Who allowed him to run again and served a miniscule of his sentence? The people?
Same thing with Gloria Arroyo. Lots of allegations against her but up to now nothing. Why the delay? Are the people responsible for that?
The people want the Marcoses, specifically Imelda, to be convicted of corruption but that didn’t happen. Do we blame them for it?
Ilda – Mr Leb, you and I are not on the same page at all. You’re talking about basic qualifications while I was talking about skills and competency levels. You can probably run for office yourself if you’re of legal age but the question is, do you have the skills and are you competent enough to do the job? Lito Lapid , Bong Bong Revilla and Manny Pacquiao probably met the basic criteria but didn’t have the skills and experience to run for public office. They all won because voters love putting celebrities in office.
It doesn’t really matter if Comelec allowed them to run, the point is the voters elected them.
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Skills and competency level? I’m with you on that but nobody is being disqualified for lack of it. That’s the problem. Aspiring candidates are not being weeded out on the basis of who has the necessary skill and competency to occupy a public position. Whether you like or not, the criteria for running in a public office is not really that hard to comply with, hence, we have the rich and famous and the influential candidates lording it over everybody. And you blame the people for that? They didn’t make the rules, it’s in our laws.
Ilda – First of all, you’re the one who brought the US situation into the discussion. Now you are saying “the US has its own problem…” This is why I think you’re just a time waster. You can’t seem to make up your mind about what you want to include in the discussion.
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I mentioned in passing the kind of system the US has compared with ours. I did not “bring US situation” in the discussion. Here, let me show you what I actually said.
“3. Electoral System (unlike in the U.S.’ electoral college, we have a direct voting system, hence, popularity weighs a lot;”
That’s it. It was you who expounded on it by talking about Bush and how the Americans learned their lesson.
Ilda – Anyway, it still boils down to the voters. Even when a person was forced to vote for an incompetent person by his church leader, he is still accountable for his action.
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I disagree. If one is forced or bribed to vote the person doing the forcing or bribing should be held principally accountable. You must punish the author or the mastermind of the wrongdoing and not the person who was influenced and controlled to commit the wrongdoing.
Blaming just the voters is a short-cut and easy way out. Like I said and you even admitted that the voters are not the only culprit in this case. So why then do you conveniently ignore the role and participation of other people and institutions, those who are powerful and influential on how the way we conduct our elections?
Just asking.
@Leb
Sorry but like I said earlier, I do not have time to waste on a convoluted comment. Please organize your thoughts properly next time. You don’t really have to include my comments if you do not know how to use html codes. Make your responses simple and relevant to the topic. Another reason your comments become convoluted is you try so hard to defend the indefensible.
The voters are ultimately to blame because a true patriot will not sell his vote for a few hundred bucks or exchange it for a sack of rice. A true patriot will not let his church leader bully him into voting for someone he doesn’t like. A true patriot would rather die than be bullied by thugs. A true patriot will not vote for celebrities or someone who is not competent for the job. A true patriot will monitor the performance of the public servants he voted into office and voice his dissatisfaction if needed. Come to think of it, I am more of a patriot compared to some people who say they are one because I voice my opinions about incompetent Filipino public servants no matter what my friends or other people think of me.
I did not “conveniently ignore” the participation of other people and institutions. I’ve discussed their roles in the sham so many times in the past but ultimately, the buck stops with the voters. If they are too afraid or lazy to stand up to the elements that stand in the way of true democracy, then it is still their fault. The voters have the power to put public servants into office and they also have the power to get rid of erring public servants. They just need to be united in their goal and how to achieve it.
It’s time to move on to another topic. You’re just going around in circles anyway. You can read my article again or some of the previous ones if you are not yet convinced.
Goodbye!
Ilda – The voters are ultimately to blame…..
And that’s the problem with that theory. It makes it easy to solve what ails the country because all we have to do is change the voters and, presto, we’re good.
Corruption will cease to exist if the voters will not vote the corrupt ones. That’s the ideal scenario. But who is to say who the corrupt ones are? There was no label on their forehead to forewarn the voters of an impending raid on the public coffers? Those who have pending corruption cases or charge/convicted of corruption are prohibited to run like what happened to Erap.
Besides, if an official is found out to be corrupt, the theory above, in essence, exculpate them from any crime because it’s the voters fault that they won and elected in office. I don’t think anybody who knows simple logic will submit to that kind of theory.
Ilda – “…a true patriot will not sell his vote for a few hundred bucks or exchange it for a sack of rice.”
Leb – But what is patriotism to one who are unable eat three times a day? Those who enjoys the comfort of being employed and routinely gets paychecks would understand the real meaning and essence of patriotism. Not the poor and indigent ones. They’d rather think of their survival first than be dead patriots.
Ilda – “A true patriot will not let his church leader bully him into voting for someone he doesn’t like.”
Leb – True, but you’ll burn in hell if you do. Religious people tend to give more weight on their religious responsibility to their leaders/church or congregation than to join non-members in waving the flag of patriotism.
You’re an Iglesia ni Cristo and you do not like Loren Legarda or JV Ejercito, two candidates that your Church just endorsed? Will you cross the INC leadership? There goes one excommunicated patriot.
Ilda – “A true patriot will not vote for celebrities or someone who is not competent for the job.”
Leb – Says who? The opponent of Vilma Santos? Well, they’re wrong because, according to reports, Vilma is doing good in Batangas. Fred Lim? Well, Erap has a built-in voters he can defend on all the time. I mean, seriously, who will the voters listen to when it comes to competency in the job when everybody, from Cory Aquino, to Gloria Aroyo and back to Noynoy Aquino have enlisted in their party and endorsed celebrities each and every election period?
Ilda – “Come to think of it, I am more of a patriot compared to some people who say they are one because I voice my opinions about incompetent Filipino public servants no matter what my friends or other people think of me.
Leb – I believed you Ilda when you say you are a patriot but I don’t think that has relevance on the issue of this article. Not all people who voiced their opinion against incompetency are a patriot. Voicing one’s opinion is not a barometer of whether one is a patriot or not.
Ilda – “I did not “conveniently ignore” the participation of other people and institutions. I’ve discussed their roles in the sham so many times in the past but ultimately, the buck stops with the voters.”
Leb – The buck stops with the voters, hence it’s the fault of the voters. That’s a cop-out. Blaming the voters alone is an easy way out which is not really realistic.
Ilda – “The voters have the power to put public servants into office and they also have the power to get rid of erring public servants. They just need to be united in their goal and how to achieve it.
Leb – I agree. The voters put Erap into Office and they got rid of him, eventually. The same thing happened to Gloria Arroyo although she was lucky because she was able to hang on until her term expires. Other candidates too, like Fred Lim, he was ousted by the people and elected Erap (What a way to demonstrate the power of the people!). They put PNoy to office and, at a proper time, they can get rid of him too.
While we’re at it, let’s just remind ourselves that the people have representatives. Those whom they elect, in essence, represents them. Hence, we can also say that the people ousted Supreme Court chief justice Renato Corona. And now, the people are waiting for this Napoles case to start and find out who will get their comeuppance.
Ilda – “It’s time to move on to another topic.”
Leb – I agree.
@Leb
Oh my…you just wrote a bunch of silly excuses for why the voters should not be blamed for voting incompetent public servants. THE BUCK STOPS WITH THE VOTERS, indeed. It doesn’t matter if they get threatened by thugs or excommunication from their church. The bottom line is, they chose to be bullied or sell their votes to the highest bidder. NO EXCUSES necessary, Mr Leb. You come across as a hypocrite when you try to justify why Filipinos vote for the same people from the same breed OVER and OVER, decade after decade.
Just like what I said in one of my previous articles, why do Filipinos never learn? It’s because Filipinos are addicted to instant gratification. Instant gratification describes the short-term satisfaction gained from impulsive behavior. The credit card, for example, is a tool of instant gratification. Instead of saving money to buy what people need, people use a credit card to purchase goods or services now and then suffer the repayments plus interest later on. Filipino politicians in effect, give voters credit for their votes by way of offering freebees during campaign period and once they are in office, politicians feel that they are entitled to the privileges of their positions. So, it’s not just the politicians who are the culprits here, it is also the voters who have very LITTLE SCRUPLES because they can be bought.
You’re just trying so hard to defend Filipino dysfunctional culture. And by the way, like I said earlier, it is not just the poor and uneducated people who keep voting for incompetent leaders. Noynoy’s campaign was run by so-called highly educated people. You can also consider the emotional high some voters got from campaigning and voting for Noynoy a form of instant gratification. They were irrational because they felt good about voting for an Aquino for the simple reason that he reminds people of Ninoy and Cory. That’s what you call loser mentality.
Obviously, you still don’t know what a cop out means. You should look it up already. You conveniently ignored my previous responses to you explaining in detail the other factors that contribute to the election scam. Having explained it all to you, the voters are still ultimately to blame for the existence of incompetent public servants.
You’re just saying the same things over and over, Mr Leb. If you do not have anything new to say, your next comments will be considered spam and go to the spam folder.
I’ve got my mouse pointer on the Spam button… 😀
LOL 😉
Diosko Day…paulit-ulit lang talaga.
The buck stops here (Voters)
Meaning: Responsibility is not passed on beyond this point.
Pass the buck (to everyone else except the voters)
Meaning: To blame someone or to make them responsible for a problem that you (voter) should deal with yourself.
I guess someone in this forum is passing the buck to everyone and everything else for what should be the voters’ responsilbity.
That was what I thought about the Leb character, after reading his comments. He does not have a clear cut vision in his mind what he wants to point out in an article. Just like what Miyagi-san said, “You stay on left side of road, you alive, you stay on right side, still you alive, stay on the middle, you die.”
Or maybe, he is just here to ruffle some feathers.
I totally agree with you Ilda. We are what we choose to become. This will stop if our minds and will, will not be corrupted by such behavior. A voter is bought not only because he accepted a bribe, but also because he chose to be blind voting for the ones with popular names or the ones coming from a political dynasty.
The government should not spare efforts to weed out the corrupt in government. It appears in so many instances that the PCIJ is more resourceful and more aggressive than the Ombudsman and even compared to the NBI and more in comparison to the PNP in uncovering the truth about anomalies like this report regarding the lavish lifestyle of so many BIR personnels. Why is this so? Is it legally possible for the Ombudsman and the DOJ and the PNP to farm out their duties to the PCIJ for better and more effective public service? The drawdown however is the very slow pace of our justice system and the unresolved allegation of fixers like Maam Arlene influencing a lot of our judges in their decision making. Can we also pass a law that will allow private sub contracting of our judges’s duties(tongue in cheek)??? But has any council in the barangay, municipality, city, province, or any grouping of elected government officials like the ABC, PCL, Mayor’s or Vice Mayor’s League, Governor’s League has passed a resolution supporting the anti corruption drive of this government? We in Sta. Josefa Agusan del Sur are proud that we have passed just recently that resolution not just for the President but for the entire Filipino people as anti corruption program is beyond partisan political considerations and should outlive any administration. Modesty aside, I was the author!!!