So according to the latest Pulse Asia “survey”, “three out of five” Filipinos reportedly believe pork barrel funds are routinely misused — even under Mr Daang Matuwid himself, President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III.
This just illustrates the fundamental issue with Filipinos.
Problems — and their obvious solutions — stare Filipinos in their faces year in and year out and everyday in between. Yet there is hardly any evidence that Filipinos possess the will to lift a finger to face off with these problems intelligently. Walk down a street in sidewalk-vendor-choked Baclaran and you will only wonder about the piles of garbage everywhere that everyone else around you seems oblivious to. And you wonder, between you and all the rest around you, who the normal ones really are. Or take the unchanging traffic situation in EDSA. It is worsening, but the problem behind that worsening is the one I refer to as unchanging — the manner with which buses clamber over one another across several lanes to load and unload passengers at key junctions across this vital and iconic land artery. Don’t even get us started on Manila’s floods and its many obvious causes. The way Filipinos happily shit on their own backyard then rant and gnash their teeth over the stench is quite amusing.
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Indeed, Filipinos routinely shit on their own backyards.
That, in essence, is what the whole stink surrounding the pork barrel mess that is paralysing Philippine governance is all about. Filipino Politicians are the shit on Filipinos’ backyard. And who deposited them there? Good question.
Sit on this and rotate: Filipino voters exercising their democratic rights
This is a whole new different epoch in Philippine politics. There is no longer a coherent “opposition” to which one can look to for a White Knight. This is because the stench of pork barrel scandal emanates from all regardless of the partisan colours one or the other flies. If I were President BS Aquino, I’d drop the whole yellow-shirted “L” hand gesture act. Perceptions of moral ascendancy amongst politicians on the bases of slogans, hand gestures, and shirt colours no longer resonate. Filipinos have always asserted that politicians are all the same. This time when they do say so, it seems they really mean it.
Or do they?
It’s hard to bet on a better outcome in the next elections on the basis of yet another assumption that Filipinos may have learned something from the latest corruption “scandal”. When in our history, after all, have Filipinos exhibited an ability to choose a course of action on the basis of some solid learning?
The way Filipinos have elected the same sorts of bozos again and again illustrates just how flat their learning curve really is. Indeed, Raquel Welch was said to have said:
You can’t expect different results while doing the same thing again and again.
Or was that Albert Einstein?
Whatever. If it is “good leadership” Filipinos need in order to surmount their problems and implement the obvious solutions, then we are really in a bind — because we rely on the very source of the problem — the Filipino Vote — to select that leader we need. We also rely on the Filipino Vote to select “representation” in the crafting of the country’s laws. And we rely on the Filipino Vote to express our displeasure when those leaders and representatives fail at doing the job they were supposed to do.
So much for the obvious solutions.
[Photo courtesy The Guardian.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Solid piece! This is telling the story as it is!
This is so true. People don’t complain when they need to – to have the garbage picked up, to have more security in the neighborhood, to have clogged drains fixed, to complain when PUJs and taxis park illegally, to complain when their city officials fail to act. Pinoys are not used to put people up to their task. They think they are too small and insignificant. They feel they have a debt of gratitude to bent politicians that give them money for their vote. They feel God will punish them for not voting for a crooked trapo! This I find so ridiculous. I would take the money and vote for the person I really think will make a difference – not necessarily that person who gave me cash. Besides, it is a secret ballot so he/she will never be able to tell how I voted.
We the people have the ultimate power to change things for the better.The time for legitimate dissent is the power of the people! Enough of a leaderless, unorganized million people march! Let us organize, Let us have leaders and most of all let us have a program for change for the better! We talk among ourselves, many are cowed or bribed by the politicians of an abused system that is rotten to the core! It is time to stand up and be counted! We the people are the only ones who can make the changes for a better future and a better Philippines. Wake up my countrymen!
DUMP ALL INCUMBENTS in the next election instead of trying to pick and choose. Any one currently in office should be thrown out. They need to do the same thing in the USA. Their system is rotten and dysfunctional, as well.
The US system may not be all good but regardless of how it is represented, the US still has a well organized system up to date, its more controlled.
If you do a research, U.S. government will soon be disorganized by their fellow politicians who formulate policies that is ineffective to their means development. soon, another depression will occur and average and lower american citizen didnt even know about it, the government keep telling lies and covers all their mess, but they cant keep it for long because dollar currency will going down and replace as world currency reserve.
@ Charlie….UH, W-H-A-T????? you make no sense at all. I do realize that you probably do not speak English that well and so do not make all that much sense when you try to write something in English. Be that as it may, and I tried to ascertain what you were referring to, and still came up with, UH, W-H-A-T???
The Filipino vote is useless now with the implementation of the Hocus PCOS machine. It has become easier to manipulate the results. We cannot relay on the election system anymore. At least during Macoy’s time, it was much more difficult for them to manipulate the results.
If you want to see how the average Pinoy thinks then just look at the comments on the more popular websites and you will see ijets, like monkeys typing away happily on their keyboards, spewing non sense and shallow thinking. Try to post your ideas, and you are instantly called derogatory names, pro GMA, crab, ampalaya, etc. Only a small number would show intelligence. If this is the kind of majority who will be affecting change in this country then good luck to all of us, this country is doomed.
HA! You actually said something intelligent. THE PHILIPPINES IS DOOMED. BUT not for the reasons you stated.
Is it still not obvious? Its already doomed. Free for all melee in your face corruption. Retarded pinoys dominating the country. EPIC FAIL-IPPINES!
MY perspectives: [1] the people do not take elections seriously. They know that meaningful changes will not emanate from electoral exercises. So they treat it lightheartedly, like a fiesta, a reason to get drunk and merry; [2] the people are correct: democracy is not all about elections. It is also about people making and working for just demands and ousting despots. Wage hikes mean more to the people than silly elections; and [3] the Philippine middle-class is wimpy and parochial, unable to get out of their enclaves to lead and mobilize the masses. Intelligent votes in the Philippines do not exist.
When you entrust big responsibilities to a mentally challenged society what you get is an EPIC FAIL-IPPINES!
the elections do not reflect idiocy on the part of the electorate because the elections are rigged.
someone else said it but I do agree, the country is doomed. that is because the people fail to do what is necessary to change what needs to be changed. it would not take all that much of an effort either. remember, the military might of the country is the laughingstock of S.E.Asia, and last year the under-secretary on the Interior stole all the money for the bullets earmarked for the NCR Police Departments. the country could nor possibly stop a mass rally to throw all the present people out of office. the gov’t. could not stop it, and yet the people still put up with these crooks-in-robes stealing everything and doing it with arrogance as well.
I just wish you included a picture of Raquel Welch. Right now even Tawny Welch will do. The Filipino vote did not fail the Filipino people. It is actually representative of their baduy, epal, baboy values. Anybody who questions my statement can just look at Congress, the Senate and the Executive and describe it any other way.
Do you guys honestly think you can change even just half of the “matured” pinas population? That’s I guess around 20-30million pinoys. Those of “US” who stumbled and hang out here nobody “un-plugged” “us” from the system. For some reason “we” woke up one morning enlightened. But I challenge you try to unplugged a stereotype regular juan tamad from the matrix – I’d rather discuss calculus to a toddler.
Well, some of us believe in the concept called INCEPTION.
Filipinos are now desensitized by the stench on their backyards; from the stench of corruption; from the stench of election results, etc… They learn to live, with it. This is called: APATHY.There are few Filipinos who complain, and shout to high heavens, in disgust. However, their voices are muffled by the: deceitful slogans; songs and dances, during elections; hero worships of movie stars; free lunches, and everything free; etc… Most Filipinos just lack the common denominator: common sense..
Democracy failed in the Philippines because crooks figured out how to industrialize poverty.
it is a Failed State. democracy has never existed in the place.
just like everything else in the country, the democracy is a scam. it is just un-believable to see it up close and in-person. sickening, the reality of it, when it comes out and bites the visitor. and it always does.