By Jose Mari Mercader
In celebrating Independence Day in Kawit, Cavite, Pres. Aquino reiterated that he will fight corruption and poverty. Basically, this will be the theme of his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a few days. According to reliable sources, his SONA will also be spiced with a potpourri of real or imagined accomplishments. His Kawit speech provides a snippet of the SONA, which for all practical reasons is a gridlock of unfulfilled but rehashed promises.
If I recall right, he was overwhelmingly voted president on the platform of fighting poverty and corruption. Bashing Juan de la Cruz with this broken record is over dose in repetition. The mantra is but a feeble attempt to make Filipinos overlook his failure to address equally pressing problems crying for solutions. His first year in office is a classic disaster in case he doesn’t know. Criminally still stalks the nation with unprecedented high. Politicians, journalists and radio commentators are killed in public view, while poverty as well as corruption marches on with most of his cronies and relatives involved in the mess. Is that the portrait of change?
The theatrics of prosecuting former public officials and the Arroyo family, which has become an obsession not a messianic crusade, is perceived by impartial observers as a stunt to camouflage his blundering leadership. Singling out the Arroyos and their ilk is lopsided prosecution because they are not the only ones involved in corruption but political leaders of the ruling party are guilty of venalities too. What leaves a bad taste in the mouth is that the cases against PNoy’s enemies are railroaded to the Tanodbayan and Sandiganbayan with obfuscating haste.
Meantime the crocodiles that institutionalized corruption surround him today like hungry leeches salivating at the bonanza befalling their political party if Gloria Arroyo and her people are convicted. Not content with that the minions of Noynoy flaunt their immunity to commit anomalies by basking on their connection with the president. Is this improvement for the better? Or is justice back home merely standing still for the clout less, today?
The madness of scalping political enemies in our courts is reminiscent of the butchery that characterized the blood-thirsty French Revolution. People were sent to the guillotine on false charges instigated by a mob gone berserk. Replicating this injustice depicts the deterioration of our democratic values under PNoy’s administration.
In that eventuality where would PNoy’s vaunted “impartiality” fit in? Just focusing on the Arroyos and her erstwhile foot soldiers is romancing with the tip of the iceberg. Corruption and poverty in the country is deep-rooted, it calls for a major overhaul to achieve it. Sacred cows should not be spared because of affiliation with the president. Noynoy himself should discourage such obnoxious arrogance. Within Aquino’s embryonic administration, are friends in key positions who are unequivocally involved in corruption and yet he shamelessly looks the other way. In some cases he openly exculpates them to the public’s annoyance.
Undersecretary of Interior and Local Governments, Rico Puno, a close friend of Noynoy among many ensconced in high positions, is said to be the lord protector of illegal gambling throughout the country. This makes sense because the police are under him. When he was exposed in newspapers, PNoy complacently gave him a clean bill of health. Was this the formula to eradicate the palakasan system in the government? Lest he forgets, this same wicked trait undermined the citizens’ trust and confidence on previous administrations that included his mother’s governance, which was certifiably a sucker to friends, kamaganaks and cronies apart from being fiercely vindictive.
Nobody questions that the twin devils of corruption and poverty demeaned our democratic system. It’s about time to impale them lifeless to the ground. But this objective is not possible under a weak president. An underachieving dispensation bankrupt of dynamism makes a farce of the solemn promise to fight the menace to good governance – corruption. Performance not words can freeze this hideous malady that caused untold miseries to our beloved Philippines.
It is not far-fetch that Noynoy knows he cannot slay the monsters of corruption and poverty because he is weighed down by the same venal officials responsible for the gnawing plight of our people. Sincerity does not need reiteration. Action hammers the death knell against the wickedness that hinders a government from being airborne.
With the complex problems of the government simply expressing willingness to do well will not suffice. Government problems require positive actions from the chief executive. Lip service achieves nothing – a blue print of government loaded with laudable programs does.
At this point in time he should have already buckled down and work towards the fulfillment of his campaign commitments without fanfare. He owes this to his people who voted for him as he grieved for losing his mother that year. The least he can do to reciprocate their trust is to stop talking and work harder because results are incontrovertible. His performance so far leaves a lot to be desired. The nation cannot survive on hopes or it will die of hunger.
If at every turn he repeats himself that he will fight poverty and corruption, in no time the result will lose its intrinsic value. Okay, he slays these dragons. The question is when? time is of the essence. Do or do not. Try is no option. Our people believe they are being hoodwinked by politicians with horse blinders headed by President Aquino because the problems of poverty and corruption persistently resurface like irritating prickly-heads.
Slaying these bogeys would just be anticlimax after subjecting the people with the deafening mantra of tasking himself to do during his incumbency. Even that is acceptable so long as he acts and stops paying lip service to his intention.
The trouble with rabid politicians and Nonoy is no exception they have the dubious skill of forgetting what they promise. It has always been – read my lips. Presidents only intended there commitment to remain stagnant to have something to promise in the next elections. Thus corruption and poverty are bound to stay and overstay in the Aquino administration. That is the grim prospect the nation is faced with.
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