Of heroes, heels, and helping each other

By Michael Henry Yusingco, LL.M

Mabini and Marcos are names that can hardly be associated with one another. Apolinario Mabini is remembered for his unquestioned devotion to nation-building. Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. is recorded in history books for his dictatorship that razed the nation to rubble. Lucky for him though, his namesake son has been given the opportunity to “rehabilitate” their family legacy. And it is precisely for this reason that many are suspicious about his anti-corruption outburst in the fourth State of the Nation Address.

As per Prof. JC Punongbayan, PhD of the UP School of Economics, “every Filipino should be highly skeptical of Marcos’ newfound concern for flood control projects.” He points out that the amount involved here is “nothing compared to the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, who to this day continue to avoid responsibility.” This is so spot on. “Linisin mo muna ang sariling bakuran bago pintasan ang maruming bakuran ng iba.” is the proverb that comes to mind.

It is also a glaring fact that the President is deeply connected to many of the lawmakers he challenged. Most of them have been overtly loyal since day 1 of his term. The Speaker is his first cousin, which could only mean that he would have been keenly aware of this criminal modus operandi. As he would be as regards the shenanigans within the DPWH being the head of the executive branch. Its Secretary acts as his alter-ego, so it is only natural to assume that the President would be acutely advised of all internal happenings.

But the President has put the spotlight on a well-entrenched criminal operation within the government. National and local public officials, bureaucrats, media stalwarts, and cunning entrepreneurs have all profited immensely from this annual plundering of the public coffers. And while all the principals of this felonious scheme are happy, millions of Filipinos living paycheck to paycheck continue to bear the daily grind. This is the reality of dynastic politics. Ending it might even make Bernardo Carpio tremble.

The cynics insist that only an “independent commission” can be trusted to do a thorough investigation. Though the legality and the logistics of this proposal must still be ironed out. Note that investigation must lead to prosecution. The public will demand some jail time for the perpetuators of this heinous crime. Institutionally, it is the Ombudsman who bears this task, but even its “independence” is often questioned. So, what options are left to the public to secure justice and restore good governance?

Well, the President himself may have provided an answer when he quoted the Sublime Paralytic in the SONA: “Only he, who, from whatever position he occupies, whether high or low, strives for the greatest good possible for his fellowmen, possesses true patriotism.” The truth is this organized crime syndicate in government can only be quashed by Filipinos themselves. Striving for “the greatest good possible for his fellowmen” means doing whatever is needed by the cause to defeat the enemy.

But rallies, even a massive one, might not be enough this time around. In 2013, millions of Filipinos marched against the PDAF scam. In the same year, this form of pork barrel was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. Fast forward to a decade and we still have congressional pork barrel in the form of budget insertions. Alarmingly, the executive branch’s own version of pork barrel, allotted as “confidential and intelligence funds”, continues undeterred. Clearly, citizens must now approach this matter as voters.

The most immediate step to take is to help as many voters as possible to understand the details of the pork barrel cartel, from the names of the persons involved, the amount of public money they stole, and the resulting burdens the public must endure. Parishes can organize meetings to enlighten parishioners. Student organizations can hold activities to raise awareness in campuses. Podcasters can devote airtime to elucidate the online community.

The rot in government is so putrid now. Time to accept that the heels win when the people remain content just waiting for heroes to save the day. The harsh fact is Filipinos really need to help each other make sense of the true state of the nation and determine the next steps forward. But this time performative activism might not carry the day. Civil society must return to the basics. Organize communities to engineer an enraged and engaged electorate.