Unshackle yourself

If there is one positive outcome from this global pandemic, it is the public revelation of corruption within the government. Corruption is social cancer—a massive global issue that has existed since the dawn of time and is one of the most predominant causes of poverty. It is generally understood in two ways: the abuse of the public office for personal gain and the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. 

Corruption is rampant throughout the country, and mole-like politicians are being exposed one by one—all their methods of fooling the Filipino people are being drawn out into the light. Smuggled vaccines, overpriced medicines, and supplies, insufficient and inadequate evidence in deficiencies—all of these are the signs of an administration hell-bent on amassing power and wealth. Now that their dark secrets are slowly coming out, will these vermin of the state ever be held accountable?

As the Duterte administration nears its end, the Philippine government has become a literal circus of corruption and greed. Those whose duty is to serve the nation through their leadership in government agencies have forgotten their place and have used the blind eyes of justice to hide their nefarious deeds. Thorrsson Montes Keith, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth’s) former anti-fraud legal officer, revealed to the senate and the nation that P15 billion of our taxpayer money were all allegedly corrupted by executive officials at the corporation using fraudulent schemes. According to her, anomalous transactions were made by the “mafia members” within the company. However, such an amount pales in comparison to an anomalous P67 billion that an audit report by the Commission on Audit has found within the Department of Health—the chief government agency tasked to solve the COVID-19 pandemic issue. According to its findings, various deficiencies amounting to more than 67 billion pesos resulted in missed opportunities that could have helped in the pandemic response.

These issues and all other findings of state auditors have defined almost half of the pandemic response of the country, but despite all these allegations, it seems that no one seems to care. Everyone is now busy as to which color would win the next election race. Many fight in the streets and on social media on who would better serve the country next, yet time after time, from Estrada to Duterte, they all promise the same thing—that they will all bring the Philippines out of poverty. Yet here we are, the common Filipino, hoping year after year that our trillions in debt would be paid, our families would not starve, and our wages would increase. 

Filipinos vote on emotion. Politicians know this—they exploit it. Just be the son or daughter of a past president, dance in front of the masses, promise to ride a jet ski to the Spratly Islands, say that you graduated from Harvard, or even shed your campaign color for a different one. You will be voted into a government position somehow. It is because the Filipino people vote on entertaining and flamboyant politicians who pull on our heartstrings. Thieves, tyrants, and even a boxer—all voted into power by the collective ignorance of the ramifications of our votes. This is why we remain a third-world country.

The Enterprise believes that no one should vote based on emotion. To do so can and will destroy the very foundations of our Republic for generations to come. Our heroes died for us so that we could be given a chance to govern ourselves, yet we waste it on people who dance the budots. We, as a publication, encourage all Filipinos to vote based on what a politician will do—no more promises or sugar-coated words. Vote for a leader who has never lied, stole, extorted, killed, bribed, nor used any action that would unjustly sway people’s emotions. 

The Enterprise encourages everyone to vote based on merit and thorough research—no more hearsays from friends nor anecdotes from strangers. People should always fact-check things that they read on the internet, especially on social media platforms. If a politician keeps on promising that they would bring a bright tomorrow yet their track record is blank or full of corruption, such politicians should never be given a chance to have power. If politicians flaunt their educational attainment yet evidence states otherwise, they should be removed from your list of potential candidates. 

These anomalies in government funds, trillions in debt, and unnecessary deaths could all be avoided if we all voted for a proper leader. Let us, as one nation, build a country founded on facts and evidence instead of on who dances better, who is more charismatic, or who could brag the most. Let truth prevail in all our minds as we seek a leader who is clean of all corruption. Then, and only then, could this very Republic, our land, the Philippines, be free from the shackles of corruption.