BY ANY standard, nothing this government does will ever be worse than the thousands of lives lost and counting in its murderous and “war on drugs.” The harm wrought on our people is so bad that honestly, I cannot think of any good Rodrigo Duterte and his minions can do that can ever make up for the carnage.
This is not to say they have not tried their damnedest to outdo themselves.
Let us begin, aptly enough, the day of Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona), when the dishonorable members of the House of Representatives chose the exemplar of their ilk to replace the buffoon who used to lead them.
As if this was not despicable enough, they followed through with the super-majority deciding if it had to have anything it had to be everything, and so chose one of their new Speaker’s most loyal minions the putative – now there’s a word I absolutely adore – minority leader.
Of course, in a country where truth is often stranger than fiction and where the supreme law appears to be Murphy’s, when you think things have gotten really bad, they get even worse. So we see an assistant secretary of communications and a friend pushing federalism through a song and dance that redefines obscenity.
To be fair, while this administration may arguably be the worst we have ever known (and Heaven forbid another like it or worse come along), its penchant for casting aside the rule of law, human rights and all the other principles that make for good governance is actually nothing new.
This administration and its minions are not really all that off the mark when they blast the preceding government although they are utterly wrong to make the sins of the past an excuse, a justification even, for the outrages they commit. Especially not after sealing a partnership with the two most kleptocratic governments in our country’s history.
It seems this administration’s brazenness has rubbed off on other officials down the line. We don’t even have to look far for proof.
Take the recent Barangay League elections in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
We all know, of course, that the law mandating that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are to be non-partisan is hardly, if ever, honored. But I cannot recall such a brazen flouting of this law – complete with proud declarations to media – as this instance.
This paper’s story on the election of Barangay Taculing’s Lady Gles Gonzales as Bacolod’s League president says.
She added that she’s happy for the trust and confidence of Leonardia for choosing her to represent the Barangay League.
“We just talked with the members of the Grupo Progreso and I am so blessed to be the candidate for Barangay League president,” Gonzales said.
As for the provincial Liga, here is what SunStar Bacolod reported:
Negros Occidental Acting Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed Friday, June 29, that Love Negros held a meeting attended by some mayors and Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez to get support for their candidate Punong Barangay Jovie Tepillo of Victorias City for president of the Provincial Barangay League.
And I am sure most everyone has a tale or two of how the prices for votes in this barangay elections matched or even surpassed those for past national elections.
Don’t dump all the blame on those derisively called the “bobotante.” For the poverty-stricken, elections are almost always a choice between one evil and another, their lot hardly improving, often worsening, whoever wins. At least, the pittance they get for votes they doubt – with good reason – will count will at least put more food on the table for a day or two. No, I am not being cynical; this is the brutal truth. And yes, we all are as much to blame – probably even more so – for allowing this system to exist and persist.
Bad as it is, I believe there is a way out. We can still redeem ourselves, as individuals, as a people. We need to, and we can, take back the power from they who have for so long abused it and us.
But it has to be now lest the abomination they call Charter change and federalism seals our doom as a nation.
Please don’t let this be just one man’s opinion.