I DON’T believe in the Latin maxim “vox populi, vox dei” (voice of the people is the voice of God). How come when the Lord Jesus and the thief Barabas were presented to the people by Pontius Pilate to determine who will freed and who will be nailed to the cross, the people favored the thief? How could be that the “voice of the people the voice of God”?
Sometimes you are prone to ask yourself why such a collective behavior of people who in many cases pick the wrong people to govern communities. Or maybe we can ask further why the good Lord will put so many politicians in government when majority of them are thieves of taxpayers’ money. They are the today’s Barabas.
This is no swift accusation but many of our public officials are there in their offices because they simply bought their seats to the offices. Or fooled people of their sweet and glowing promises that’s why they were elected. Talent, good intention, sincerity, honesty and all the good virtues in a man are no match against a politician whose pocket was lined up with money which are fruits of his or her own corrupt ways. And sad, people tolerate it by way of repeatedly voting them into office.
Why do you think Noynoy Aquino became president? He was not really the choice of voters. As a matter of fact, he wasn't even thinking of running for president in 2010. Mar Roxas was supposed to be the standard bearer, but Noy's mother died before the lapse of the filing of certificates of candidacies. The funeral procession of well-loved Tita Cory was the wakeup call.
Roxas deferred to Noynoy, and the outpouring of sympathy became the son's political capital. He was not even an outstanding congressman. In the senate he only filed one bill which will prohibit President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to transfer funds. What an irony when he assumed office, he ordered his budget secretary to invent the Development Acceleration Program (DAP) reportedly to bribe the solons to unseat Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Ferdinand Marcos stayed too long in office beyond what the constitution provides. He proclaimed martial law and peoples’ right were curtailed. He jailed Ninoy Aquino. Corazon Cojuangco aka Tita Cory, Ninoy's wife was thrust into the limelight. The assassination of the homecoming Ninoy at the tarmac jolted the nation, and the long funeral procession, (Tarmac to Tarlac) of the bloodied body of Ninoy gathered a strong vote of sympathy for Tita Cory. She can be credited with many things. She was simply lovable and wasn’t corrupt. But real governance was lacking.
Now two years going three for the Duterte administration. Things are going bright, but look how some senators and congressmen behave. They wouldn’t do away with their corrupt ways by insisting on inserting funds as their pork barrel. Now the ball is in the court of President Duterte by heeding the call of Senator Ping Lacson to veto the pork items in the 2019 budget.
TIDBITS: Here’s the breakdown of the controversial Angeles City government borrowing. The new city hall building will cost P580 million, multi-level parking P60 million, sports complex P360 million, garbage trucks P99 million, heavy equipment P5 millionM, office equipment P25 million, service vehicles for the departments P8 million, street lights P18 million, dialysis machines P10 million. The story doesn’t end here. The bidding process is under question...
Congratulations to all the outstanding Fernandino awardees which were given on the annual foundation day celebration of the City of San Fernando. Too bad, PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde wasn’t able to attend the occasion. He is one of the awardees, though Angeles City can claim he is also one of his sons.