'What's wrong with this picture?'

For several months now I have heard and read speakers and writers say that the Philippines has made it to No. 1 as the most corrupt country in Asia.

I don’t now if we should take this sitting down or accept it as accurate. Why should you and I be included in the charge list or stand collectively accused of corruption even if we never engaged in it?

From what I understand, the vote was cast by businessmen and experts who had to deal with government offices, government officials etc so why should we the citizens share in the guilt of the bureaucracy? They say we are guilty because we voted these officials into power. Did we? Did we really have an informed, intelligent and democratic process of selection and election?

If any judgment or condemnation should be made it should be made against government officials and those in the bureaucracy because they all know what goes on and who is engaged in corruption. Even the so-called activists in government have not acted or exposed the corrupt within their ranks because at the end of the day, it is all about keeping their jobs and getting more out of it.

So please, stop spraying your saliva on the Philippines being No. 1 most corrupt country in Asia. Stop punishing the Filipino people by labeling us the No. 1 most corrupt in Asia. Give it to the government and the people in government. They earned that title and deserved that condemnation, not the Philippines and certainly not the Filipinos.

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Some cartoonists have this clever game where they draw a picture and then ask people to spot what’s wrong with the picture. This form of illustration has long been considered clever and crafty because it takes some imagination as well as drawing abilities.

Unfortunately a cartoon is more interesting than the “drawing” that some people at the Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR are trying to pull off. According to initial reports, the PAGCOR is in the forefront of an attempt to set a record by staging a one-million strong march against drug trafficking. I don’t now if the people at PAGCOR are merely trying to show support for the Anti Drug Czar, namely President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, or if it is a veiled practice or exercise in the art of organizing a campaign rally.

The effort, while seemingly laudable, is quite out of character for PAGCOR. The corporation is largely known for gambling or spending money in sponsoring entertainment or sports events and not mass action protests against social ills. For fairness sake, I will allow that PAGCOR has the right to choose where to put their money in or what activities they want to invest in, but forgive me along with many concerned citizens if we happen to be alarmed. The idea of someone running for re-election has become quite a concern for many Filipinos.

I don’t want to be cynical or negative but it is quite ironic that the corporation single handedly responsible for the legalization and promotion of gambling in the Philippines should be at the head of an anti-drugs rally. Once again it is the pot calling the kettle “black”.

Very recently, the word “plague” was used to describe the state of gambling in the Philippines. There is no denying the fact that this plague has infected the National government, the church and many other institutions. The plague of gambling no longer infects only the rich but has destroyed the poor by giving them false hopes and false expectations.

Beyond morality, gambling has been legitimized by the illusion that its profits help the poor, build schools and funds government. It is no different from the drug dealers telling you that Shabu or cocaine will make you feel good. In the end both drugs and gambling are just as exciting, addictive and destructive.

So what moral high ground does PAGCOR has to stand on? It reminds me of the story an adulteress who called a prostitute a “whore”. The prostitute replied; for me it is a living, for you its life.       

In fighting form

Attorney Persida Acosta of the Public Attorneys Office or PAO has certainly come out in fighting form for the 29 cops implicated in the alleged EDSA “rubout”. Acosta has even gone toe to toe against the Commission on Human Rights who clearly over-stepped the boundary by making conclusive statements on a matter that had yet to be investigated.

Ironically, it almost looks like Atty. Acosta is single handedly defending the cops. The PNP leadership has expressed very little support for the cops and it is this behavior that emboldens critics and self-appointed know it alls to lambast the cops who can’t even defend themselves from the harsh media.

A high-ranking police official lamented the non-stop unfair judgment and commentaries being made by certain media personalities who have an axe to grind with the police because of embarrassing incidents in the past. The question the PNP needs to ask is; what is the leadership doing about it?

Press releases promoting the activities of the Chief PNP such as scuba diving and fun runs with the AFP may look good but it won’t address the lack of defense for the 29 cops or others who are being lambasted, cussed or insulted by radio announcers. How can the rest of us defend the police if the leaders of the PNP don’t go out to do the same?