Count your blessings

After the US 16-day government shutdown and the narrowly avoided economic doomsday scenario of defaulting on its national debt, Obama addressed his countrymen. Listening to his speech, I realized that his advice is actually applicable to our national situation.

According to Obama, what happened was a “manufactured” national crisis instigated by extreme rightist people who are resisting change and the transformation of society. In his words, he said that the people should stop listening to the lobbyists of vested interest groups, talking heads on radio, bloggers and professional activists who thrive on conflicts.

In the Philippines, there is now a government seriously introducing major reforms in the government; filing charges of graft and plunder against politicians belonging to powerful political families like Estrada, Enrile, Revilla; finally reducing corruption in government bureaucracies like in the BIR, Customs, Public Works, Education, Agrarian Reform, PCSO, Defense, Social Welfare and others.

It is not surprising that a number of forces, desperate to retain their economic and political power,  will try to undermine the efforts of this government.  Add to these other groups like those who have grown rich through tax evasion, money laundering and smuggling.

Their tactics are clear. They have tried to distract attention away from the charges stemming from the PDAF and Napoles scandals. They have tried the argument that everyone is corrupt. Therefore, the assumption is corruption is a way of life that cannot be changed.

These tactics should not be underestimated. There are well meaning Filipinos who can actually begin to believe that fighting corruption is a hopeless mission. There are many among the middle class, who have become politically cynical.

Fortunately, P-Noy continues to retain his credibility and the support of the majority of the Filipino people. Although his approval ratings may have declined, the 68% approval rating is still very high compared to most other leaders like Obama (40%); Abe of Japan (54.2%); Park Geun-hye of South Korea (61%); and, Hollande of France (25%).

And what about the local media? Let me just quote from an insightful article recently published in the Huffington Post: “ From Mexico City to Mumbai to Manila, gestures of goodwill by elected officials can easily be interpreted as an exercise of deception and old-school shenanigans , reforms could be seen as basically the status quo couched in new garment, and displays of humility and contemplative decision making could be perceived as indecision and cowardice.

And yet, Philippine President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino has managed to sustain approval as high as 70%, way into the third year of his tenure. By any measure, this is an astonishing record for any democratically elected leader, especially one in a developing country ..... Add to this a noisy and discordant media, where entertainment is held way above information and lambasting elected officials and blaming them for everything is a standard operating procedure.”

It is important that we realize the Philippines continues to be an international success story. This is, of course, a bad story who are trying escape P-Noy’s efforts to institutionalize the rule of law in this country. It is also a boring story for  media that thrives on scandals and bad news. But let’s pay attention to an internationally respected institution — The World Bank — which released its East Asia update last October 7, 2013.

The first sentence of the report said: “ Developing East Asia is growing at a slower pace but the Philippines expects to buck the trend in the next three years, says the East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released today by the World Bank.” The news release is several paragraphs but there are two statements that refer specifically to the Philippines.

“Reforms to enhance competition, protect property rights , simplify business regulations, and increase investment in infrastructure, education and health will boost the Philippines efforts to achieve inclusive growth — the type that creates more and better jobs and reduces poverty,” said Mr. Motoo Konishi, World Bank County Director for the Philippines.

Another statement said: “ According to World Bank Lead Economist Rogier van den Brink, the Philippines’ strong macroeconomic fundamentals characterized by low and stable inflation, healthy external balance and stronger government finances have shielded the economy from the persistent weaknesses of the global economy.”

So it is time to stop listening to those who are trying to manufacture a national crisis where none exist. It is time to refocus on the truly relevant issues like education, improving infrastructure and reducing corruption.

Again, it is time to ensure that the plunder and graft charges be filed as soon as possible. But more important, there is a need to ensure that there must be convictions.

This is the time to remind the public that the final conviction is in the hands of the Judiciary. Now is the time to clean the judiciary. The Supreme Court has formed a special committee, under Supreme Court Justice Leonen, to investigate the Ma’m Arlene scandal in the judiciary first exposed by STAR columnist Jarius Bondoc. Does this mean Midas Marquez cannot be trusted to conduct a clean and thorough investigation? Fortunately Justice Leonen has the reputation for being a courageous and honest justice.

Finally, as I watched the devastation caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Visayas, especially in Bohol, I am again reminded that we are not completely the master of our fate. There will always be natural disasters that are beyond man’s control. Hundreds of our countrymen have either died or been seriously hurt by this disaster. But I remember a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010 that caused 316,000 deaths.

Perhaps this latest disaster should remind those of us, who have not been adversely affected, to thank the Lord for all the blessings He has bestowed on us.

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