Fake democracy

With the kind of leaders who have ruled our country in the past, the present and, in all probability, even in the future, it looks like we will not be able to solve the poverty problem of our land and to attain economic prosperity like our neighboring countries. Through all these years since we became an “a democratic and independent Republic” we have seen that poverty in this country and our lack of authentic economic progress is mainly due to graft and corruption in government. 

We looked forward to this present administration and elected P-Noy as president to solve them. But what is happening to our country now clearly shows that corruption in government has become more rampant especially among P-Noy’s K K K. The sad part here is that when they are implicated in anomalies P-Noy is even the one defending them. P-Noy is really a big disappointment to those who elected and supported him except obviously to the members of his yellow brigade who are making hay right now.

One thing very clear at this time is that if any poor man wants to get rich quick in this country, all he has to do is to join the government. The best example I can cite here, based on his own pronouncements in a recent speech he delivered to answer the multi-billion anomalies he has been implicated, is Vice President Jojo Binay himself.

In said speech at the PICC which looked more like a political rally, Binay proudly proclaimed that nanggaling siya sa kahirapan. But after he joined the government, first as appointed Mayor of Makati and then elected and re-elected to the same position for so many years until he became the Vice President of our country, he is definitely not mahirap anymore. In fact in defending himself against the exposes in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, he sounded so proud of his poor and humble beginnings compared to his present state of life. Indeed, no one can win and become Vice President of the Philippines if he is still mahirap because said position can be attained only by spending millions or even billions of pesos in campaign expenses.

As a lawyer, Binay knows that the clear, positive, straight-forward and direct testimonies of witnesses presented against him detailing the anomalies he and his family have committed, are stronger and more credible evidence than his bare denials and contention that they are mere “recyclable lies.” If he wants people to believe that they are indeed “recyclable lies” he must show and tell the people the whole truth backed up more concrete proof that no anomalies in these transactions or that he and his family are not involved. His bare denials are not enough.

If we consider that he is the leading presidential aspirant at this stage when lingering doubts surround his integrity and honesty and about whether he and his family has accumulated wealth from unknown and questionable sources, the future indeed looks bleaker for our country. Going over the political horizon, no one without shady records has emerged or has come out openly yet who can be serious challenger and a better choice. So it really looks like there is no solution in sight to our socio-economic and political problems. There will be no change in the dirty kind of government that we have been enduring since we became a democratic republic.

In this connection, let me just cite pertinent portions of these accurate analyses and observations by a reader, Mr. Willy Arcilla who has apparently been studying and continuously looking into our situation. In his well written essay he wrote:

“No Asia-Pacific nation ever succeeded in eliminating poverty and rising to economic prosperity on the back of a US-style democratic system of government – Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand. Now, even Vietnam and Cambodia have overtaken the Philippines in poverty reduction.

We have been on this “experiment” of an independent republic anchored on a US-style democracy for nearly three (3) generations since 1946. True, we were under an authoritarian regime for a brief 14 years, but we have been back on a democratic track for 28 years or twice as long as the Marcos dictatorship and yet the level of economic prosperity, quality of life and happiness index remains much to be desired…

According to the Greeks who invented this system of government, a democracy requires an educated electorate. However, this is far from the truth in the Philippine setting when voters are only forced by poverty and hunger to sell their votes, or are swayed by their ignorance and illiteracy to vote popular candidates despite their incompetence or lack of character.  Worse still is the sinister plot of politicians to deliberately keep their constituents uneducated to keep them beholden and secure their votes. The Marcos dictatorship was replaced not by a true democracy; rather it is now undeniable that Cory Aquino, perhaps unwittingly, restored the old oligarchy of a privileged few and their political dynasties.

Because of this pseudo or fake democracy, the country suffers from a vicious cycle of endless change whenever elections come. The incoming set of leaders tends to throw out everything the incumbents have done, specially their good programs in order to discredit their opponents and curry favor with constituents. As a result, not only precious time is wasted and scarce resources squandered, but continuity is lost, and most of all, the wisdom to avoid the same mistakes and build on best practices.”

After his very thorough analysis of our dire situation, Mr. Arcilla believes, and I agree with him, that “only God is the answer and holiness is the solution. Let us humble ourselves and beseech Him… to send us our Moses, who led the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt into the Promised Land, and to send us our King David, who united and strengthened the Jewish nation and ruled for forty years, and our King Solomon, under whose reign of forty years Israel achieved its Golden Age.  Theirs was not a Philippine-style political dynasty, but a God-centered dynasty.

Today we face not only a crisis of leadership but a crisis of morality. The battle we are fighting is not just political or economic, but a spiritual battle. The war is not between rich and poor, but good against evil.”

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