In the Presence of Vultures

In a country where poverty and hunger is prevalent, the president and her party was seen on two different occasions exhibiting how callous they can be. While the world’s most power nation’s president is seen munching on hotdogs and burgers, the Philippine president wined and dined with the finest foods and wines money can buy. As her spokespersons try to justify such insulting events, one wonders how many times during her more than 70 trips abroad has these things happened.

Our government auditors have reported that Gloria Arroyo had in fact overspent. In her eight agonizing (for the Filipinos) years as our sitting president, she had actually not delivered anything for the people. After every trip she made, she would report the investments are coming and yet multi-national companies have in fact been leaving the country. She’s supposed to step down in 2010 so it seems that she’s treating herself and her allies to wonderful trips abroad at the expense of the taxpayers money.

Never have I seen such extravagance since the time of Imelda Marcos. From the way Arroyo spends, looks like she is bent on draining the country’s coffersThe outrage is spreading and Filipino workers abroad are now reporting how lavish a lifestyle our jet-setting president has during her foreign trips. In country where more than 40 percent go hungry everyday, these news is a slap on our faces.

Her predecessors took only a handful of delegates during their foreign trips, but with Arroyo, it’s a horde. And that includes spouses and even children of her most rabid allies. Wel at least more and more cynics and skeptics are now more aware of how evil this administration is. I hope that the US and the rest of the world will be prudent in giving aid and support to the Philippines while Arroyo is in power. A bigger portionof these end up in the pockets of this gang of thieves.

I can’t help but wonder how the greatest nation in the world can have health care problems. Health care issues have been plaguing my third world country as well. We do have public health care here in the Philippines even though it is lacking. The problem with our country is corruption. But I think we have gained a small victory when the “Cheaper Medicines Bill” was finally passed. But in the US, it seems that greed and lobbyists are winning the war on health care.  In the Philippines, it’s a crime to reject a patiemt without insurance.

The problem lies in the greed that pervades in the magical free market system which the US is sticking to. The lack of control and oversight has made being sick a crime. Health care should not be about business. It’s an advocacy and a moral and social concern. The Republicans are up in arms about raising taxes on the rich and affluent. In my country, we are overtaxed as well but we try through different means to help those who cannot afford the cost of treatment.

aside from the income tax we pay which is the same percentage the rich pay, we also have the value added tax is is applied to all products and services.. I suppose those who oppose the idea of public health care refuses to see the bigger picture. A heallthy populace leads to a more progressive country. I don’t quite understand what is so wrong about social services. I guess they do not understand what progress is all about. They would rather stick to tradition, the tradition of a divided society. A society where there has to be rich and poor.

The economic crisis the US is in now has decimated the middle class. The social gap has widened. And the health care issue will now surely divide the people. But I guess those who oppose it couldn’t care less as long as they and their families have insurance. If they are afraid of being taxed, all consumers pay indirect taxes, that includes those without health care.

At the end of the day, instead of giving billions in aid to other countries, the US should help their countrymen who really need help. Don’t you think so?