Twenty-three years ago, the Filipinos kicked out a conjugal dictatorship. Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda were forced to flee Manila after a bloodless revolution that toppled the couple’s ruthless and corrupt rule. Now the Philippines is facign not just a conjugal dictatorship but it includes the entire family.
Rocked by corruptions and human rights violations, Gloria Arroyo and her family are trying to cement their hold on power. Arroyo is now the second longest sitting president since Marcos. From 2001 to present, she and her family had been implicated in corruption and kickback scandals. To prevent her removal demcratically or otherwise, she had been draining the country’s coffers to bribe legislators and security forces. Hundreds of political killings enforced disappearances has been recorded with the UNHRC confirming it. Media personnel, members of the judiciary have not been spared so she and cohorts can prevent the truth from coming out.
Her eldest son, a congressman has been tagged by witnesses to an illegal numbers game operation that extends to the the entire country. Her husband has been implicated in taking kickbacks amounting to several hundreds of millions of dollar. Another son and her brother-in-law has also been implicated in illegal gambling operations.
In fact, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank had exposed corruption that end at the doorstep of the palace. Because of her appointive powers, she had gained control over every public office of the land. Those legislators in the opposition are deprived of their development faunds which has led to poverty and lack of progress in their districts. Now even the presidential elections of scheduled on 2010 hangs in the balance as her allies in the legislative are poised to amend the constitution to perpetuate themselves to power.
The Philippines has become the Zimbabwe of Asia. Our justice system has been mocked and her allies implicated in corruptions remain free. Even those imprisoned had been given executive clemency. Corruption here has been institutionalized. Thanks to her leadership by example, Gloria Arroyo has run the country to the ground. Investors shy away not because of our contitutional safeguards but because of the corruption in our bureaucracy.
Their cronies are having a field day. Every form of tax is being imposed to cover the losses incurred because of corruption. When public funds end up in their pockets, social service suffers. This the reality of life every Filipino must face. Unless we find a way to kick this corrupt family out, my country will never have a future.
Recent Comments