IF we take the Philippines’ political events onto the world stage, it definitely shows that Filipinos are gullible. It seems that they buy into all kinds of lies being peddled, especially by authorities.
Let’s take the “cash gift” as an example. When it was first brought up by Governor Panlilio, nobody wanted to admit that it actually happened. The poor governor looked like he concocted a story to gain media mileage. However, it turned out that many actually received a bagful of money. While nobody was quick to come out and take responsibility for it, now everybody is eager to acknowledge that they are the source. But why only now? Will the people buy these now?
If they do, Filipinos are indeed gullible. If lies are peddled by sidewalk vendors struggling to bring food on the table, it is understandable. But if governors and congressmen, looked upon as trustworthy and transparent, do not tell the truth, what hope do we have as a country? If the things that are happening [took place] in other countries, many of these government officials would have already resigned their post. They value their names and honor more than their positions and the mighty peso.
What else can be done when the heart is already callous? The only thing left to be done is to institute a moral revolution. This should start from the people and not from the present set of elected officials. In the next election, forget the name and the political affiliation. Rather, vote for those who are least in the eyes of men but great in the eyes of God — the honest, the truthful, the ones who are willing to become servants of all, those who treat their office as a position of trust and thus are willing to give it up when accused of irregularities. May God bless the Philippines.
– Teck Uy, Ontario, Canada (via e-mail)
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November 29th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Nowadays, when you go to yahoo or google and even pacland, what you read and what you hear are all about the baddest the country philippines can ever have.
You hear of corruption, kickback and bribery.
Corruption is the everyday thesaurus, a most common word in the everyday life of filipinos.
Corruption is not a bad word indeed. It is a word perceived as against the law as having one an advantage against the other. In other countries, they seldom use the word corruption, an alternative words like lobbyist, profiteers and yet legal.
The point is… our government is the one tasked to implement services like education, infrastructures, transport, communication and so on and so forth.
And by going into contract there goes the middleman, the broker, the salesman, the profiteers who works for profit and commission.
You buy a car and there is a salesman. You buy a patis and you go to sarisari store. You want to build a northrail project, there are bidders, you want NBNZTE deal and you go to middleman.
And what does it mean, it means a commission that will surely jack up the price.
If a peso has centavo commission, then billion has million commission.
That’s where are kababayans are mad about. They always think of corruption and no more commission or profit.
Well, as our country were left behind as they say by our neighbors, it is because they don’t give a chance for our officials to do their work.
Our government is always defending the contract, cancelling the contract, investigating the contract.
and what’s left for the government to do, nothing except to campaign for the coming election, what a wasted term of office.
November 29th, 2007 at 12:51 am
So naive.The rest of the world is perfect while the Philippines is the exception.Find me a single politician who is not corrupt and immaculate anywhere in the world.A politician who have’nt received corporate donations for future contracts and from lobby organizations to advance their influence, and religious groups and more.Politics is like a chimney you come in clean you go out dirty.The rest of the world is gullible and in need of moral revolution.
November 25th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Filipinos are not gullible only those government officials who are greedy and and selfish motives. They are not satisfied with their salary,privileges and allowances they recieved. They think they can fool us! No way!, we know them since in memorial.
November 22nd, 2007 at 3:07 am
“Cash gifts” did not have any condition attached to them- Mendoza.
Like Farmer, corn and chickens? Of course farmer needs not explain to chickens. It’s a universal language in the world of the animal kingdom.
November 15th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Even my first comment has not been printed, I try again,
There is no change possible, as long as not only elective officials give and take bribe and kickbacks, but a very big number of voters accept buying their votes and therefore are also corrupt. No matter how one calls ist, bribe is bribe, 100 Pesos to a voter or 100 millions to the big ones.
Like the cash gifts at Malacanang. There has not been any reason for this dole-out but it looks that no one of the solons and governors etc. asked for what it is and from where it comes.
Maybe, after discussing the impeachment threat, they just expected it as advance payment for their work on killing the impeachment. Of course no one would throw outa president if under her watch millions are flowing to her allies. They usually spent much more for their campaign as ever they reported as own assets to taxes, so they want it back with profit, first of all other matters.