Yolly Cabuco  (0916) 5779137
FYI..........
---------------------------------
Keep the fire
burning....
From a very brave
Filipina. She even placed her name and telephone number...... ....
There should be more........ ......... ......... .......... ........
To all Filipinos Everywhere:
I used to think that corruption and
criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events
tell me this isn't true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug
addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty,
but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly
explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when
petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never
fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the
laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?
Every
night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the
latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not
men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and
too bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each
other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse
the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves
are guilty of, is so comical and apalling that I don't know whether to
laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!
I have never seen so
many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now.
These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the
confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the
very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like "Honorable",
"Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President". Ironically,
these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the
law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are
their leaders, and the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band
of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the
rich."
It makes me wonder
where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they
had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me
wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had,
what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie,
cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the
impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes
me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they
are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars
with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven
forbid!
I am an
ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my
needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my earnings go to
the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time
and again because our government could not provide enough of the
basic services that I expect and deserve.
Rutty
roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health
services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all
third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to
anything more.
And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering
presidents pointing fingers.. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen
who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De
Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended,
Enrile inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich
Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great
grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his
own "pag bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen.
Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men
providing anything but a sense of security. And it's all about
money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even
imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent
and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?
And worst of all, we are once again saddled
with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it
like barnacle on a rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole
new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's
financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she
opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her
country is in shambles.
They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines
are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like
me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders,
embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration
for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not
that I won't make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions
would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of
anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though
I may not yet feel it.
But I am writing this because I need to do
something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like
me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my
children. I want to make it known that there are also
Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want
them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks
in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency,
fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to
tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused
their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let
this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine
and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.
Those of us who do not have the wealth,
power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the
government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this
with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we
celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives
and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices
along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our
desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot
be more powerful than God!
I implore
mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not
smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material
comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there
are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time
with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard
work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion – right
from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not
just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be
good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will
learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your
family name with pride and honor.
I call on educators and teachers –
we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our
youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their
surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in
them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile
knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable
men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to
do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional
politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future – and it would be
largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to
repopulate the seats of power with good
leaders, presidents, senators,
congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.
I ask all students, young people and young
professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is
happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern
yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this
make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh
perspective just as you need
the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY
NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land
that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all
available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages
to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I
promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You
will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that
your children will do better than you did.
Remember
that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country.. You
can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the
old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater
good before anything else. Do
your utmost to excel in your
chosen field.. Be good lawyers, civil servants, countants, computer
techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called
to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that
can speak for itself.
For love of this country, for the future of our children,
for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals,
I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much
more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to
perdition... We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even
more.
Remedios C.. Paningbatan
Administrative Officer
Office of the General
Counsel
Asian Development Bank
Tel (632) 632-4248
www.adb.org
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