Democracy is about the right of every citizen to be heard. People should be able to express their sentiments against the government if they feel aggrieved by its actions and whenever the formal halls of Congress no longer have the moral ascendancy in fulfilling its mandate to serve the public. But people will be caught in a dilemma because real change must go beyond the parliamentary of the streets and should translate into real change in the lives of the people. A true revolution should not only be about the transfer of power but reforms in institutions which should mean people getting what they deserve from the state.
Doubts will persist. Will these protests or mass action force corrupt government officials to resign from office? No. Will these indignation rallies make government transactions more transparent? No. Will protests pressure public officials so that they will hold themselves accountable to their actions? No. But the point is that the price of not doing anything is too high. Without dissent, it’s as if you tolerate injustice in society. These protests are a reminder that in a democracy, sovereignty or the power to govern emanates from the people. The rallies against corruption, in this sense, makes manifest the same power.
The bigger problem is that we are actually going against ourselves because we are part of the government we are criticizing. We are a country divided not only by geography but by our political beliefs and loyalties. It is a good thing to be able to express our sense of independence even as a community although we belong to one nation, but the struggle is there, put in place centuries ago by our colonizers and perpetuated to this day. Those who are at the top have been comfortable long enough so that all they do is no more than hypocritical because they have also benefited from an uneven system. Think of celebrities who are speaking only now but have been unfairly taking advantage too of the masses.
The masses, especially those who are the actual victims of corruption in government are hopeless that they are going to have better lives because in the end the elites in society will perpetually rule them, dictating what is to become of their lives. Yet, if any social transformation were to happen, the Filipino nation must be united against a common enemy. This time, it is corruption but more importantly, we must be one as a nation by doing away with our self- inflicted wounds and biases. Society is about a common vision for a people or that sense of solidarity that makes us value and feel proud about our dignity and sense of identity – WE ARE ALL FILIPINOS!
The second Marcos administration in fact has two faces in this quagmire. While these investigations are initiated by the revelations of the President during his State of the Nation Address, he is also to blame because those who inserted these ghost project in the National budget are his allies. He did not do enough in vetting the budget despite warnings about the insertions in what is called the small committee as alleged by Representative Toby Tiangco. In fact, Davao City 3rd district Representative Isidro Ungab called the 2025 General Appropriations Act the most corrupt budget in the history of the country.
Former speaker Martin Romualdez, who resigned out of pressure. is not making any sacrifice. He is not a hero here. He is the villain. This is not a kamikaze act. Kamikaze fighters die to honor the emperor. None of it is in this end of the road decision by the former speaker. In fact, he has become a big burden to the administration, a baggage too heavy a load if the President is to salvage any type of moral or legal legitimacy in investigating the flood control scam. By taking Mr. Romualdez out of the limelight, the administration is shielding him from further public scrutiny. The job is therefore not finished. For this reason, while we must have faith in the various investigations happening right now, vigilance is important in protecting our freedoms and the very honor of our nation, or at least, what is left of it.
