Philippine Politics! Where are we heading?

(Let me clarify first that I am not a pro-administration nor a pro-opposition but rather a pro-Filipino.)

Philippine Politics is at war. It has always been like this. We may have ended the regime of a the late dictator, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos but we’ve chosen a neophyte leader Former President Corazon Aquino that was bombarded with couple of coup’s. I really think that it all started out because of the instability of leadership in this country. The former lady President’s inexperience in Philippine politics in my opinion was the reason why we haven’t progress at all. It is not enough to be a wife of a politician to run a country. But in fairness to the former President, she was never corrupt.

Her ascendant former President Fidel V. Ramos wh0 became her Chief of Staff at the time of her regime, was a much better President in the early years of his seat in Malacañang. During his time the Philippines was known to be one of the Tiger’s of Asia because of its economic stability but was not able to sustain it until the end of his term because if I remember it right, that was the time when the peso starts to lose its value. There were also allegations of corruption during his time but was not proven until now. There were also problems like the Cha-Cha that the people and the church opposed and the not so good reception of the E-VAT. I am in favor of E-VAT. I would not discuss further why but anyone who would want to hear my side would be entertained.

Next in line is Former President Joseph Estrada. Convicted of plunder, I think he is the most vulgarly corrupt President I have known. I used vulgarly because Marcos’ corruption was not proven until his lost in the Presidency. He was not wary of his actions that is why he was easily put to jail because of many evidence and witnesses which are against him.

And now our President, Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, an Economist, Educator, experienced in politics. Her ascend to Malacañang was bombarded with questions of poll cheating. I am referring to the “Hello Garci!” scandal. There were lots of accusations being thrown to her government but the principal person being accused is her husband not her.

Now the latest of those controversies is the ZTE national broadband network deal which is allegedly a deal sponsored by Former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos and the First Gentleman himself, Mike Arroyo. With the involvement of the speaker’s son Joey de Venecia (Jose de Venecia III) as a losing party bidding for the project, the issue has escalated more because of his revelations. And because of that the position of his father was jeopardized and now unseated by the move of the Arroyo solon’s (Mikey, Dado, Iggy) in the Congress. This is a political dynasty at move. I like the Arroyo government in its economic reforms. But firstly, I hate the political dynasty that the Arroyo’s had put up as well as the Estrada’s as well as the Cayetano’s, etc., etc. These families do not respect the constitution does not respect the constitution. If you are familiar with Article II, Declaration of Principles and State Policies, Section 26, prohibits political dynasty. I think the silence of the speaker about the deal and not stopping his son to testify regarding the deal was the reason why the Arroyo solon’s made the move to unseat him as speaker. Three Arroyo’s are enough to stir up the Congress. I remember the speaker speaking in the media that the President will still support him despite of all that is happening. He was wrong, the President maintained her status quo about the issue or did she? That we don’t know. Let us wait for what is going to be said.

Jose De Venecia’s speakership ended yesterday. Accusations were said both by the Arroyo’s and by the former speaker. The Arroyo’s was questioning the book of the pork barrel which they say the former speaker was hiding. Likewise, the former speaker says that the Arroyo’s are the missionaries for the palace in order to get the pork barrels of each congressman. He also said that there were attempts to tamper the results of the election. And he is now waging war against the Arroyo government and will join the opposition. He would make revelations of the corruptions of the Arroyo government. Is he telling the truth or the Arroyo’s were correct that he just want to hold onto his position and treat the Congress as his Kingdom?

The truth doesn’t really matter to me. Politics is a plague in this country. What we should do Filipinos is to strive and work hard to make our lives much better and by that we are helping our country. We are the cure to this plague. Let us not rely on this people but ourselves, we can do it if we would just persevere. Let us not join their battle but join the battle to poverty. If Japan, Korea and China can do it, so can we. Let us have faith and confidence in ourselves. I always believe that the Filipinos are the most intelligent people in the world because of our gift to communication. We can communicate to the world. Let us use that strength. We can do it.