CORRUPTION IN CONGRESS The Philippine Congress of today is vastly different from the Philippine Congress of yesterday. It was an august legislative kingdom that was ruled and dominated by intellectual giants like Senators Arturo Tolentino, Jovito Salonga, Ferdinand Marcos, Camelo Osias, Benigno Ninoy Aquino, Jr., and a host of many others. As a student leader from Silliman University and the University of the Philippines, I occasionally witnessed some of congressional sessions and hearings from the Senate gallery. As a matter, I was at one time summoned to appear before the Senate Committee on Education headed by the late Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino, Jr. where I had direct confrontations and heated arguments with the brilliant minds of the late 1960s. And I must say that I was impressed, and dreamt of becoming one of the Senators someday. However, when I returned from the United States, after more or less three decades of self-exile, I saw a different Congress. In the Senate, I saw Ramon Revilla, Noli De Castro, Freddie Webb, Robert Jaworski, Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, and a host of many other politically blind and unqualified celebrities calling themselves “Senators” of the Republic. In the case of Blo Adiong Vs. Comelec, the Supreme Court considered these unqualified personalities to be “evils” that the COMELEC should try to correct. But the Supreme Court’s admonition fell on deaf ears. My god, since when have we allowed monkeys and coconut pilots to take the controls of our airlines? Since when have we allowed quack doctors to conduct surgical bypass operations in our hospitals? These, and many more, were racing in my mind as I listen to these “Senators” some of whom could not even speak English at all. Yes, film movie actor Ronald W. Reagan was elected governor and, eventually, President the United States, but President Reagan graduated SUMMA CUM LAUDE from one of the best learning institutions of America. Yes, Mr. Amang Rodriquez was elected Senator and, later, President of the Old Congress. But Amang Rodriguez was a legend in his own right, and many of our politically blind celebrities are no Amang Rodriguez at all. What happened? Why are these celebrities, who are miserably and totally unschooled in the art of leadership, running the once most respected two-chamber legislative institution of our Republic? Somehow, and somewhere down the line, this was country transformed into a nation of lunatics who no longer cared (and still do not care) about themselves nor the future of their children, except the money that they got in exchange for their votes, regardless of who the buyers were. That is when the shocking change really took place. But what really attracted these politically blind celebrities to the realm of politics? Ah, money. In three years, the most stupid congressman gets at least 600 million pesos out of the pork barrel that is allocated to his district. According to my close relative, who is a “Triple A” road builder, Congressmen and Senators now usually get 40% of any road building or improvement project without issuing any receipt for their share. For their part, the contractor also gets 30 to 40 per cent, leaving only about 20 per cent for the materials needed to build the road intended. That is a fact. Even the so-called “leftists” and “Communists”, who have been elected to Congress, are doing it to destroy the government, which is the source of their pork barrel. Given all the subpoena powers needed, I believe I can prove that most of our Senators and Congressmen have actually plundered the wealth of our People. But who will give me that power? Recently, I met old friends at Sulu Hotel who asked me what position I would like to have in the government. Of course, I said I would like to be an Ombudsman because that is the only position where I could prove my point that most, if not all, of our government officials, have stolen, and are still continuing to steal, from our People. But who among the crooks will appoint me Ombudsman?
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 08:16:32 +0000
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