Why I Left My Beloved Philippines
From Pedro Jacobo comes this e-mail who loves his country too but left his country not because of his fear of seeing a boxing idol legislate laws or actors using the legislative podium like a silver screen blockbusted oooops blockbuster script in a tele-novela tear jerker, but to escape poverty or be another statistic getting run over by maniacal drivers in Manila..
Dear Fellow Filipino,
Good day to all of you, who are fortunate enough to still afford reading this e-mail. I am one of the one (1) million Filipinos who just recently been added to the statistics of those who left the country. Bragged about as the crowning glory of a cheating errrr seating president as the leading exporter of “modern day slaves” ok, sorry I meant “heroes” among the bottom ranked nation of poor performers. Yes, unlike the other guy who threatens to leave his beloved mother land I already left than risk joining the ranks of mangangalahigs.
You may be one of those who have read a very emotional appeal listing seven not so pretty scenarios like Garci’s (the guy who they can’t even prosecute with possession of ugly face errrr illegal public document) possibility of winning a seat in congress. Yes, the same math wizard guy that was the admitted telebabad partner of the cheating errr seating president.
Kawaawa naman ang bansang api, seeing the same old tired kontrabida politicians and not so kontrabida ones like seagulls (such a beautiful bird but thrives and really gets nasty in dirty environments) flying from one roof to another crapping their way in peoples yards. It is so confusing to distinguish who among the candidates are worthy of a cheat errrr seat in public office who “truly deserves” their share of the billions of pork barrel of at least P65million for representatives and P200million for senators each year.
You, yes I meant you, the one who is reading this and reaching this far tells me you just like me, wanting to know what the deal is with our electoral system. Why do we keep on voting those who turns our nation into a basket case for Asia despite some emotional lamentations and appeals from our “intelligent” intelligentsia, telling us to vote “intelligently” but still end up with the same duds?
Then there are those who tell us that the kind of leaders we have is just a reflection of the kind and level of citizenry who put them there……….. In short kayong este tayong mga Pinoy daw can’t get our act together voting for the "right leaders" every single election. Hmmmmn, I wonder why? Is it because the Filipinos are born losers? Nahhhhhh, I am not buying into that at all. It is the few minority ruling elite that dictates how politics is played in a field that is exclusively for those with extremely legitimate or illegitimate deep pockets. They who can afford to lose millions in joining the contest by hook or by crook must win. It is the few elites that turned our electoral contest into a popularity contest. The famous or infamous characters of the actor and actress kind and notorious individuals of the wannabe politician and criminal kind accidentally finding themselves a perfect fit among the indistinguishable leaders. Of course with the help of a constitutional body that is as fraudulent prone to oversee a not so pleasant bitterly contested seats who can't do simple .........dagdag errr addition, bawas .........este substraction and multiplication (inangkupo sana naman puwera multiplication anoh) math.
No amount of lamentations and self-flagellation of playing the blame game pointing them in the Pinoy DNA daw will suffice to stop the bleeding. It is not the lack of unity that is the problem but despite the sheer number of poor people and the emerging new middle class (overseas Filipinos) who can make a huge difference when the choice is limited to the present crop of ruling minority elites lording over the political scene.
It is not the characters and personality that we should focus on but the system that brings us these shady characters that we need to take a serious look into. In doing so we may find alternative solutions that will result in leaders of integrity and honesty. It is this kind of fraudulent electoral contest where campaign expenditures run awry, that those who land in the corridors of power and influence will naturally look after their interest first of recouping their multi if not hundreds of millions of "appreciated" peso daw invested in the contest than look after the welfare of the people.
Kawaawa naman ang bansang api, seeing the same old tired kontrabida politicians and not so kontrabida ones like seagulls (such a beautiful bird but thrives and really gets nasty in dirty environments) flying from one roof to another crapping their way in peoples yards. It is so confusing to distinguish who among the candidates are worthy of a cheat errrr seat in public office who “truly deserves” their share of the billions of pork barrel of at least P65million for representatives and P200million for senators each year.
You, yes I meant you, the one who is reading this and reaching this far tells me you just like me, wanting to know what the deal is with our electoral system. Why do we keep on voting those who turns our nation into a basket case for Asia despite some emotional lamentations and appeals from our “intelligent” intelligentsia, telling us to vote “intelligently” but still end up with the same duds?
Then there are those who tell us that the kind of leaders we have is just a reflection of the kind and level of citizenry who put them there……….. In short kayong este tayong mga Pinoy daw can’t get our act together voting for the "right leaders" every single election. Hmmmmn, I wonder why? Is it because the Filipinos are born losers? Nahhhhhh, I am not buying into that at all. It is the few minority ruling elite that dictates how politics is played in a field that is exclusively for those with extremely legitimate or illegitimate deep pockets. They who can afford to lose millions in joining the contest by hook or by crook must win. It is the few elites that turned our electoral contest into a popularity contest. The famous or infamous characters of the actor and actress kind and notorious individuals of the wannabe politician and criminal kind accidentally finding themselves a perfect fit among the indistinguishable leaders. Of course with the help of a constitutional body that is as fraudulent prone to oversee a not so pleasant bitterly contested seats who can't do simple .........dagdag errr addition, bawas .........este substraction and multiplication (inangkupo sana naman puwera multiplication anoh) math.
No amount of lamentations and self-flagellation of playing the blame game pointing them in the Pinoy DNA daw will suffice to stop the bleeding. It is not the lack of unity that is the problem but despite the sheer number of poor people and the emerging new middle class (overseas Filipinos) who can make a huge difference when the choice is limited to the present crop of ruling minority elites lording over the political scene.
It is not the characters and personality that we should focus on but the system that brings us these shady characters that we need to take a serious look into. In doing so we may find alternative solutions that will result in leaders of integrity and honesty. It is this kind of fraudulent electoral contest where campaign expenditures run awry, that those who land in the corridors of power and influence will naturally look after their interest first of recouping their multi if not hundreds of millions of "appreciated" peso daw invested in the contest than look after the welfare of the people.
No, this is not an appeal (too corny) for unity but an appeal to see beyond the characters and personality of the major players in these electoral contest so we may collectively respond with concrete alternatives to pave the way for meaningful change.
I am tempted to end this letter with an appeal and chastising (making me feel superior and appear to know who to elect) you to vote wisely and intelligently but if I do that no one among the candidates deserves our vote. Tama na ho ang sisihan gulpe sarado na ho ang kapwa Pinoy natin, everytime something goes wrong we blame our people. Don’t be like that Lady friend of Garci, during the height of the scandal blaming the people why we are not progressing when she caused the scandal upon herself.
Salamat po,
Pedro Jacobo
Photo courtesy of Arkibong Bayan
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