Election 2016 has opened our eyes to the sad reality of the state of our nation. The debates have given us a glimpse of the politicians running. The newsfeeds give us an idea of those tainted with the blood of corruption and criminal cases. It has shown us candidates who try to circumvent the law merely to gain a position in public office. It has given us a glimpse of the dirty lies, evil spells and wicked ways these bozos and their cohorts do just to win an election.
As they fight to be on the top, we see our poor quality of life in this country. What changes will they make? Will they be able to bring us to a more civilized level of life? As they spend billions and billions of pesos on this campaign trail, we see the darkness looming out there in the horizon. It isn’t a good picture at all. Not even the Manila Bay sunset can appease our spirits with what we see around us. Public service continues to become a nightmare: poor public health systems, weak educational standards, bad transportation system, incompetent security organizations (for both land and sea), etc. As we go on with our daily lives, we encounter the surreal situation of things around us: poverty, stench, lawlessness.
Everything we see and hear clearly shows that we are in a state of anarchy. And if our government, our legislators and judiciary cannot see this nor accept the fact that it is so – then there is something terribly wrong.
The dictionary defines anarchy as a situation of confusion and wild behavior in which the people in a country, group, organization, etc. are not controlled by rules or laws. It is also defined as a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority.
But even in the presence of government authority we are still in a mess. The rise of criminality in the country these past years and the inability of our leaders to stop if not suppress these crimes tell us that indeed anarchy is in our midst. Even when the Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed a 60 percent decrease in crimes in Metro Manila, the number of crimes committed nationwide increased by about 46 percent during the first six months of 2015 as compared to the same period in the previous year.
There were 352,321 index crimes (murder, homicide, rape, robbery and theft) for the first six months of 2015, which is 37.3 percent more than the 256,592 cases reported in the same period in 2014.
The past months have shown us how our politicians try to circumvent the law for their own good. Our lawmakers create laws not to protect the interests of the “common tao” but their own vested interests. Even the decisions made by the highest court of the land have been misconstrued as favoring the interest of certain individuals. They cannot seem to live up to their promise of upholding the law. What the Constitution says has no more weight on the decisions they make. It seems that their current motivation is pure avarice.
Corrupt politicians and warlords with private armies continue to operate and secretly achieve their evil ends. Nowadays, crimes are committed so brazenly, in broad daylight, right in the very noses of the authorities. Criminals swagger down the streets with arrogance, unmindful of the fear they see among the citizens. Crimes are committed as if it is an ordinary thing that happens. Why? Simply because punishments are not meted properly, thus, giving the wrong signals to the perpetrators. Take the RCBC and Bangladesh Heist for instance. I have a feeling that many crooks will be able get away again on this one even if the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies are involved. If the government doesn’t act fiercely on this one, then we are definitely doomed forever.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Philippine Correction Systems have no systems at all. The condition of our prison facilities, their controls, their behavioral modification programs are very weak. Family members and visitors are free to enter these correctional institutions where ‘free trade’ (having the most efficient and state of the art facilities to manufacture drugs; a cartel of high-powered firearms and ammunitions) is going on. Prisoners don’t have the discipline because there is no proper program in place. Despite the numerous raids conducted, the facilities are still infested with illegal activities. Susmariosep! No one, not even the authorities can seem to put an end to this mess.
No one respects the law in this country. My dad once quipped, “A breakdown in discipline and the threat of anarchy and disorder invariably breed a yearning for the guidance of an iron hand and the application of a big stick. Just as the Germans of the 1930s turned to Adolf Hitler as their savior from the bitter taste of humiliation and defeat, the spectre of Marxism and Communism, their own angst and self-doubt, we may begin seeking a tyrant, too.”
Our leaders should lead by example. Unfortunately, they are the very ones who break the law. They are very selfish, only thinking of themselves and how they can protect their seats of power. And once they secure it, they relax and exploit our resources. They cannot even literally clean their offices. It is a pigsty. There is just too much bureaucracy. Every nuke and corner has “kotong” officers and civilians who work for them. Why can’t the city official or the government official get rid of them? Red tape becomes rampant because everyone wants to get a share. If the chief is doing it, then how can he or she totally stop such corrupt practices.
The UN defines the rule of law as a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. It requires, as well, measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency.
If our leaders and the citizens will only adhere to the rule of law in everything that they do, this country will surely tread the right path towards repairing the damaged fabric of our society.
Do not forget that most if not all politicians and even presidents won by cheating. This and a justice system that sucks give us a flawed and dysfunctional democracy. We seem to have totally lost the essence and spirit of true democracy.
For this country to be great again, we need stronger measures to implement the law. We actually need the death penalty (although our conscience and religious beliefs contradict such measures) for all criminals and the spoils of public office.
Election 2016 is just a short journey away. And here lies my biggest fear – an election failure. Six years has past, we are ready for another regime full of that much needed hope for our future. Yes, this election is crucial to the country. The results will determine the ‘new’ direction on the pressing issues that include criminality, lawlessness and poverty. We need the likes of the late President Ramon Magsaysay who turned the tide as Defense Secretary when the hour was bleakest and our nation was in near-despair. Let us remember him as the man who stood by the common people. There is nothing more powerful than sincerity and immediate action in dealing with the frustrations and despair of the common man – former President Ramon Magsaysay