BBM’s point of no return

The day-to-day news and revelations of DPWH flood control infrastructure corruption are deepening and building up the Filipino public's anger and calls for action. The coverage and posts on the main and social media are getting bolder and wider against the contractors, government officials, and politicians. The mass actions and protest rallies in parts of Metro Manila and some cities are growing, with a “Trillion Peso” protest/rally to happen on September 21, in Luneta, EDSA and in major cities, with millions expected to show up.

The formation and functioning of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the advocacy of almost all the professional, civic, religious, student and civil society organizations, have added momentum and urgency for the government to produce convictions and restitutions of/from the guilty parties. The flood of sentiments/emotions is now unstoppable/irreversible and will have significant effects and impact on Philippine politics and society, both in the near term and long term. “Heads will have to roll,” among the contractors, the government officials, including congressmen and senators to appease the Filipino people.

It is unlikely that BBM and his people anticipated the subsequent deluge of events after BBM disclosed and attacked the corruption in the DPWH’s overpriced and substandard flood control projects. It was surely to gain “pogi” points and set the tone for good governance for the rest of his term, but it also sparked/unleashed the bottled-up indignation of the people. The protest rallies in Indonesia and Nepal, which happened in the same timeline as the DPWH scandal, were just added fuel for the Filipinos to voice out and act against government corruption that benefitted only the elite contractors, government officials, legislators and politicians.

The events with the ongoing drama have now reached the stage and time, where and when the government and BBM have reached the “point of no return.” There is no way to turn back the clock to erase the happenings and forget the people’s anger, indignation, and calls to action. BBM and his administration will have to see these through to their eventual resolution and conclusion. Except for the extremists and parties with hidden ulterior agenda, a great majority of the Filipinos want these corruption investigations resolved without violence or extensive damage to the economy and society. However, important credible results are expected by them, in the convictions and restitutions, and in the transformative effects in public governance and in the elections of public officials.

I am writing this column before the massive “Trillion Peso” protest rally on Sunday, September 21, and the magnitude and indignation of the crowd may accelerate more events, expectations, and calls for actions. The momentum is already in motion, so it is now a matter of how fast and widespread it will proceed. These are not the best of times for government contractors, government officials, senators congressmen and even local government officials. These corrupt practices investigations may reach the local government level and also dry up their funding sources.

BBM, while still above and untouched by the current corruption scandal, is tainted by his family and political connections with some of the accused senators and congressmen, and by the history of the previous Marcos family regime. The way to insulate BBM from extreme political damage and redeem the Marcos family name is to let the investigation lead to its logical conclusion and let judgment fall on whoever are guilty.

A good analogy of the current BBM situation is someone riding on the back of a tiger. He has to dismount without being eaten by the tiger. So, he has to kill or tame the tiger.