Politicians: The serpents in the Filipinos' paradise

The Philippines started as a beautiful paradise. It is a big body of water sprinkled with 7,107 islands and people who were happy, free, and enjoying a life of peace, serenity, and harmony. Gifted with rich natural resources, located in a tropical region, with fine weather and a very beautiful topography, plenty of marine resources, verdant forests, rich deposits of gold and other natural resources. Then the serpents destroyed it.

In today's celebration of the Feast of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, in the first reading, taken from Genesis, Chapter 3, verses 9 to 15, we are reminded of the Fall of Man in Paradise. Adam was tempted by Eve, who was first tempted by the serpent. Eve succumbed to the enticements of knowledge, of power, of material possessions. Until today, the Filipinos are still being tempted by politicians who are nothing better than serpents. And our people always fall for such temptations. We never learn. Every election, the serpents deceive us, hoodwink us, buy our votes, and cheat in the counting. And when they are elected, they plunder our national coffers. And we call these serpents honorable.

The politicians are today's serpents, and they are the ones who entice people to accept and eat the forbidden apples, promising prosperity, peace, prestige, power, and possessions. The eating of the apples is the casting of the votes. These dirty politicians come knocking at our doors every three years, offering to serve us, only to deceive us, to mislead us, to manipulate our weaknesses, to take advantage of our naiveté, our lack of wisdom, discernment, and foresight. And the wonder of it all, we always take their words and believe, for they are like false prophets dressed like meek lambs but are actually beastly serpents poised to devour us and eat us alive. Yet, we call them honorable.

These politicians give us a few kilos of rice and a few cans of cheap sardines, purchased from conniving suppliers who, of course, by SOP, overprice each item and amass millions, a big slice of which is agreed tacitly to be given to the politicians as kickbacks. Even COVID-19-related supplies, according to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, have been grossly overpriced. These trapos connive with contractors to cheat on the quality of bridges and highways and get billions of juicy contracts. The people are being fried using the oil from their own taxes. And the unthinking citizenry, thank the trapos profusely, bow before these rascals in business suits and call them honorable.

The local candidates get billions from national aspirants for president and vice president, and then declare their support, as if their endorsements are for sale. Senators also pay their courtesies to the mayors and governors, and by that, it means, sackloads of cash to use in buying votes come election time. Even partylist candidates give millions just to be endorsed. And so, every local election held simultaneously with presidential polls will surely make the mayors and the governors rich. Some of them may lose the elections but make them win in millions. And we call them honorable.

When the serpents visit our towns, we prepare lavish foods, we offer sumptuous dinners, we give them entertainment, knowing fully well that these are the very people who suck our blood, rob our coffers, burden us with too much taxes and make life difficult for us and our children. And yet we bow before them, and call them honorable. If we are not crazy, silly, or stupid, then we are out of our minds. Time to come to our senses. Time to drive them from our paradise. For a start, let's stop calling them honorable.