The President thinks, or so it seems, that he’s up to the challenge of his time. It’s an enviable one; quite dicey, too. The odds of keeping his throne are very much at stake here. For one thing, he and his followers do not want a repeat of People Power 1986. The visceral memories of that historic event hurt profoundly he needed two things to erase it from the mind— of the family’s and the nation.
The dictator’s reputation had to be restored first. He later was allowed a questionable hero’s burial where real heroes were laid to rest. Then, he had to remove the celebration of the family’s ejection from power during the EDSA peaceful uprising by removing it from the nation’s list of national holidays, as if the hero’s burial wasn’t enough
Now, President Bongbong Marcos has to do a lot more and better to keep their family political prestige intact. Before Christmas this year, he vowed, to put behind bars the many low hanging fruits that might as well define his administration as the worst in corruption. The binary is, get the low hanging fruits or hang the low fruits themselves.
So far, seventeen erring public officials and private contractors are expected to initially join the list of corrupt suspects. More are expected to be included in the list that, on the basis of pronouncements from excitable officials surrounding the President,` the number has nowhere to go but up.
Ironically, even the President himself and others close to him officially and otherwise are being dragged in the despicable public works corruption that he himself unearthed and exposed. As accusations go, all what is needed now is a formal, sworn statement from his accuser to validate the accusation. Proofs will come later, or have they already been disclosed? The public is jittery or wary.
For now, that should be the least of the President worries. As far as legal experts are concern, the accusation against the commander in chief of instigating illegal insertions in the budget holds no probative value. In other words, it’s hearsay, nonsense. Besides, the President’s accuser is out of the country and is declared a fugitive. To his credit, the President and his men are all telling the former congressman to come home or shut up.
The street parliamentarians are not yet through with their legwork in denouncing the unprecedented corruption. The
President has already survived a number of walking protests, apparently attempts to destabilize government and trigger a combined civilian-military. That it failed speaks highly of a nation that is now politically mature to undergo a transition peacefully and democratically.
The narrow door to a less than an ideal, peaceful and democratic change in governance has not been shut altogether. A bigger march that speaks for itself over the deepening corruption in government to be spearheaded by a dominant religious group will be held for a trillion reasons. It’s metaphor for a lot of things, from government debt to money lost/wasted in greed. There is a call for moral ascendancy and integrity.
Words are cheap and the President knows all to well in this current situation that action speaks louder. The government must make sure that those already charged will be apprehended, forthwith, whether low hanging or highly placed. He must convince people, including his detractors waiting in the wings for an unlikely opportunity, that he is trustworthy.
Apropos, the President must do more than deny that the woman seen on nationwide television accusing him and his family that are using drugs, is not his sister. It’s not just family values which are on the table. It’s no less than the integrity of nation’s leader and nation’s future which are compromised. There must be a legal way to stop this family nonsense. Maybe the President and camp can learn a few trick or two from a religious organization which effectively handled a similar family feud. Perhaps, he also can employ some insight from his idol Machivelli who many think the President does not personify.
While reforming government of corruption, the President may want to look at problem from a political perspective, It has been pinpointed by many that political dynasty is a root cause, an evil in the system. Maybe the President can use his power to challenge his party members and other politicians, especially in Congress to consider crafting a law that will end political dynasty.
He can start the ball rolling with his own family. He and his family can serve as exemplars. It may not be easy but it is a sure path to a well meaning reform that many politicians had long ignored. May be horrendous phenomenon like this deep-seated and well-entrenched corruption among the nation’s leaders and officials, both in the public and private sector, will serve as a powerful impetus for such a noble objective.
The President has three years more to go to bring to justice those whose were caught in cookie jar of public works scandal, the worst in history so they say. More than that, the President has the opportunity to bring about an end to the political dynasty that only has made the devil laughing. For now, there are reasons to hope, even believe, that the President is, to borrow a term from Kapampangan senator, safe from the devil. But he must take the lead and prove that the buck stops at his door.
