Paradise poisoned by the fruit of corruption
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay
More and more skilled and educated Filipinos are fleeing these "islands of paradise" because they are a paradise only for the rich and favoured. The middle class and poor are living on the compost heap of the so-called "Garden of Eden" with only the rotten fruit left to eat. They are getting poorer by the day as the rich reap the fruits of globalisation and so called "free trade".
Supranational companies manipulate Philippine government officials by giving investment opportunities and partnerships to rich families with whom the officials are connected by marriage or business. In other words the Philippine government is a democracy of the rich, by the rich, for the rich.
When there is political or violent turmoil it is mostly the rich fighting over the positions of power or spoils of winning an "election". To get a government position is for them "an entitlement".
The dominating families see to it that their relatives are strategically placed in the army, police and key cabinet and department positions. Their wealth built on patronage, corruption and abuse cannot be curbed because they control the department of justice.
Recently prosecutors dismissed police charges against the sons of two wealthy families. They had a big shoot-out on a Manila street -movie style complete with flashy cars and SUVs providing cover as they emptied their high-powered automatic guns at each other. Despite the testimony of witnesses, the wounded rushed to hospital, bullet riddled cars and the empty shells littering the road, the prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to charge the suspects.
If that was a fisticuffs between street boys they would have been arrested, beaten and jailed within the hour and left for weeks and even months without decent food legal aid or reprieve.
Once in Government they give themselves and their relatives big jobs in government corporations, massive perks and huge tax credits. The head of the government social security corporation listed as number 8 of the Government "Fat Cats", gave himself a salary of 5.6 million pesos (US$100,000). The annual pay of a middle level manager in a small business is $3,500. The system pays a pittance to widows of deceased government employees but these have been cut to the bone.
Last August it was revealed that a number of private companies with close government connections got illegal tax exemptions worth over 1.1 billion pesos and despite overwhelming evidence against them all 22 cases were dismissed because the Bureau of Customs did not prosecute the cases. More than likely because of a massive pay off. Every day there are reports of one scam or another.
The government operated National Power Corporation has debts so astronomical that they comprise one third of all national debt. Much of this is because of massive stealing of power mostly by the corporations of the rich. Instead of paying the bills fully if they pay a bribe and their bills are allegedly reduce substantially. For us, and the poor, we have to pay the most expensive electrical rates in Asia after Japan and if we fail there is an immediate fine and then cut off. The president and director of the National power Corp are among the "real fat cats" who purr their way to their bank -preferably abroad. Higher electrical bills are due to be increased to pay the debts. Meanwhile the officials have just retired.
The massive losses have been incurred through building unnecessary and overpriced power lines or transformer stations that benefit the corporations of prosperous well-connected families while villages and towns have little or no electric power. Kickbacks to high officials have bloated the projects.
One example of this corrupt practice happened right outside the children's center where I work since 1974 in child protection. The local government of Olongapo City led by the former mayor, now a senator, and the National Power Corporation decided to erect a power line on massive pylons along the highway in 1996 despite the fact that a perfectly good 96 Kv. power line passed safely over the hillside. It was one of the most suspected corrupt deals of the decade.
But there was money for them all in this new project. They made it massively expensive at a 250 Kv. line, that is two hundred percent over designed and there is a daily loss of power due to line resistance. Besides it is close to the children's home and the electromagnetic field could cause cancer or disease to the children. We protested and picketed the construction site and challenged it in a congressional hearing on energy. It went ahead anyway.
We can't stop the greed and avarice that infects the hearts of the government officials and there dynastic family enterprises. But we have to continue to oppose evil and keep that little candle of hope glowing in the great darkness as we do all we can to help change the corrupt system without getting snuffed out ourselves. [End]
