Severe tropical storm Opong, like many before it, caused deaths, injuries, and displacement. It also wrought great damage to property, livelihood, and infrastructure in many places in the central Philippines.
As of press time, the full extent of the devastation has yet to be estimated, as power lines and communication signals make it difficult to send information from the places that were battered by the storm. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the province of Masbate bore the brunt of the damage.
And that was just the most recent instance. Just a few days before, it was Northern Luzon that was battered by super typhoon Nando.
It is during these instances that the effects of the flood control mess, brought about by revelations of systemic corruption and unabated greed, are felt viscerally by the people. The outrage is much too real.
Days of congressional hearing streamed online have enabled ordinary Filipinos to peek into the underbelly of appropriations – a measly portion of it in projects, yes, but the greater part for distribution among public officials and private contractors. With every session, new facets of the convoluted process are exposed, showing just how much corruption has been part of “normal.” These so-called public servants have appropriated the people’s money for their own enjoyment.
Thus, many Filipinos have grown to be skeptical of their leaders, whatever political color they may sport. After all, political affiliations have been proven to be shaky, at best, with convenience and practicality being the determining force instead of core principles.
Those now under investigation and those about to be indicted will profess innocence and feign their own outrage. They bank on the people’s history of having a short memory. With the next news cycle, they say, this would soon blow over. In a few weeks or months, especially with the frenzy of the coming Christmas season, this would be forgotten. Perhaps one or two will go to jail, just to appease the public’s hunger for accountability, but like all the other scams before this, all will be relegated to history in no time.
We should let these officials know that this time is different. Flooding claims lives and livelihoods. It forces people away from their homes and makes them insecure about access to basic necessities for any human being. Contrast this with the excesses of those profiting from what is supposed to be public service.
The people will not forget the shamelessness. Every time it rains, every time it looks like the streets would be flooded anew, we will remember: we cannot do anything about living in a country prone to typhoons and storm surges, but we can take control of our own destiny by denouncing corruption, making these despicable officials pay, and rejecting them in the next elections.
