The twin rallies that happened at Luneta and at the EDSA Shrine, and in other locations across the country on Sunday showed Filipinos’ collective outrage at the systemic corruption in our country and at the hypocrisy of our leaders.
The common denominator among the demands was making the corrupt in government – whatever side of the political fence they may be on – accountable for their acts that have deprived Filipinos of services due them.
Recent revelations of the extent of government corruption, and collusion with private contractors, have fanned the anger of the people. Luxury cars, huge amounts of cash on tables, contributions from contractors, trips to the casino, the theatrics of public officials pretending to be persecuted, even saved messages pertaining to the secret arrangements – all these have fueled the people’s indignation at the abuse of taxpayers’ money.
And, lest we forget: these are just flood-control projects, in certain provinces and cities. There are other government contracts in other areas in the country, overseen by other agencies, involving a different set of public officials. It is likely what we are currently angry about dims in comparison to what we are not yet aware of.
There were attempts to make the protests about – or against – one political entity over another. In this society the people are free to express what it is they demand from government. In the end, however, the calls boil down to making the corrupt accountable for the great damage they are doing to our people, and even more so for making a show out of public service.
As we learn about more irregularities in the so-called standard operating procedures in government deals, may we find our outrage strong and uncompromising enough to sustain the momentum of indignation. The Sept. 21 rallies are only the beginning. We will see this through until we get the outcome we want and deserve – leadership with principle and integrity, and a just and honest society in which Filipinos would thrive.
