By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
Is it really a zarzuela? When PBBM uttered “mahiya naman kayo”(referring to contractors and those involved in the anomalous flood control projects nationwide), during his last SONA, many congressmen and senators in attendance clapped, maybe not because they believed the President was serious about it, but because they thought it was just for show.
Within a month after the SONA, everybody was jolted and many cheered when the president made ocular inspections of some such projects. Boom, the evidence was clear as the sun rising in the east. Project was certified as completed, therefore it was already fully paid. But it is nowhere to be found. In short, they were ghost projects. There goes the tax payers money. Other projects were found sub-standards. Miraculously, they popped up but they were like beasts without spine, crumbling with just rains and weak typhoon.
Yet, VP Sara, who can not see and say anything good in whatever PBBM is doing, dismissed things as zarzuela.
The zarzuela is turning out to be a real bombshell. It had awakened so many things. Many are now visibly trembling, including pro-admin legislators. The continuing tremors should be good for the people.
Some are already scampering abroad, on the pretext of medical conditions; others are simply going out to avoid the overheating atmosphere around them.
It had exposed some politicians’ ineptness as legislators. One senator even made a privilege speech which is devoid of substance but worthy of a FAMAS best actor award.. He asked with a great noise, “why single me out?” The speech is only for self-defense.
One thing that I see quite disturbing is the show of unruly youth activism that is a reflection of the not so distant future.
Young students, accompanied by some older ones, stormed a contractor’s house with their placards, spray-painting their gate with words like, magnanakaw. They were shouting “get out, get out” using megaphone as they shaked the gate of the house. They were disturbing the peaceful neighborhood of the supposed magnanakaw. It is a mob rule, plain and simple. They should do better ways of protests or activism than that.
They were trying to resuscitate a moribund, passe ideology? Or were they trying to emulate what some Indonesian people are doing in their streets right now? God forbid.
The bombshell had also spawned creative thinking like parodies. In social media one will see a lot of songs making fun of what is happening, with a sense.
There are some blogs which “created a new degree course”. Look at this.
Mother to daughter: why are you late coming home. It is dangerous out there at this hour
Daughter to mother: My classmates and I did some projects together.
Mother: Oh, you better shift to another course
Daughter: Why should I shift, my grades are very good
Mother: oh better change to a course which is said to make you get rich faster. It is called, Contractor Course.
Us, voters, should henceforth pay more attention to the qualifications of who we are voting for-not those who are just popular, nor just gorgeous-looking, nor just glib-tongued, nor friends or acquaintances without any good, solid background.
Let us all be vigilant. Let us help the so-called zarzuela end the way it should be: Money back to be used for the people. Let no one be spared of their accountability and responsibility.**
