The main responsibility of government to its citizens is to protect them from harm wherever they are. The usual connotation of this is there must be peace and order at all times. Thus, there are so many law enforcement agencies to enforce the law or to maintain peace. The problem, however, in this country is the officers of such agencies often turn from law enforcers and become the law breakers. The breakdown in discipline is one cause especially among those in the higher ranks. Of late were well publicized cases of high ranking officers of the Philippine National Police being accused of masterminding the disappearance of captured illegal drugs like shabu that are worth billions of pesos. Everybody knows the modus operandi. These would soon find their way back to the streets being peddled. What a lucrative operation that had been going on among those supposed to be protecting us from illegal activities which almost always result in higher crime rates, particularly those of the heinous kind. Such is failure of government.
Another failure of government is its inability to bring home our compatriots in war zones or in other dangerous spots elsewhere. The victims are often those who have been hailed time and again as heroes. Indeed, they are. They are earning and sending home billions of dollars that are keeping this country economically afloat. Without them, we would have drowned in economic mire since ancient times due to the incompetence of our so-called leaders.
The latest glaring example of how this played out was the case of those who just came home from Israel. It was bannered in some national dailies that 18 agricultural trainees were repatriated the other day from that Middle East country currently at war with its neighbors. It was great news until you read further. They were able to come home to save themselves by paying their own fare from their savings from their allowances. It could make so many puke. What a shame! The government cannot even move fast enough to save Filipinos. Had those trainees not known how incompetent our government is, they would have stayed and could have perished from the crossfire between the Israelis and the Hamas terrorists. Luckily, they knew, had known it, since time immemorial.
How about the OFWs that came home from there? Did the Philippine government play any role at all to facilitate their coming home? We very much doubt it. For all we know they could have been forced to shell out whatever hard-earned savings they had.
Another thing we are sure about is, any assistance for expenses in coming home to be reimbursed would be embroiled in red tape that so many would not even bother to work on it.
Yes, as far as protecting Filipinos abroad is concerned, this country is like a failed state.**