By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
The rains have been anything but merciful for the Filipinos this past week. They have all but disrupted the lives of many and put their lives in danger. Homes have been destroyed and the livelihoods of many must now be rebuilt. In situations where money is dry and almost everything they own has drowned, they are now being asked to rebuild and try again. When you expect public officials to lend a hand and actually do their duty they only tell you your on your own.
As seen on the news, our leaders’ best response to the sufferings of their people is to just plan better. The rains are inevitable and so the people who have little to no money and everyday is worked to death is left on their own. Better yet, they advice the people to just build two story houses. People who can only afford a shanty house is expected to spend money they do not have and are thus blamed.
These out of touch leaders walk around in their luxurious clothes as their own people suffer and the best they can do is to call the peoples’ call out a “wake up call”. This is the standard that we now have set. Public officials get to parade the peoples’ stolen money and still get to go home to their mansions. They actually get to still breathe the next day and free to spend the public’s money however they want.
The standard is so low that they get to still be on office and maintain their current positions. Come a few years and these peoples’ children will take their parents’ throne and do the same thing. While the children of the poor is kept in the same situations their parents endured.
When the next flooding comes, the same response will be given. The same out of touch officials will voice their ignorant advices.
We can vote in a better candidate but they cannot fully fix a system so full of holes that tax money will magically fall into the officials’ pockets. It is time we stop relying on these officials and start making solutions with the people beside us, the people who struggle the same as everyone. It is the people who must change the system we have. To right the wrongs of politicians and take control of our fates with our own hands.
We can vote for the smartest and most charismatic candidate but so long as we remain frustrated enough to rant about our government but not angry enough to move and do something about it, then our fates of continuous suffering remain. **
