By Farah G. Decano

 

THIS week has been interesting.  Three people who do not know each other have told me on different occasions that the alleged ‘commissions ‘of corrupt congressmen for their projects with the DPWH is 25 percent while their local counterparts get a share of ten percent from the loot.

So, if a national project is worth P1 billion pesos, then the dishonest political representative gets 25O million pesos and the shady local officials, elected and appointed, get P100 Million.

What happens to projects with greatly reduced value?  They become substandard!!!

I am not saying that my three sources are credible. All I want to say is corruption results in falling new bridges, potholes in new roads, and other miserably constructed infrastructure.

By the way, I am modifying the old Filipino quote. Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan ay…. guilty.

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No one seems to be heeding my call for the organization of a Citizen’s Participatory Monitoring and Audit Team.  The team is envisioned to voluntarily join the Commission on Audit in the inspection of national projects and find out if they were implemented in accordance with the approved specifications.  Is the lack of response due to the extremely warm weather?  Who wants anyway to go out of the shade and inspect projects under the scorching heat?  Is it due to the possibility that those who are supposed to act on this call are complicit in a possible percentage sharing?  Or is it the fear of antagonizing the powers that be?  

Through this column, I have suggested in the alternative that universities can lead the way. I am aware that some of these collegiate institutions have their community extension programs.  Perhaps, they can digress from the usual welfare activities and show concern by ensuring that the Filipinos will get the quality projects that they deserve.

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I broached to our student intern at the Lyceum-Northwestern College of Law and University Student Council President, Shai Sabellano, the possibility of organizing a Monitoring and Audit Team.  She appears to be a smart young woman who is full of idealism.  I challenged her to use her leadership skills in uniting the forces of engineering, accountancy and law students so that they can be guideposts to government offices in delivering quality infrastructure projects.

I also suggested to Shai that she organizes a federation of university student council in Dagupan City. I wish to warn her that, if this is realized, the federation should be shielded from evil politicos wanting to use them for their own selfish agenda.

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We get the government we deserve, they say.  But I don’t think the Filipinos deserve a government that is lackadaisical in delivering its services to the public.  Neither do we deserve poor programs and activities. Haven’t we been told in elementary that our race come from a bloodline of Filipino heroes?   We betray this lineage whenever we sit down, do nothing and accept whatever is served on our plate.

Well, the pilosopo in me will wonder, “What bloodline?” The blood and gore flowing now in the young and middle-aged Filipinos have been diluted by the same tainted vile concentrated in the veins of the makapilis of recent decades. 

We should struggle against this learned helplessness and desperation, hold on to whatever is remaining of our memory of our brave ancestors, their sacrifices, and their sense of nationhood.   There is no one to rescue us from this doldrum and quagmire but us. 

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Duterte allies criticize Marcos Jr.  for his treatment of the West Philippine Sea issue. Unlike his predecessor, President BBM does not kowtow to China.  He engages the assistance of allies in order that the July 2016 arbitral ruling shall be respected.

The script from the camp of the former president is that, “we are no match for China. Anyone who stands against China on the WPS matter is courting war.”

The Filipinos must not be swayed by this reductionary and almost a simpleton’s battle cry.

BBM must quickly end this misinformation. He must be able to rally the Filipinos behind the idea, that when we assert our sovereign rights, it does not necessarily mean we want war or we are going to war.

Nobody wants war.  Even the Chinese people don’t.

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