There is nothing new under the sun, especially in Philippine politics. This is old news. It just so happens that because of the flood control issue, these kinds of anomalies are being unearthed.
Several senators and members of the House of Representatives have ties to government contracting companies.
Nothing new there. The only difference is that new names are mentioned. At least three senators and fifteen members of the House of Representatives were identified.
What about politicians who are not named? Do you think they are clean?
I think as early as 2000, while searching books in the seminary library of ATS, I stumbled upon an interesting book documenting that bills were passed by lawmakers to benefit the businesses of relatives, both distant and close.
Yes, perhaps the "clean" politicians are not into construction companies related to flood control. However, this does not mean that they are in office to really serve the public interest. One way or another, upon scrutiny, you can see a questionable connection; if not to the construction sector, you will certainly find it in other economic sectors, such as mining, energy, finance, telecommunication, and others.
We were told that Escudero received a Php30 million donation for his senatorial campaign in 2022 from Lubiano, the president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., which happened to bag 20% of contracts for flood control projects. Villanueva, too, didn't escape the report. We were informed that he received a Php20 million donation from New San Jose Builders Inc. for his senatorial bid in the same year.
This sounds to me like old news. During Duterte’s time, he demonized many business tycoons only to grant favors to business tycoons in his own camp.
In my eyes, this is all garbage. I don't trust this kind of press release. What is the goal behind such an exposé?
The fact is, politicians run civil government for personal interest. The fact that so many names are involved only proves that this is the very system, the norm in the country. What can you get out of that kind of exposé? Hoping that there will be a change? Will politicians be replaced? That the public rise up? It’s all just a show. We are fooling ourselves if we still believe that real change can come out of a rotten system.
Here are two more lines that sound archaic:
It is very important to investigate the flood control project that was allegedly used for the personal gains of the lawmakers.
Twenty percent of our budget goes to bribery, goes to politicians who use public money for their own interests. So the result is, so much money is lost—money that doesn’t go to public services.
Public service is the usual alibi. There is no transparency and no accountability. And yet politicians love to make poverty reduction, anti-corruption, and justice the core of their platforms. Do you think those kickbacks have no connection to poverty? Aren’t they the very root of it? How can you fight corruption and poverty if the very lawmakers themselves are involved? And the sad part is, we are the ones who put them there.
Substandard materials and poor quality—that’s the end product of these government contracts. Again, nothing new.
And the issue of trust in government? That’s a big wow! Report it? Who would you report it to? The media? Many of them seem to be paid off, too. The lawmakers? Then, the situation is hopeless.
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Walang bago sa ilalim ng araw, lalo na sa pulitika ng Pilipinas. Ito ay lumang balita. Nagkataon lang na dahil sa isyu sa flood control, nahuhukay ang mga ganitong anomalya.
Several senators and members of the House of Representatives have ties to government contracting companies.
Walang bago dito. Ang pinagkaiba lang ay may nabanggit na mga bagong pangalan. Natukoy ang hindi bababa sa tatlong senador at labinlimang miyembro ng House of Representatives.
Paano ang mga pulitiko na hindi pinangalanan? Sa tingin mo ba malinis sila?
Taong 2000, habang naghahanap ako ng mga libro sa seminary library ng ATS, napadpad ako sa isang kontrobersiyal na libro na nagdodokumento na ang mga panukalang batas ay ipinasa ng mga mambabatas upang makinabang ang mga negosyo ng mga kamag-anak, malayo man o malapit ang kaugnayan.
Oo, marahil, ang "malinis" na mga pulitiko ay hindi sangkot sa mga kumpanya ng konstruksiyon na may kaugnayan sa pagbaha. Gayunpaman, hindi ito nangangahulugan na sila ay nasa katungkulan upang talagang pagsilbihan ang interes ng publiko. One way or another, upon scrutiny, you can see a questionable connection, if not to the construction sector, tiyak makikita mo ito sa ibang economic sectors, gaya ng mining, energy, finance, telecommunication, at iba pa.
Sinabi sa atin na tumanggap si Escudero ng Php30 milyon na donasyon para sa kanyang kampanya sa pagkasenador noong 2022 mula kay Lubiano, ang presidente ng Centerways Construction and Development Inc., na nagkataong nakakuha ng 20% ng mga kontrata para sa mga proyekto sa pagkontrol sa baha. Hindi rin nakaligtas sa ulat si Villanueva. Ipinaalam sa atin na nakatanggap siya ng Php20 milyon na donasyon mula sa New San Jose Builders Inc. para sa kanyang senatorial bid sa parehong taon.
Ito ay lumang balita. Noong panahon ni Duterte, ginawa niyang kaaway sa media ang maraming mga business tycoons para lang magbigay ng pabor sa business tycoons sa sarili niyang kampo.
Sa paningin ko, basura ang lahat. Hindi ako nagtitiwala sa ganitong uri ng press release. Ano ang layunin sa likod ng naturang paglalantad?
Ang totoo, ang mga pulitiko ay nagpapatakbo ng pamahalaang sibil para sa personal na interes. Ang katotohanang napakaraming pangalan ang nasasangkot ay nagpapatunay lamang na ito ang mismong sistema, ang kalakaran sa bansa. Ano ang mapapala mo sa ganitong uri ng paglalantad? Umaasa na magkakaroon ng pagbabago? Papalitan ba ang mga pulitiko? Na bumangon ang publiko? Palabas lang ang lahat. Niloloko natin ang ating mga sarili kung naniniwala pa rin tayo na ang tunay na pagbabago ay maaaring lumabas sa bulok na sistema.
Narito ang dalawa pang linya na parang archaic:
It is very important to investigate the flood control project that was allegedly used for the personal gains of the lawmakers.
Twenty percent of our budget goes to bribery, goes to politicians who use public money for their own interests. So the result is, so much money is lost—money that doesn’t go to public services.
Ang serbisyo publiko ay ang karaniwang alibi. Walang transparency at walang pananagutan. Gayunpaman, gustong-gusto ng mga pulitiko na retorika ng kanilang mga plataporma ang paglaban sa kahirapan, kontra-korapsyon, at hustisya. Sa tingin niyo, walang koneksyon sa kahirapan ang mga kickback na iyon? Hindi ba sila ang pinaka-ugat nito? Paano mo lalabanan ang katiwalian at kahirapan kung mismong mga mambabatas ang sangkot? And the sad part is, tayo ang naglagay sa kanila sa posisyon.
Mga sub-standard na materyales at mahinang kalidad—iyan ang huling produkto ng mga kontrata ng gobyerno. Muli, walang bago.
At ang isyu ng tiwala sa gobyerno? Iyan ay isang malaking wow! Magsumbong? Kanino mo ito isusumbong? Sa media? Marami sa kanila ang tila nabayaran din. Sa mga mambabatas? Kung magkagayon, ang sitwasyon ay paikot-ikot lang.