Better Philippines

Hindi Ako Mag-Nanakaw, Pramis

I have just seen the latest TV ad of Senator Noynoy Aquino and I must say it’s a good one. Here it is from YouTube.

And for those who want to really savor the lines, here they are lovingly transcribed by yours truly.

Minamahal kong kababayan,

Tadhana ang nagbuklod sa atin dahil naghihingalo na ang ating bayan, Nais kong pumasok sa isang kasunduan sa inyo. Lalaban tayo para sa wastong edukasyon ng bawat batang Pilipino. Lalaban tayo para sa abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan. Lalabanan natin ang kahirapan. Lalabanan natin ang mga kawatan. Lalabanan natin ang sino mang wawasak sa kalikasan. Lalabanan natin ang sino mang manggugulo sa ating kapayapaan at katahimikan.

Ang laban natin ay laban ng bayan.

Sa ngalan ng aking mga magulang at sa gabay ng diyos, gagawin ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya na pagsilbihan ang mahal nating Inang Bayan. Bilang tunay na sagot sa kahirapan at tunay na daan sa kaunlaran, ang inyong lingkod Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino the Third, isang mamamayang Pilipino, nangangako sa Diyos at sa Bayan — Hindi ako mag-nanakaw.

Powerful stuff, really.

I have to congratulate the planning and production team behind this ad. You’ve just proven to everyone that it is possible to create a campaign ad that does not involve any dancing or singing and makes use of no overly dramatic images depicting squalor, despair and hope. Additional points as well for not including shots of mindless people carrying torches. Special mention goes to the scriptwriter. You sure can write compelling copy. I sincerely admire you for skillfully filling up a tight running time of one-minute with very powerful words. And, of course, Senator Aquino. You deserve much praise for your unusually impressive delivery and presence here. All in all, you all did a great job and I think this ad deserves an award for brilliant simplicity.

With that said, let’s now put on our serious-voter’s hat.

I think this ad is unprecedented. Here we have a politician coming out with an unequivocal promise that he will not steal. Noynoy may not be the first to come out with such a pronouncement in a TV ad but I’m pretty certain he is the first one to say it in such a simple and direct-to-the-point manner.

Hindi ako mag-nanakaw.

Truly powerful. Unfortunately, there’s a problem and it is this.

Noynoy, Hindi Ka Nag-Iisa.

Yes, indeed, that’s the problem, dear Senator. You really are not alone in laying claim to this anti-corruption branding. The fact is all politicians claim they are against corruption. Even Jun Lozada and Jose de Venecia III. Oh, I forgot, you think you stand out in this aspect because of your Sincerity, Honesty, Integrity and Transparency. Sorry to burst your bubble but that’s all in your head.

Hindi Ka Talaga Nag-Iisa. Pramis.

Speaking of promises. The good senator made really good use of the very limited running time by mouthing off a number of promises all said within the context of that nebulous Aquino concept of Laban.

Again, with our thinking-voter’s hat still on, let’s see if there is any value here. Hmmm. Hmmm.

Sorry, there is none. Want proof? Check out this utakngtilapia.com exclusive interview.

Huh? Laban? Asan? Asan ang laban?

For the truly hopelessly yellow, the message here is that Noynoy’s Laban is clear only to himself. Or maybe not. Sure he may have a general grasp of what Filipinos need but that’s nothing if he can’t even inform us how exactly he will pursue and achieve his promises. Let’s refer back to his campaign ad script.

Lalaban tayo para sa wastong edukasyon ng bawat batang Pilipino = How exactly?

Lalaban tayo para sa abot-kayang serbisyong pangkalusugan = How exactly?

Lalabanan natin ang kahirapan = How exactly?

Lalabanan natin ang mga kawatan = How exactly?

Lalabanan natin ang sino mang wawasak sa kalikasan = How exactly?

Lalabanan natin ang sino mang manggugulo sa ating kapayapaan at katahimikan = How exactly?

So you see dear reader, not even this potentially award-winning ad can erase the sad fact that to this day Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has failed to properly communicate to us the substance of his candidacy. You’ve probably heard about his failure to attend the forum organized by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation. I don’t know but it seems to me this is becoming a habit for Noynoy. Not good.

By the way, I realize that Noynoy may actually be telling us the truth when he said, “Hindi ako mag-nanakaw.” Who knows maybe he does have the will to actually keep himself clean while in office. The question is what about the people around him? Does he have the ability or guts to stand up to sycophants, influence peddlers and their mothers?

We’ll look into that later. In the meantime, here’s something for those who need to rid themselves of the hypnotic effect of Noynoy’s latest campaign ad.

(note: Writing about the (mis)adventures of Noynoy is getting tiresome. Unfortunately, someone has to do it since Noynoy’s handlers and supporters are not inclined to push their idol to do better.)

Self-serving Talk

I just heard President Gloria Arroyo deliver what should be her last State of the Nation Address and I can’t help but be amazed at her ability to alienate. I found it quite difficult relating to her claims of ‘achievements.’ Ok, that wouldn’t be fair. PGMA could probably be credited for some things but still I just can’t get myself to accept her version of reality.

I’m particularly troubled by her insistence on using supposed gains in the area of infrastructure as a measure of her supposed success in governance. As I heard her cite this and that completed project, my mind drifted and soon I was imagining a barangay captain enumerating to his constituents the projects he pursued, which, of course, are all part and parcel of his being an official to begin with. Parang nanunumbat baga.

I guess I was hoping against hope that she’d  come out with something bigger than that perhaps something along the lines of putting a stop to government graft and corruption.  But, as it turned out, the closest she got to saying anything about it in her speech today was when she remarked that those accusing her of using her position for personal profit should first look at their own lifestyles. Clearly, that’s just self-serving talk.

As far as I’m concerned graft and corruption is still this country’s biggest problem. With that solved I’m sure the government will be able to exponentially increase its gains in addressing poverty, improving employment, boosting the economy etcetera etcetera.

Oh well. For now, that’s just wishful thinking.

Indignant Over Hypocritical Show Of Selective Indignation

Do you know what makes Philippine politics one big joke? It’s the hypocrisy.

I’m really beginning to think there is no more hope for this country of ours. How can we expect to realize a better Philippines when we can not even mount a decent and genuine indignation rally. Heck, we can’t even decide exactly what we are being indignant about. Gloria Forever? Charter Change? Corruption? Transactional Politics? All of the above?

The Anti-Con-Ass rally should have been more than just a protest against Charter Change through Constituent Assembly. It should have been more than just an act of defiance against attempts to extend PGMA’s term. It should have been a rejection of graft, of corruption, of all the evils that plague our government.

Those who were there would likely say that it was. Really, now, is that what it was? I caught a live TV coverage of the rally and, boy, was I blown away by the images that I saw. Just as I feared, politicians and would-be politicians took over the stage again, displaying their disgusting smiles and fake posturings. If it were a real indignation rally against government evils then those opportunists shouldn’t have been allowed on stage to begin with.

And, what about those partylist solons who, at the very least, appear to be defenders of the common good? Were they not bothered at all that they were  sharing the stage with the poster boy for transactional politics? Ah, the hypocrisy.

Perhaps, the biggest hypocrisy and punchline in all of this is the fact that many of those so-called protesters did not even have the slightest idea what the hoopla was all about. A TV Patrol report showed a couple of “hakots” admitting on camera that they do not even know what Con-Ass meant.

I’m running out of words to express my indignation over this disappointing excuse of a rally. I’ll just borrow the famous words of Anti-Con Ass supporter Senator Mar Roxas, who, according to fellow blogger PinoyBuzz, is actually a closet charter change supporter.

P U T A N G I N A !

(I apologize for the profanity. I just can’t stand hypocrisy)

The Most Difficult Question

Not a few bloggers have heaped praises on ANC newscaster Tina Monzon Palma for asking the participants of the first ANC Leadership Forum if they plan to support the investigation of President Gloria Arroyo after the 2010 Elections. Perhaps they thought Ms. Palma showed balls by asking such a question. Perhaps she did.

I’m just wondering was that question really difficult to ask? Was it anywhere near being the toughest question to ask of our presidential hopefuls? Was it even worth asking in the first place?

If you’re idea of a good candidate is someone who does nothing but criticize the incumbent then perhaps that would be the question.

“Will you support an investigation of the Arroyo family for corruption allegations?”

Personally, I think it wasn’t even worth asking. In the first place, if there really is reason to investigate shouldn’t that be automatic regardless of who is in charge? The fact that it was asked and that many saw it as a defining moment of sorts only shows that many of us don’t realize what elections are for. I’ve always thought elections are about plans and the future.

Many would argue that giving the incumbent her just deserts is a real issue. Of course it is. I’m not saying it is not. But — and this is a very big but — is the election period the time to focus on retribution? I think we shouldn’t burden our candidates with this issue anymore. Doing so would only distract them from the more important task of providing us with clear, definite plans (complete with timetables) on how they would lead our country out of the sh_thole it is in. Perhaps we should just ask them about retribution after they get elected. Then again that may not also be a good idea but let’s reserve that for another post.

Going back to the question. “Will you support an investigation of the Arroyo family for corruption allegations?” It’s not as tough a question as many of us would like to believe nor is it the most difficult to answer just ask Senator Francis Escudero.

I want to give our candidates the grilling of a lifetime or maybe I just want to see them squirm and pee in their pants trying to avoid a direct answer. So for me the toughest question is: Have you ever stolen public funds?

Of course, we already know the answer to that.

Highway Robbery Along Commonwealth Avenue

I was on my way to the office today when the bus I was riding was stopped by a group of men along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. They were unarmed but you could immediately tell that they were up to no good.

True enough after that encounter the bus driver and conductor were P200 poorer. Sounds like highway robbery, doesn’t it?

The group we encountered was running an anti-smoke belching operation so they had every authority to flag us down. But instead of carrying out what they were mandated to do they turned their whole operation into a money-making scheme.

I know money changed hands because I saw it as it happened.  I was sitting at the front row and as I peered through the window I saw the bus conductor giving P200 to one of the team members.

It was quite a funny sight actually. The man who flagged us down was acting all indignant because the bus driver, who remained glued to his seat, refused to hand over his vehicle registration. So he went on to admonish the bus driver. But as he was delivering his sermon he was also stealthily reaching out for the conductor’s hand, which held two tightly folded P100 bills.

What a funny charade I thought. It was really funny I failed to stop myself from laughing and blurting out, “ayos na, merienda na.” The clown even heard what I said. As he walked away he flashed me a toothless smile not even his own mother would appreciate.

Now, I’m left wondering again if calls for personal change would even work on people like these.

We Should Legislate Change

I’ve encountered a proposition that I think merits an analysis. The proposition is that the Philippines already has enough laws to fight graft and corruption.

Do we really have enough laws? Probably. But why is graft and corruption still a problem  in our country and more importantly why are those laws not being followed even by those tasked to implement them?

Our laws really should be enough but, unfortunately, they are not. We need better laws. If the problem is implementation then perhaps we need more laws to ensure that malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance are discouraged and dealt with accordingly.

Instead of clamoring for “change from within ourselves” we should instead make demands for better laws.

In the first place, are our present laws good enough? I think not for the simple reason that they were crafted by people with interests to protect.

How can we have good laws then? One way is by getting ordinary citizens involved in the process.

First, we should take a serious look at our system and identify the problems that make it weak. Is it graft and corruption? Yes, that’s one of them. Next, we can put our heads together and think of how it can be eliminated from our system of government. Once we have our ideas finalized we can craft them into clear cut proposals for our lawmakers to consider. Finally, we can lobby for our proposals in Congress.

Instead of forming movements calling for something as general and vague as change, why don’t we form movements focused on creating the kind of laws our lawmakers don’t have the balls to handle, laws that will truly make it risky and dangerous for grafters and corruptors to do their thing.

Who should be part of such a movement? Anyone who has the patience to analyze a dysfunctional system and think up of ways to make it better.

It should be clear by now that Filipinos who truly despise graft and corruption are the most qualified to handle the task of crafting laws against this menace.

Only with better laws can our country become better in the short and long term. Implemented properly (with the help of laws that will ensure proper implementation), laws will force everyone including those in the government to do what is right. Over time, compliance will evolve into obedience.

Remember the time when smoking inside jeepneys and buses was quite common. Then, sometime during the 1990s a law or policy was put in place banning the practice. At first, most smokers resisted the law but they were not given any choice because non-compliance meant penalties. For some reason, the implementation of that particular law or policy was carried out seriously for a good length of time. The result: Today, smoking in jeepneys and buses is no longer as commonplace as before and the practice is now seen by most people including smokers as unacceptable behaviour.

I’m sure the same result would not have been achieved if there was no law or rule against it. Think about it.

Calls for personal change? It’s just a fad.

The Enemy Of My Enemy Is (Not) My Friend

I’m beginning to wonder if Filipinos are really fed up with government graft and corruption. Recent developments in the local political scene are giving me the idea that some Filipinos don’t really care if our government continues to be run by grafters and corruptors.

Just consider the fact that the Nacionalista Party has offered ZTE deal witness Jun Lozada a slot in its senatorial line-up. Of all people, Lozada? The same Lozada who during the senate hearings on the controversial ZTE broadband deal admitted that he himself was involved in some anomalous transactions when he was the head of the Philippine Forest Corporation.The same Lozada who admitted that he can tolerate and accept certain levels of corruption. Yes, the same Lozada who coined the phrase “moderate your greed.”

As of this posting, Lozada is being held at the headquarters of the Manila Police District for a perjury charge filed against him by former Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor. As can be expected, Lozada and many of his supporters are crying foul over his arrest. They are claiming this is the handiwork of the Arroyo administration. I couldn’t care less if that is the case or not. What I care about is the seemingly misplaced notion that Lozada is a symbol of hope.

There’s an old saying that goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” This is basically the doctrine at play here in this whole Lozada vs. Arroyo epic. I don’t know about you but the fact that it is makes me doubt if there is still hope for the Philippines.

I hope those who will read this post especially those who support Lozada will not take my words out of context. Like many other Filipinos today, I too would like to see an end to the current administration and, if possible, for justice to be served. But, to pin my hopes on someone who was also part of the anomalies that attended the ZTE broadband deal is something I just cannot do.

Glorifying Lozada as some sort of hero or symbol of hope just because he is a potential thorn in the administration’s side will not do this country any good.

I’m sure many of those who have chosen to support Lozada are doing so out of a sincere desire to see a better Philippines. However, I have serious doubts about the motives of those high up in their chain of command (assuming one does exist) and those political figures who stand to gain should this movement or whatever it is called succeed.

I’m just like everyone else who wants  a Philippines that is free from graft and corruption. I too have had it with public servants who think they are above the law. But, I just can’t accept the idea that I should be friends with the enemy of my enemy to achieve what I think is right. I just don’t see how supporting one dubious personality to get  rid of another would be a statement against the evils plaguing our government. I also do not see how such an approach would ensure that the ultimate goal of cleansing the government will be achieved.

Can we not do better than this?

Are we just against the sinner not the sin?

Make The Government A Dangerous Place For Evil-Doers

Without an effective graft and corruption-proof system in place, the government will continue to be conducive to parasites and thieves. Moral transformation? Nothing more than a campaign slogan. Change from within? Sounds like an emo tune. Public vigilance? As if people would act collectively at the first sign of trouble. I think the only way to rid the government of graft and corruption is by making it an unappealing and even dangerous environment for grafters and corruptors.

First and foremost, if it were up to me, the principle of presumption of innocence would be thrown out the window insofar as dealing with mid to top level government officials is concerned. Why not? With great power comes great responsibility. Being a government official should be treated as an aggravating factor.

Okay, that may be extreme so I’ll just settle for the following:

A law that would have the spouse/partner and of age children of an official accused of graft and corruption treated as accomplices and charged similarly. This should make perfect sense after all it can be assumed that the gains of the official’s thievery also benefited those closest to him or her. (Don’t you just hate it when a corrupt official’s children get to study in the best schools abroad using stolen taxpayers’ money while many are forced to keep their children enrolled in crappy schools? And what about the spouse who gets to spend ill-gotten wealth on luxuries while the poor barely meet their daily needs despite their hard labor?) It’s quite impossible especially for the spouse not to know anything. So I say have them all face the consequence. Let’s see if any state worker or official would continue to dip their hands in the national coffers when the stakes are this high.

How about a law that would make nepotism and establishing political dynasties punishable by life imprisonment with no possibility of parole or clemency? I would prescribe death as punishment but that would be too easy a punishment for these opportunists. I say let them all rot in prison for the longest period of time possible.

Admittedly, these are all just raw and general ideas. I leave the responsibility of threshing out the details to our lawmakers. Then again, they may not have the balls to formulate measures that have real teeth to stop graft and corruption.

What do you think?

One-Two-Three

This country’s next president should seriously look into the graft and corruption that has been going at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. It is my hope that the next president will make it his or her mission to personally ­go after corrupt BIR officials and personnel. I’m thinking at least 10 BIR officials/personnel tried, convicted and penalized per year during the duration of his term. That could be enough to send a chilling message to all the grafters and corruptors.

Clearly, I am still all riled up because of Philippine Star columnist Cito Beltran’s recent piece about the BIR. In his column, Mr. Beltran described how brazen some tax collectors have become and how it seems corruption is tolerated and possibly even encouraged within the bureau. He noted that the system within the bureau has made it possible for our tax collectors to have their way with taxpayers and it wouldn’t matter as long as they are able to meet their quotas.

A number of commenters have criticized Mr. Beltran’s column. A few of them seem to hold the belief that taxpayers should just pay the right taxes and everything will just be peachy. I agree it could be argued that taxpayers are also to blame for all the graft and corruption going on in the BIR. It could be said that graft and corruption would not exist in the BIR if taxpayers just paid what is due to the government and refrained from offering bribes.

The reality is taxpayers are wired to do everything – including illegal means for some – to avoid paying too much in taxes. That is the taxpayer’s nature. The responsibility of ensuring that correct taxes are collected rests with the tax collectors. That is the job we are paying them to do after all. Unfortunately, many, if not all, BIR personnel are parasites.

Curiously, isn’t it strange that our lawmakers don’t seem to have any interest at all to investigate the shenanigans going on in the BIR? Not that we even need a congressional inquiry to uncover the problem. Our lawmakers need only acknowledge, admit and craft the necessary laws to address what they already know.

But, our lawmakers are busy with other things. Some of them may even be thinking about new taxes, which leads me to ask: Why does the national government always seem to be in need of more taxes? I am not an economist and my financial knowledge is limited to counting the very limited money I have in my wallet but I would like to venture a guess. My guess is it is because revenue targets are never met. And, why aren’t revenue targets met? The answer may be as simple as one-two-three.

It is a widely known fact that business owners are favorite targets of BIR people. It is also a known fact that a business owner would eventually end up facing a BIR personnel during the tax season. There’s just no escaping this under the present system.

Negotiations occur during these face-offs. It usually starts out with the BIR personnel informing the business owner that his or her taxes are a certain amount, usually, one that the business owner would find too big. This prompts the business owner to haggle for a reduced amount. So what does the BIR personnel do? He or she offers directly or indirectly the option of paying a reduced amount in exchange for a “fee.” More negotiations ensue but all these eventually end with the business owner agreeing to the terms offered by the BIR personnel. The business owner pays the reduced amount and the BIR personnel collects his “fee.”

It should be noted that sometimes the initial tax amount quoted by the BIR personnel/official isn’t even correct. More often than not it is higher than what is really due. This is the BIR personnel’s strategy to get the business owner to enter into negotiations. As I said it is just one-two-three as in “na-wantutri” or “naloko” in the vernacular.

So what happens when the national government finds that its revenues have fallen short? It calls for more taxes. Unfortunately, imposing more taxes will never fill in the gaps. It will just provide the tax collector the opportunity to carry out his or her evil deeds. The classic theory is that more taxes mean more and better government services. The fact is more taxes just mean more money for the corrupt tax collector.

Damn The (Corrupt) Taxman

Philippine Star columnist Cito Beltran came out today with a piece on the Bureau of Internal Revenue. It’s recommended reading if you want to know  why many people, including myself, loathe BIR personnel. Stories like these should be enough reason for us to vote leaders who have the political will to actually fight corruption. Here are some excerpts.

“Participants in a recent tax forum expressed shock when a top official of the BIR casually said that as far as they are concerned, they are willing to turn a blind eye to whatever means BIR agents use as long as the agency meets their revenue targets or collection quotas. In response to the pressure and the desperation to hit targets, the BIR has foregone restraint and accountability among the good and the bad within its ranks.”

“The corrupt are now asking for an average of P350,000 not to do their job and after a couple of weeks, the reported average rate of accepted bribe is P200,000. There are no distinctions made between feast and famine and if the “agent” gets transferred, the thieves have a referral system.”

I was going to share some of my own thoughts about the shenanigans going on in the BIR but I can’t at the moment as I am overcome with indignation. In the meantime, read the full text of Mr. Beltran’s column here.