A Question for Action

Politics. Isn’t it the world of filth, greed, and lies? Probably. But it should be.

Filth. How many times do we see trashy streets during elections? Leaflets piling down the drainage. Banners wavering high across the highways. Posters overruling each other on space-deficient walls. And the list goes on. It’s a fiesta of paper newsprints everywhere. And the theme? Candidates and their achievements. And please don’t forget their awards when they were in nursery.

Greed. And why would so many people aim to be in the position? Of course, they love public service. I can only imagine how unhealthy their pork barrels are. How much do a politician earn in a month? It depends on the number of projects they initiated in both legal and not-so-legal bases.

Lies. And what’s with the promises? They’re pleasant to the ears yet painful to feel, especially when shattered. I wish I won’t be hearing any of those ever again.

And with these, politics has morphed into a new form of art. An art where winning a crowd of thousands, even millions, means withdrawing a big amount in your savings; where public positions become highly-coveted possessions; where honesty is fifty percent truth and the other half manipulated; where political gatherings would also mean family gatherings, sharing not only ideas but family names as well.

It’s sad to think politics in the Philippines has a bad image among its constituents, stained by issues that politicians themselves have initiated. We never intended this to happen; but our nation, which we assume to be our heaven, is actually run by hell. It’s unwanted, yet it’s needed. The reason for its existence is great but its recent status is grave. We have the laws, but seldom implemented.

Now, we see unfairness. We’re supposed to be the voice of the government, yet our voices are unheard. We shout for the truth but everyone loves to hear the lies. We claim for justice but that justice slowly goes down the sink. We are unable to promote our welfare. And what can we do? We’re left with choices where our only option is to choose for the lesser evil.

Nonetheless, it is still our fault, folks. We become so passive, selfish, and decidedly unaware of our current political situation. Sinless, you may say, but a sinner in being insensitive and indifferent.

So what can we do now?