What’s Really Happening

Two premises: first, this country has three major problems: massive poverty, which affects almost half the population, corruption and drug trafficking; Secondly, the Marcos and Duterte families belong to a ruling oligarchy, from whose past and present actions it can be reasonably inferred that wealth and power are the main drivers of their political agenda. Between them, the Marcos family is known to have killed more and stolen more.

The most basic question that arises from these premises is why are we not forming an interdisciplinary working group to find solutions to the country’s core problems, especially the core problem of mass poverty? We spend so much time and money on endless soap operas, exploring many other issues than the main one. Clearly, fundamental structural changes are needed to solve this problem, but why are our leaders content with providing Ayuda to poor Filipinos, a program that serves to perpetuate poverty rather than solve it?

The next question is: Will we be any closer to solving the drug problem when we portray former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRDD) as a foul-mouthed extrajudicial killer of criminals? It must be recognized that extrajudicial killings are not a solution to the problem. This is more than illegal, it is immoral. Therefore, the victims must be given justice and anyone proven to be involved must be punished to the maximum. So why not order the concerned agencies to collect evidence and give FPRRD and his cronies a chance to stand trial? Why waste precious time and money on endless extrajudicial investigations, rather than organizing a focused and serious search for an effective solution to the problem?

The takeaway question is: Why have we still not done anything about the extrajudicial killings of the Marcos family and why are we not holding hearings to check the veracity of the rumors about President Bong Bong Marcos using drugs? Prosecuting Duterte is right and fair because he is not above the law. But so do the Marcoses. Or are they?

What are infinite probes really for? What legislation has so far resulted from Senate or Congressional investigation? It’s more like investigations are being done to gain publicity and improve name recall for re-election purposes, not to help people with their needs. Probes don’t solve anything.

So what’s really going on? Just like online, nothing is as it seems offline. Fake news clogs social media while the mainstream media doesn’t delve into the issues. Nothing is happening that can help people solve their problems. Everything is happening that allows the oligarchs to rig our political and economic system in their favor and against the people.

Even worse, nothing is happening to the leaders of popular organizations. They do not encourage members to build a lasting movement for legal and peaceful reform of our unjust social structures. They seem unwilling to give up their favorite nuances of ideology and thus fail to unite under a common vision and common action.

What is really happening is that this nation is in limbo.