Philippine economy

[Bodymind] The Binay saga: Is it déjà vu all over again?

Dr Margie Holmes

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

[Bodymind] The Binay saga: Is it déjà vu all over again?
'Please, let’s not merely gossip with the latest tidbit we know, wringing our hands, tsk tsking away about how we really belong to a damaged culture'

Look, I won’t lie to you: I have been out of the country since late July and won’t be back till mid-November (first apo of our unica hija and all that) and I worry whether this absence may have led to a less than accurate reading of certain situations (and please let me know if I have, okay?).

I keep up with what’s happening in the Philippines even when away, but somehow virtual participation isn’t quite the same as actually being there, is it? It is better than nothing, of course, but it’s not the same as being able to discuss issues at meetings and over coffee, pausing for effect when you think you’ve said something particularly clever, and ratcheting up one’s contributions from comments of others, laughing over our politicians’ inanities, and (almost) crying at the seeming inevitability of gaining nothing new despite all our discussions, million people march(es), and evidence that seems strong enough to land at least 3 alleged thieves in jail.

Yes, yes, I know what the naysayers think: Enrile, Estrada and Revilla, the alleged biggest thieves in Congress, are merely the tip of the iceberg. I also know that even putting them in prison will not stop corruption entirely…but it’s a hell of a good start, isn’t it?

Once again, it is time to do our bit and take it to the next level.

By this I do not mean our usual dance: denunciations of the latest government official with a whiff (and sometimes more) of stealing our money, arguing whether the latest whistle blower should have immunity, and posting memes with the latest alleged thief as the biggest pig with his snout in the trough.

Right now, it is Binay, Binay, Binay…but to what end? We did the same about Enrile, Estrada and Revilla, then about PNoy and his DAP fund, and so far none of our efforts have really gotten us anywhere, have they?

I am not pooh-poohing the jokes, insults, information shared, denunciations, analyses from all walks of life. It is a good start, but it can’t stop there. Otherwise, all our efforts will merely be “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5).”

For example, my gut feel is that the allegations against Veep Binay are true. That is because the statements by the whistle blowers are backed up by credible journalists, one with taped conversations between Binay and Raissa Robles etc. You do NOT whistle blow against someone as powerful and as seemingly ruthless as Vice President Binay unless you’re fairly sure you have the proof.

However, if it’s thieves we’re after, I think (though I am happy to be told otherwise) it would be more efficient if we concerned citizens focused on the ones where we already have evidence and a paper trail convincing enough not only to take them to court, but also feel we have a fighting chance to get them convicted.

Let’s try and get at least one real thief in a real jail; not merely an underling who was the bagman (or bagwoman) and for God’s sake, not in a gussied up room which would look like a room in a 5-star hotel if it weren’t for the view through the bars on the window. You know, the sort of room available only to thieves wealthy enough to bribe others in exchange of such privileges, mostly (if not all) with the money they stole from us.

This time, let’s also try and make sure it is a sentence that fits the crime, and not one that these culprits can use to come across as martyrs, just in time for the next presidential election, but a real jail sentence in a real prison because our prosecutors have proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that they committed the crimes they are on trial for.

Senator Jinggoy is wrong when he says selective justice is no justice at all. Not morally wrong, which perhaps he has been for a long time, but based on scientific findings. In fact, being selective is the only way we can get any long lasting results. 

It’s ok to shoot from the hip every now and then; to make jokes at their expense and put words in their mouths that make them look like the greedy fools they are. But is it possible kaya to leave that to the others who can do it better than we can and sometimes have no resources to do any more than that? Working students who commute from offices to universities, high school students who are usually far more Internet savvy than us, who can share all the jokes and innuendos, yes, but also valid information they can then pass on to their parents and to others who can do something more about it.

Because if we, once again, log on to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media; even if we read and listen to all different sorts of mass media (AURGHHH, this included!); even if we join debates and discussions in hallowed academic halls and lecture series and stop there, we will be living proof of how Einstein defined insanity: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

These alleged thieves are so inured to insults that Miriam Santiago’s description of Purisima fits the whole lot of them: “What we are seeing is an epidemic of people in high government office who possess the epidermis of pachyderms…who possess the skins of elephants. Ganun kakapal. Those guys are thick-skinned.”

Let’s not let the Binay scandal distract us from the cases already filed in court.

Let’s pull up our socks and do something while we still can: For example, is there any way we can contribute so a trial can finish earlier? Any help we can extend to get a guilty man convicted?

Sounds a bit of a stretch, but we did it before; we helped pass the RH Bill. Why can’t we do it again, helping the prosecution get a guilty verdict?

Show indignation. If their lawyers and publicists can’t be shamed because their skins are just as thick, then let them know we know what they really are. Let’s sign petitions, demonstrate.

Please, let’s not merely gossip with the latest tidbit we know, wringing our hands, tsk tsking away about how we really belong to a “damaged culture,” because we are so ningas cogon, etc? (This is our supposed Filipino cultural trait of very enthusiastically starting things, but then quickly losing enthusiasm soon after.) 

Do we become caricatures of self fulfilling prophecies and give truth to Yogi Berra’s “It’s déjà vu all over again?” Or do we rouse ourselves to be the proud people we once were and can once again be? – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!